Very Small Business: The 14 Tiniest Commercial Buildings in Houston

Armed with your suggestions, roving Swamplot photographer Candace Garcia set out to document the smallest freestanding commercial buildings in Houston she could find. And here are the results! Above, “The Spot” hair salon at 1207 Westheimer in Montrose, at the corner of Commonwealth.

More tiny:

***

Mike & Joe’s Barbershop at 2107 W. 43rd St., a block west of T.C. Jester in Oak Forest:

The garage front of Mark Schatz and Anne Eamon’s 900-sq.-ft. Small House 2 at 5910 Grace Ln. in Griggs Terrace. They use the building as a studio and workshop for their design firm, M+A Architecture:

The former Texas Tobacco Town at 3827 Tidwell between 59 and Friendly Rd.:

That’s Someburger, on the corner of E. 11th St. and Studewood in the Heights:

There’s a new Chase drive-thru with a tiny bank attached at 3002 Kirby, on the corner of West Alabama:

Can’t forget this one: The outhouse outside the former Aurora Picture Show microcinema at 800 Aurora St., designed by architect Michael Bell.

The churchside Bobby’s Fast Food, at 8434 Tidwell, east of N. Wayside:

The Hawthorne St. Collection at 1017 Hawthorne, tucked behind the 3400 Montrose garage:

Montrose’s Puertorrican Restaurant, at 712 Fairview:

Monica Savino’s 500-sq.-ft. architecture studio, carved out of a small bungalow at 1302 Knox St. in the West End:

The (minuscule) Hair Dimensions, 302 W. 11th St. in the Heights:

The one that started it all: Marine Offshore Electric Services, at 226 W. 18th St. in the Heights:

And the unforgettable Tax Corner, at 1210 Bayport Blvd. and 2nd St. in Seabrook:

Think you can find any smaller? Send us your pix!

[So . . . where’s Swamplot hiding today? Like so many other patriotic Americans, we’re taking the fifth.]

Photos: Candace Garcia

13 Comment

  • Reed’s Keys on Commonwealth! Tiny building!

  • Outside Key Shop in the north parking lot of the Sears on N. Shepherd @ 43rd.

  • Groovehouse beat me to it!
    Jimmy Reed’s Keys, best key shop planet- wide, very tiny building.

  • I don’t think the key shop outside of Sears is freestanding. Though there is a taco shop nearby on Caroline by the Mexican Consolate that is small. It’s a green building tucked in between two other buildings I think.

    Also, I believe the Puerto Rican place is called Tex-Chick. It’s expensive for what you get but it’s good. I guess they have to charge since there are only 3 tables.

  • There’s the great little shop on Studewood near 11th — hello-lucky. Its easy to miss as you fly up the street but well worth the visit! (Just bought a couple birthday presents from there a couple days ago and the owner was a great help)

  • With everyone else, Reed’s Keys. Awesome service, used them last month to rekey a new house. Had no idea til I walked past their teeny place last week that they worked out of that little space.

  • Why wouldn’t the key shop in the Sears lot qualify? It has 4 walls unconnected to any other building and an air conditioner. that is a building in my book.

  • 6700 S Rice in Bellaire – Electronic Dreams & PoolKraft

  • Hubcap Grill downtown and the Key Hut outside Memorial City Mall are tiny! Also that new candy place on the corner of 19th and Rutland.

  • Oops. I was thinking of the attached key shop at the Sears on Fannin and Richmond/Wheeler. I’m not familiar with the one on 43rd.

  • Actually, the shoe repair shop one door west from the corner of Rutland and 19th is considerably smaller than the place on the corner.
    There’s also a barber shop on the corner of 16th and Blair that’s pretty tiny.

  • I guess all the old style tiny photo huts are all gone, replaced by the gallon of water for a quarter machines, probably more of a suburban thing..

  • Thank you for the wonderful pictures Candace Garcia.