Fill 'er up! Locally-owned dining scene flourishing

Fill ‘er up! Locally-owned dining scene flourishing

November 17, 2015

Photo by thequeso.com — It’s no surprise that S’mores pancakes are a hit with the kids at Kerbey Lane.

Our friends at Community Impact featured the proliferation of locally-owned restaurants in their latest issue.

From the story:

Hungry motorists driving on I-35 through Round Rock have their pick of local restaurants, such as Jack Allen’s Kitchen, Kerbey Lane Cafe, or the soon-to-open Cover3 or Hopdoddy Burger Bar. What those motorists might not realize is none of those options were available in the city five years ago.

“Five years ago I would have said Round Rock was driven by I-35 and largely driven by chain-centric pads adjacent to the highway,” said Texas Restaurant Association CEO Richie Jackson. “Now you see a lot more independent or small regional chain operations coming into Round Rock and flourishing.”

Restaurant owners cite the city’s booming population, its demographics and relatively quick permitting process for opening in Round Rock.

“When I decided to open Greenhouse it was all chain restaurants,” said Rob Snow, owner and executive chef at Greenhouse Craft Food off Old Settlers Boulevard. “It’s exciting to have a few new places.”

Read the complete article here.

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO SHOP

Want better roads? How about better parks? All you have to do is Shop the Rock. Seriously, head over to the outlets and buy those shoes, or venture downtown for lunch. It doesn’t matter if you are shopping, dining or getting a haircut your dollars are helping to pay it forward and build our community. What makes this possible? Sales tax. Though it may be the least sexy tax, it is the hardest working one. So next time you see a shirt you love, buy it. Your city will thank you.