Ceron: 'My mind exploded' when I saw the Memorial area's transformation
July 21, 2017
Houston Business Journal
One of the first tenants inside Memorial Green, a 14-acre luxury mixed-use district near the Memorial Villages, will be Cerón Hair Studio. It's a longstanding Houston salon whose namesake founder and stylist, Cerón, has become one of the most sought-after hair stylists in the country.
For more than 10 years, his "main cathedral"–that is, his salon's location, as he described it–has been at the Uptown Park outdoor retail district at 1101 Uptown Park. When Houston-based Midway Cos., the developer behind Memorial Green, approached Cerón about opening a location in Memorial Green, Cerón wasn't convinced.
"When I was approached to do this new store, I was like, 'Memorial? No,'" he said. "Then I drove by and my mind exploded."
More than 80 percent of Cerón's clients have a Memorial-area ZIP code, he said, which is something he learned after he more seriously began considering the Memorial Green location. The studio, which is set to open in August, will be around six miles away from his Uptown Park location.
Cerón just signed a 10-year renewal for his Uptown Park studio, so that location will remain open for the long term. But, he predicts a large swath of his customer base will appreciate the shortened commute to his studio.
"There’s nothing of my caliber there," he said, speaking generally about the Memorial area and not Memorial Green.
Memorial Green, a luxury residential, commercial and retail destination is being built on about 14 acres at 12601 Memorial Drive, east of Beltway 8 and a few miles south of Midway's successful CityCentre project. There are 91 luxury single-family homes planned, a central green plaza and gated community parks, Class A office space, restaurant space and retail space.
Along with announcing Cerón's studio, Midway announced a string of new health and beauty tenants for Memorial Green back in April.