About Us
In early 1980’s, a group of established entrepreneurs from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia recognized a void and an opportunity. There was not much international trading then. Consequently, overseas Asians residing in Houston could not buy familiar goods nor find much authentic Asian cuisines. The founding fathers gathered their capital to buy and to transform a sleepy western strip mall on Bellaire Blvd to an Asian themed shopping center.
Called Diho Square (pronounced as “Ding-Hau Guang Chang” in Chinese), the name means “The Best Plaza”. The aspiration was to bring the best of Asia to Houston while keeping all goods and services affordable. The “Diho Spirits”, as captured by the 1983 newspaper article on the right, was the successful slogan and achievements in the 1980s and 1990s by these pioneering entrepreneurs — goods and service from Asia were imported with low mark-up, allowing overseas families residing in Houston to afford daily indulgences at affordable prices.
As with most frontier start-ups, it was a rough ride in the beginning, with a modest Asian population that was scattered all over Houston. Bellaire Boulevard was sparsely populated and located far from downtown. Highway 59 was the only speed way (the construction of Beltway 8 only began in 1983). A lot of efforts and capital were required to develop the Bellaire strip and to amalgamate the Asian communities. Along with few other aspiring developers, our founders promoted and brought the initial phases of foreign direct investment from Asia to develop the New Asiatown.
Diho Square brought the first bubble tea to Houston. When crimes were high, our founders worked with Houston’s mayor and opened a Houston Police storefront to keep our community safe. While we are proud of our history and our community impact, we remain committed and dedicated to our mission — serving the local communities; bringing the best of Asia to Houston.
A New Phase. A New Face.
Diho Square has gone through a second facade renovation in 2006, with a soft, rounded stucco based facade and a classic “clock tower”.
In 2018, we began the planning journey striving to take the shopping center to the next phase — a complete look-and-feel makeover, the incorporation of lifestyle themes, the introduction arts, the incorporation of technology, the embracement of nature, and the re-design of common area and tenant spaces. We factored in the lifestyle preferences and differences amongst Generation X, Y, and Z. The brainstorming, benchmarking, design, financing and planning took 2 full years. We also started planning a long-term tenant mix revamp!
The large scale renovation started in early-Feb 2020 and completed by end-Dec 2020. Post renovation, we rebranded the shopping center to “D-Square” and modernized its logo. The word “Diho” is hard to pronounce for many. While the old logo anchors on Chinese calligraphy; the new logo anchors on a common language, a common linkage that connects everyone.
By 2023, five years after the initial planning, the shopping center has a completely different look and offering. The latest shops anchor on over-delivering on customer experience and value. Hard to beat Honey Pig Korean BBQ’s price and vibes. Open the door of Malubianbian, and immediately be transported to Asia, carried by its music and the hard-to-replicate delicious hotpot aroma. Step into Artisan 360, and entered the sanctuary of a classy dessert shop in Vietnam. “Walk up” the honeycomb structure of Kyuramen to slurp a tasty bowl of ramen. More exciting shops opening in 2023.
For decades, D2 continues to bring the best of Asia to Houston.
Use the slider to compare and contrast the before and after facade for our anchor tenant Welcome Supermarket.
