Utah-based SWIG will break ground next month in NewQuest Properties’ Grand at Aliana, joining several new and expanding brands planning to open early next year in the southwest Houston development.
SWIG’s dual drive-thru will be located on a 19,161-sf pad site adjacent to an under-construction retail building that NewQuest will deliver to tenants in the coming weeks. If all goes as planned, SWIG will open in January, with Salata, Shipley’s Donuts and Wingology following suit later in Q1.
“Aliana is a market that everyone in the industry wants to be in right now,” says Josh Friedlander, senior vice president of Houston-based NewQuest Properties. He and colleague David Meyers, leasing director, lease the 400,000-sf development in Richmond.
SWIG is known for its “dirty sodas,” a made-to-order combo of soda, cream and syrup with 100 distinct beverage options. Founded in 2010, the chain now has 54 corporate locations in Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah and franchise agreements in hand with 12 developers for another 250 units in seven more states.
“They are going to hit our market really strong,” Friedlander says. “We’re currently in negotiations with SWIG for a handful of corporate-owned locations at our properties throughout Texas.”
The ground lease in the Grand at Aliana is the first to close with NewQuest. Jeff Hayes and Travis Waltmon of Paul Duro Commercial Partners represented SWIG.
Drive-thru beverage chains have grown exponentially in recent years, with Texas always a go-to state for expansion. The Grand at Aliana also is home to Dutch Bros, one of the fastest-growing companies in the category and a ground-lease tenant in multiple NewQuest developments. “Research shows drive-thru kiosks can increase sales as much as 30%,” Friedlander says.
The Grand at Aliana is a super-regional center situated at the junction of TX 99/West Grand Parkway S and West Airport Boulevard. The development is practically full, with just 1,600 sf of inline space and one pad site still available in the 51-acre first and second phases. NewQuest has another 51 acres banked for phase III.
According to Placer AI, the Grand at Aliana logged more than 128,000 visits in August, with the average shopping experience pushing the one-hour mark. Touted as one of Greater Houston’s fastest-growing submarkets, the development’s one-mile trade area boasts a population growth of 40% since 2020 and an average annual household income of $146,000.
“It’s a high-growth market with strong sales for restaurants and retail across the board,” Friedlander says. “SWIG anticipates it will do well here.”
SOUTH TEXAS LEASES
SWIG has ground-leased a 19,161-sf (0.43-acre) retail pad site in Grand at Aliana, located at the intersection of West Grand Parkway S/TX 99 and West Airport Boulevard, Richmond, from NewQuest Properties. Josh Friedlander and David Meyers of NewQuest Properties represented the landlord. Jeff Hayes and Travis Waltmon of Palo Duro Commercial Partners represented the tenant.
Elite Endodontic Specialists has leased 2,109 sf of retail space in Fort Bend Town Center Phase II, located at the intersection of TX 6 and Fort Bend Tollway, Missouri City, from NewQuest Properties. Bob Conwell and Andrew Alvis of NewQuest Properties represented the landlord. Drew Etheridge of Xite Realty represented the tenant.
CENTRAL TEXAS LEASE
Black Bear Diner has leased 4,550 sf of retail space in Cottonwood Creek Market, located at the intersection of Interstate 35 and West Loop 340/TX 6, Waco, from NewQuest Properties. Austen Baldridge of NewQuest Properties represented the landlord. Daren Nix of Rise Commercial Partners represented the tenant.
