Lowe’s Home Improvement shopping island site

Hammer time? Nothing’s nailed down, but representatives with Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse are scheduled to sit down with island planning officials in predevelopment meetings Friday about an island store.

Surveyors were spotted Wednesday checking out about 10.5 acres between 55th and 57th streets in front of the criminal justice center and not too far from rival retailer The Home Depot, 702 65th St. The land belongs to the county, which confirmed talks with Lowe’s. Stay tuned.

Hotel do-tell: In another sign commercial development prospects might be improving, representatives for a hotel developer are set to meet with island officials Friday about plans for an 85-room hotel and restaurant at 7909 Broadway.

The property is owned by Endeavour Lofts Galveston LP and is under contract to a development group in California.

Before the recession, Endeavour Holdings and affiliated companies had acquired more than 5 acres along Offatts Bayou with plans to build a 150-unit condominium project, marina and retail center.

Properties in the acquisition included the flamingo-pink Immanuel Baptist Church, which previously was John’s Oyster Resort, 7711 Broadway.

In May, crews demolished the church. But with a sharply altered condominium market, plans have changed. Robin Parsley, a principal in Endeavour Holdings, confirmed Wednesday the 7909 Broadway land is under contract.

But he’ll be neither an owner nor developer in the proposed hotel project, he said. Stay tuned.

Hello cupcake: Honk if you like cupcakes. Emily Giffin will roll out her Little Miss Cupcake truck at 11 a.m. Friday at 4800 Seawall on the island (next to the retail center housing Olympia Grill).

While Giffin will sell cupcakes from a 20-foot truck, she plans to keep it parked at the 4800 Seawall site during operations.

Cupcake trucks, appealing to budding business people for their low overhead, are popular from New York to Austin to Los Angeles.

Little Miss Cupcake plans to serve up such treats as “Beach Bum,” a butter cake with chocolate icing, and the “Berry Bomb,” a strawberry cake with cream cheese icing.

For information, call 281-546-0834.

Branching out: The restaurant formerly occupied by Italian eatery Avo’s Cafe, 615 Main St. in League City, has new owners and a new name. Chrystal Benson and daughters Chrystal Young and Tina Smith are behind Cafe Under the Oaks, which serves up homestyle fare such as chicken fried steak, meatloaf, lasagna, fish dishes, burgers and fresh cut fries.

The eatery serves breakfast all day.

For information, call 281-557-9496.

Biz Buzz appears Tuesdays and Thursdays.