Costco prepares to open first-of-its-kind store in Houston

Houston will soon get its first Costco Business Center with the opening of a new store in the Grid mixed-use development at U.S. 59 and South Kirkwood in Stafford. The Grid, a development of StreetLevel Investments and Provident Realty Advisors, is about 15 miles southwest of downtown Houston.
The Issaquah, Wash.-based retailer plans to open the store at 12717 Network Drive in September, according to the company’s website. Costco did not immediately respond to a request for details on the opening.
Costco Business Centers cater to small businesses, carrying an expanded selection of items such as commercial appliances, individually wrapped snacks, a greater variety of beverages and larger sizes of fresh and frozen groceries, according to the company’s website. Many of the additional items take the place of clothing, books and sporting goods.
RELATED: H-E-B plans expansion across Houston’s suburbs
Anyone with a Costco membership can shop at Business Center stores, which typically open earlier than warehouse stores and are closed on Sundays.
In April, the developers of the Grid announced the sale of 13 acres to Costco Wholesale Corp. for the 148,000-square-foot store, which was under construction at the time. The store is similar in size to other Costcos in the Houston area.
The Grid is being developed on the former Texas Instruments research and manufacturing campus. The 192-acre project, located south of U.S. 59. between South Kirkwood Road and West Airport Boulevard, includes retail, residential, office, dining and entertainment, hospitality and public space components.
Costco joins Whiskey Cake Kitchen, Outback Steakhouse, In-N-Out Burger, Pluckers Wing Bar, Torchy’s Taco’s, Amegy Bank, AT&T, Chipotle, Verizon, Raising Cane’s, Panda Express, among others, at the Grid.
Costco has more than 560 stores in the U.S., including 15 Business Centers. The new Costco store will be the 11th in the Houston market.