Venture behind the trees to see what Woodlands Crossing has to offer

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- While many residents found their way to Trader Joe’s at the time of its grand opening last June, many may not realize that The Woodlands Crossing Shopping Center has grown into an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and amenities.

Alspaugh’s Sterling Events, located inside Ace Hardware, is an adorable boutique gift shop with a range of brands including Kendra Scott, Lilly Pulitzer, Pandora, Crabtree and Evelyn, Mudpie, Spartina, Jon Hart Designs, Natural Life, Lampe Berger, Lindsay Phillips “Switch Flops”, Lily and Laura, and many more! Sterling Events is also a Vera Bradley “Gold Store” authorized retailer. Whether you’re looking for birthday, graduation, wedding or any other kind of gift, Alspaugh’s Sterling Events is sure to have just what you’re looking for! Alspaugh’s also has a location in Kingwood.

If you’ve been hoping for some pampering, look no further than Sozo Boutique Salons. Sozo is a full service salon that offers cuts, color, spray tans, teeth whitening, Brazilian blowouts, professional makeup artists, and more. The salon also offers chair rentals for private stylists, as well as private salon spaces. At the end of June Sozo will open its nail salon, and in three months the salon will offer a “blowout bar” for those rushed days when you just need to get your hair styled quickly. In addition, Sozo also features an aesthetician, a male and female massage therapist, a laser-specialty doctor, and an all-organic suite that uses only natural products. Not only does Sozo offer such a full range of beauty services, but they also house two boutiques: Abella Boutique for children and Royal Street for women. Abella Boutique offers brands such as Kate Mack, Mudpie, and Truly Me, while Royal Street offers Ella Moss, Veronican, Leona, and James brand jeans.

Which Wich, the final store to open in the Woodlands Crossing Shopping Center in the beginning of June, is not just an average sub shop—there’s something for everybody! Owners John, who was previously the head golf-professional at The Woodlands Country Club Palmer Course, and his wife Kim Phillips loved the brand and were excited that it was still young and growing, so after a period away from the Woodlands, they decided to return and open up a branch of Which Wich.

“Before we even opened people were letting us know how excited they are about a Which Wich in this location!” says Kim. Kim also says that the brand is especially popular with high school and college kids, and the milkshakes are a popular item on the menu. Which Wich also features catering and online ordering.

With the summer heat in full swing, head over to Red Mango for a light, refreshing dessert. The frozen yogurt bar offers a wide range of flavors along with dozens of toppings of your choice to add on top. Since it’s grand opening in October 2012, business has definitely gotten busier, and with the Market Street location closing on June 30th 2013, it will be consolidating into the Woodlands Crossing location and is sure to attract Red Mango lovers from all over The Woodlands.

Trader Joe’s, if you haven’t already heard, is a boutique grocery store without the boutique prices. It offers many different organic and specialty foods, but is particularly known for its bargain Charles Shaw wine, nicknamed the “Two-buck Chuck”. The Woodlands location of Trader Joe’s is open seven days a week and just celebrated its one-year anniversary on June 15th, 2013.

The New Balance store opened in late February 2013 and offers a range of specialty sneakers, workout gear, and sports nutrition. They also carry the Cobb Hill branch of New Balance, which offers casual women’s sandals and shoes.

“People go to Trader Joe’s and then stop by here, so business is pretty good,” says store manager Anthony Rogers. Rogers also says that New Balance is the number one company for people with podiatry issues.

Looking for a sweet treat? Nothing Bundt Cakes opened in August 2012 and features different size bundt cakes for every occasion! There are Bundtinis, which are sold by the dozen, Bundtlets, which you can have all to yourself or share with a friend, and 8-inch or 10-inch full size bundt cakes, which can be customized in more than 40 different designs. The shop offers nine year-round flavors, with Lemon-Raspberry being the featured flavor of June and July. Special orders can be made in person at the store, by phone, or through online ordering.

Pei Wei Asian Diner offers great Asian food at reasonable prices. Since its opening in February 2013, business has really picked up, with weekends being the busiest says a Pei Wei employee. If you do not want to deal with trying to find a parking spot, Pei Wei offers take-out dining with special reserved 15-minute parking spaces for those picking up take-out orders.

Although Trader Joe’s is what brought The Woodlands Crossing Shopping Center onto the radar, Petco has been at this location since October 2011. Petco offers pet food and supplies for almost every household pet imaginable! They also offer daily grooming services. To look for coupons, check out the table located in to the right at the entrance of the store, or check online specials.