BUSINESS FEATURE
BY MELISSA ENAJE
Store owner Robert O’Bannon’s dog, Cooper, spends time in the shop.
Multiple artists display their individual work for sale at The Missing Piece.
From pastas to hot sauces or marshmallow pastries, the household food section of The Missing Piece store showcases businesses that have a specialty in crafting food items. (Photos by Melissa Enaje/Community Impact)
If a local small business is interested in becoming a vendor, here are the steps to take: • Fill out online application on store website • Include list of products to sell • Provide images of products • Determine amount of retail space needed • Fill out lease terms • Submit retail request application • The Missing Piece team will respond when/if interested HOW TO JOIN THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
The Missing Piece Retail store allows owners to keep daytime jobs while growing businesses T he year 2021 was a de ning year for marketing company owner Robert O’Bannon. Houston companies without the nancial commitments associated with owning property. the tools, and go through a process of learning how to be in business,” he said. Depending on the season, visitors
While attending outdoor markets in Houston, he witnessed the overall impact of the coronavirus pandemic on local businesses, from store closures to people losing their jobs. It was at an outdoor market in September 2021 where O’Bannon teamed up with Amy Thomas, a local pastry chef and business owner, to come up with a new concept he thought could change the conversa- tion on small-business ownership. In November 2021, the Missing Piece opened in Rice Village as a self-funded operation with a clear- cut mission: to provide a retail and online presence for the smallest of
“What we have provided is a space for small businesses to be seen seven days a week without the commit- ment and the liability of being in retail on their own in a very a uent neighborhood, with us pretty much providing everything they need to be in business,” O’Bannon said. What that translates to in 2023 is a business model O’Bannon said represents more than 100 di erent brands that are 94% women-owned. Some business owners participate in the shop’s incubator development program, O’Bannon said. “They would keep their daytime job and get everything they need, all
who enter the Rice Village retail store can expect a hodgepodge of items including seasonal gifts, soaps or homemade sweets. An array of jewelry, artwork and home goods are stacked along the wall or on shelves. As far as the future is concerned, O’Bannon said he is looking into expansions into other markets, including potential storefronts in Montrose, Dallas, College Station or Austin. Over time, each city would have its own “missing piece” in the small-business retail puzzle. “I’m just doing my little part,” O’Bannon said.
The Missing Piece 2476 Times Blvd., Houston 281-846-6914
www.themissingpiecehtx.com Hours: Mon.-Sun. 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
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BELLAIRE MEYERLAND WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION • JUNE 2023
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