Дистрибьютор Faust закрыл свои склады в Ла-Марке и выставил здания на продажу

Tapped out? A distributor with a long Galveston County beer history has quietly closed its La Marque operations, putting its two buildings totaling about 92,000 square feet up for sale, according to commercial listings. Officials with Faust Distributing Co ‘s. corporate offices in Houston didn’t respond to inquiries. But some readers have noticed the absence of activity at the Faust warehouses and offices, 3001 Interstate 45. “It seemed odd to me that I have not seen any movement at its La Marque warehouse/offices (i.e. empty parking lot) when driving down the freeway,” one reader emailed to report. That reader went onto say it was his understanding some employees were transferred to Faust’s Houston operations, 10040 East Freeway. Information about how many employees worked in La Marque at the time of the closure and whether they were transferred wasn’t immediately available. Faust is one of the largest family owned MolsonCoors — Miller Lite, Coors Lite and Miller High Life — distributors in the United States, serving Eastern Harris, West Chambers, Brazoria, Montgomery and Galveston counties and six counties in the Eastern part of Texas. Family owned Dienst Distributing — founded in 1967 and responsible for delivering Coors and Miller beer products to bars, restaurants and stores across the county — in 2015 agreed to sell its operations to Faust Distributing. At the time, Dienst employed 70 people. Faust, founded in 1957, replaced the Dienst name and said the acquisition would add more product lines to the La Marque operations and allow Faust to enter the Galveston County market. Dienst at the time of the acquisition distributed Miller Brewing Co. and Coors Brewing Co. beer products, along with Heineken USA, Diageo, Shiner, Pabst, Boston Beers and more. The company that became Dienst Distributing began with Sam Stassi, who came to Texas just after Prohibition to distribute Jax Beer. Stassi had lived close to the Fabacher family, owners of the Jackson Brewery in New Orleans. Through that relationship, Stassi was offered the rights to distribute Jax Beer in Galveston, Baytown and Dayton, which led to his opening of Stassi Distributing Co. In 1947, Stassi’s son-in-law, Ben Dienst, began working for Stassi Distributing, which in 1952 acquired the rights to sell Miller beer. In 1967, Ben Dienst bought the rights for Jax and Miller in Galveston County and began operating as Dienst Distributing Co. The 2015 Dienst acquisition brought Don Faust Sr. full circle in the beer business. Faust was born on the island and grew up in the seaport city. He got his first job in the beer business on the island, working for the Falstaff Brewery, which closed in the 1980s. Don Faust left the island in 1957 to open his own Falstaff distributorship in Baytown. Stay tuned. Hot dish: Oysterman-turned-restaurateur Raz Halili and Executive Chef Joe Cervantez have unveiled yet another concept — Parkwood American Grille, 2131 W. Parkwood Ave. in Friendswood. Halili and Cervantez, the team behind the popular Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House in San Leon, describe Parkwood as a chef-driven modern American restaurant. The restaurant, which is accepting walk-ins and reservations for dinner, plans to introduce lunch service soon. “Parkwood is an evolution of our hospitality portfolio — something I wanted to expand on after getting my feet wet with Pier 6,” said Halili, who grew up in nearby Dickinson and spent considerable time in Friendswood playing soccer. “Friendswood feels like a classic American town, and I wanted to add something of value to the community while giving that sense of nostalgia a fresh, relevant point of view.” The menu draws on familiar American restaurant traditions without fitting neatly into a single category, he said. Bistro-inspired selections — French Onion Soup, Filet au Poivre and Roasted Half Chicken with Kennebec Aligot — share the menu with Redfish Court-Bouillon, Lamb Sausage Rigatoni and Chicken Parmesan. Mamma Mia! Elsewhere on the dining scene, a popular island restaurant has closed — at least temporarily. Riondo’s Ristorante, 2328 Strand, generated much suspense this week by posting a note on the door advising patrons it would be closed Aug. 31 but would return on Tuesday. When Tuesday came and went without the restaurant’s return, fans of the eatery’s Northern Italian cuisine got antsy. By Thursday, the restaurant, whose owners didn’t respond to requests for comment, posted on social media it was “restructuring and is temporarily closed.” Edgardo “Rico” Caminos and Don McClaugherty opened Riondo’s in 2014, replacing Luigi’s Ristorante Italiano, which closed in December 2013 after 17 years. The unappetizing news comes as islanders and visitors digest the loss late last month of Kritikos Grill, 4908 Seawall Blvd. in Galveston. Larry Kriticos, 76, said the Greek restaurant’s lease was up and he was ready to retire. The closure ended decades of the Kriticos family serving Greek cuisine in Galveston. Buzz blooper: On that subject, Biz Buzz’s report about Kritikos Grill’s closure erred in reporting the Kriticos family was affiliated with Golden Greek Restaurant, which actually was founded and managed by Paul Santire. Table turner: Meanwhile, that prolific rumor circulating that Yaga’s Cafe in the island’s downtown was moving from its longtime 2314 Strand location isn’t true, owner Mike Dean said Friday. “We are not moving,” Dean said. Dean also has heard the rumor and doesn’t know its origin, he said. What is true is Yaga’s Cafe on Nov. 21 will celebrate 40 years in business at the same building. Yaga’s will celebrate the milestone anniversary with the creation of a special private label rum and by asking loyal customers to share a love story involving Yaga’s Cafe, whether it be a first date, where a couple met, or where they celebrated their own milestones and anniversaries. Look soon for more details about Yaga Cafe’s 40th anniversary celebration. More sparkle: Longtime Texas City shop Karat Creations Jewelry is getting some polish. Karat Creations — 811 6th St. N., suite 400 — is undergoing renovations that will result in new floors, walls and lighting, owner Georgia Meyer Barzilay said. Karat Creations, founded in 1978, has been at the 1,500-square-foot store for about 10 years. “It’s just time,” Barzilay said. “I’m excited. The new look is contemporary.” Karat Creations is an independent jeweler, specializing in unique designs. Stay tuned for the debut of the shop’s new look and celebrations. Coming soon: Developer Johnny Vassallo and a group of investors last week finalized the acquisition American National Insurance Co. tower in downtown Galveston. Meanwhile, a developer of a major Texas City commercial property who filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize is now facing Chapter 7 liquidation and foreclosure.