Suzanne Anderson (lower r) with fellow brokers at Susanne Anderson Properties. Houston Gym staff. Phil De Marco (l) and Chito Bernardo of Lost Bayou Guest House. Jim Gray opened Hurricane Café on the Galveston seawall. The Julia Victoria crew.

THIS ISSUE > OUT & ABOUT > BUSINESS NEWS

Suzanne Anderson Properties owner/managing broker Mike Huff (standing, l) and founding broker Suzanne Anderson (seated, r) opened the firm's new headquarters in a historic building in the Heights (741 East 11th St., 713/529-8484) with a March 14 reception. They were joined by manager Michael Johnson (standing, r) and broker associate Debra Brashears (seated, l). Anderson, who established the real-estate firm in the early '80s, sold out to Huff a year ago but continues to work in the firm's Montrose office (239 Westheimer, 713/529-8484).

Suzanne Anderson Properties also now has an office in Galveston (409/763-8484) and representation in the Austin/Hill Country area (reached through Laurie Marques, 713/206-5989). The firm websites are www.suzanneandersonproperties.com and www.andersonprop.com.
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Don Puryear has opened the first Happy Tails Dog Spa franchise location in Texas at 1315 Waugh Dr. (713/522-8144). Happy Tails offers dog day care, grooming services, and boarding for dogs of all ages. A state-of-the-art Internet video monitoring system allows owners to view their dogs online during spa hours.  

On April 23, Happy Tails will host a pet adoption day, 1-4 p.m., for the Houston Humane Society. Jim Tweedy, the popular artist known for his Charlie the RedCat and Jim Tweedy's Friendly Doggies illustrations, will appear to sign prints of his work for donations to the Humane Society. Hollywood Frame Gallery (2427 Bissonnet, 713/942-8885), the exclusive representative in Texas for Tweedy's Charlie the RedCat and Friendly Doggies drawings, will participate in the event.

Happy To Be Here, Inc., the Virginia-based franchise company of Happy Tails Dog Spa, maintains seven locations in Virginia and Maryland in addition to the new Houston facility. The website is www.happytailsdogspa.com.
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Houston Gym staff (standing, l-r) Bobby Arnold, Wes Simon, Israel Rivera, co-owner Johnnie West, Tony Brannon, co-owner John Langman, and Valerie Elliot (seated) recently celebrated the facility's 12th year in business. Houston Gym has expanded its free-weight area, remodeled the locker room, and installed new equipment, including state-of-the-art LifeFitness Lifecycles and an LCD flat-screen satellite cardio theater. "We also have an all-new awesome aerobic studio with full class schedule including zamba, spinning, yoga, Tae Bo, and Pilates," Langman says. Through April 30, members can join for $18 per month. Houston Gym is located at 1501 Durham. The phone number is 713/880-9191, and the website is www.houstongym.com.
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In November, Phil De Marco (l) and Chito Bernardo opened Lost Bayou Guest House in Galveston. The five-bedroom bed-and-breakfast is housed in an 1890 Victorian Classical Revival residence. Amenities include continental breakfast and access to a health room and dry sauna. This month, Bernardo will begin offering massages for guests. Prices start at $110 per night.

Lost Bayou Guest House is located at 1607 Avenue L in Galveston. The phone number is 409/770-0688, and the website is www.lostbayou.com.
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Jim Gray opened Hurricane Café in Galveston last month. Gray, formerly a popular long-time bartender at The Ripcord, had planned to open a restaurant in Montrose but decided to move to Galveston when a Seawall Boulevard property became available. His new restaurant, which specializes in gourmet burgers, salads, and chicken wings, features a patio with a Gulf view and serves breakfast daily.

Hurricane Café, which is open Wednesday through Sunday, is located at 1328 Seawall Blvd. The phone number is 409/770-WING.
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Along with an international menu, gift shop, art exchange, and bookstore, the Julie Victoria Café in Rice Village features an innovative fundraising endeavor. The restaurant's parent company, Fuji International, donates profits realized from dessert and catering sales to the homeless housing initiatives of the West Heights Housing Shelter. Longtime GLBT community activist Matt Locklin, who established the shelter and works with Julie Victoria Café as corporate director, says $10,000 was raised in fiscal year 2005. He expects more than $30,000 in donations in fiscal year 2006. Locklin is also the co-chair of the city Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS citizens' council.

The staff at Julie Victoria Café (2347 University Blvd., 713/864-1795) includes (l-r) Locklin, pastry chef Ryan Corran, corporate chef Jermaine Lisby, and chef Scott Conner. The restaurant -- planned to be the first of a city-wide chain -- is open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Live jazz is featured on Saturday nights.
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Opthalomologist Marc Sanders, M.D., F.A.C.S., has announced that he has begun using the new AcrySof ReSTOR intraocular lens for some cataract patients in his Diagnostic Eye Center practice. "With the new AcrySof ReSTOR IOL, patients have the potential to reduce their reliance on glasses," Dr. Sanders says. "This new lens is a breakthrough in cataract surgery that we are proud to offer our patients."

Diagnostic Eye Center has two locations: 3405 Edloe, Suite 300, and 1213 Hermann Dr., Suite 110. The phone number is 713/797-1500, and the website is www.diagnosticeyecenter.com.