Foxtail Coffee Co. and Tamale Co. coming to the new 'Hourglass District'

Two real estate professionals have grand plans for a parcel of land southeast of downtown.

Husband-and-wife tandem Giovanni Fernandez and Elise Sabatino, who own real estate brokerage and property management firm National Real Estate, are in the process of transforming the Curry Ford Road/Bumby Avenue corridor into what they're dubbing the "Hourglass District" – so named for nearby Hourglass Lake.

The proposed revival will start with a thorough renovation and reclad of the strip plaza at 2401 Curry Ford Road, just east of Bumby Avenue. The design aesthetic will take on "organic textures" and "vibrant colors" and will house a new outpost for Foxtail Coffee Co., as well as Tamale Co.'s first brick-and-mortar operation, according to Fernandez.

Other tenants will include a bakery as well as the Hourglass Market, which will offer wines, cheeses and organic market items as well as grab-and-go fare. A craft beer bar will take up a portion of the market.

Fernandez anticipates Foxtail Coffee Co. and Hourglass Market to open by mid-August. Kitchen buildouts will likely see Tamale Co. and the bakery opening in November.

Fernandez and Sabatino have purchased 4.5 acres of property on the north and south sides of Curry Ford Road near Bumby Avenue, and are touting the walkability of the new district, playing up the permanent patio seating areas and open landscaping.

"We want the Hourglass District to be an incubator for local businesses and restaurants," Fernandez says, "and make a lasting contribution to the Curry Ford West neighborhood."

In the standalone building next door at 2421 Curry Ford Road, work is progressing on the new Claddagh Cottage Irish Pub, which should open later this summer, possibly July.

Across the street at 2420 Curry Ford Road, Peppino's Wood Fired Pizza will open in the old Latin Grill space.

The pair also owns the large building on 210 N. Bumby Ave. in the Milk District (on the corner of East Robinson Street) and they want to engage the community in selecting appropriate tenants.

Fernandez wants a restaurant in the back part of the building and market/cafe/deli in the front. They've purchased the house at 206 N. Bumby Ave. as well and plan to tear it down to increase parking and enhance the streetscape.
Follow Hourglass Market on Instagram (@hourglassmarket) and on the web at thehourglassdistrict.com.