Jerry Thompson found his true calling thousands of miles from Texas—in a bowl of ramen in Japan.

Thompson brought his newfound passion back to Georgetown, opening Haji Moto Ramen & Sake Bar, a restaurant dedicated to authentic, handcrafted ramen.

How it happened: Thompson has over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry. A trip to Japan sparked his love for ramen, and, as a chef, he wanted to learn to perfect the dish.

How it’s going: Haji Moto had a soft opening in March, and its grand opening was on April 4, National Ramen Day.

“Ever since then ..., I just haven’t been able to keep up,” Thompson said. “Which is a good problem.”

What’s special about it? Haji Moto is the first restaurant in Georgetown dedicated to ramen, Thompson said. 

Thompson said many ramen spots in Austin do not do what Haji Moto does: make noodles and broth fresh in house.

“It’s truly a craft here, and I think that’s what sets us apart and makes us special,” Thompson said.

A Walmart Supercenter is slated for a new commercial development, to be known as Santa Rita Ranch Center, at the juncture of Liberty Hill, Leander and Georgetown, according to a news release.

The details: The store, with an anticipated opening in 2027, will anchor the retail project situated on the northwest corner of Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Hwy. 29.

The exterior facade of the 176,000-square-foot Walmart will be adapted to ensure it fits the character of Santa Rita Ranch, the news release states.

Additionally, the storefront is expected to create around 400 jobs.

Zooming out: The Santa Rita Ranch Center will be a $100 million property build-out spanning 400,000 square feet. The commercial project will be developed by Provident. Walmart's presence as the anchor tenant is expected to drive commercial activity at Santa Rita Ranch Center, the release states. Though additional tenants have not yet been officially announced, marketing materials from Resolut RE indicate that Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Ross and PetSmart are also planned for the retail center.

Following the March 3 Republican primary election in Williamson County, Jeff Mayes and David McDonald advanced to the runoff for the Williamson County Precinct 2 commissioner seat.

The background: McDonald won 46.06% of the votes, amounting to 5,837 ballots cast, and Mayes received 29.48% of votes, or 3,736 ballots cast, according to the Williamson County Elections Department.

No Democratic candidates ran for the position. This means the winner of the runoff will be unopposed in November.

What you need to know: There are 19 early voting locations in Williamson County, and 30 election day voting locations. Voters can cast their ballot at any polling location in the county during early voting and on election day. 

Early voting runs from May 18-22, and runoff election day is May 26.

Check out some of the top trending stories from the Austin area May 11-14. 

1. Jewel of Texas opens in Pflugerville

2. Construction underway on site of future Georgetown Texas Roadhouse

3. Frank & Margie's to open in Odd's Bar + Bistro space

4. Espadas de Brazil to bring Brazilian steakhouse to Bastrop's former Stem & Stone

5. Baylor Scott & White to expand Cedar Park clinic, bring more specialists

6. Austin moving to consolidate technology employees, services after weeks of pushback

After dozens of Texas primary races ended without a clear winner in March, candidates for those seats will face off in an overtime round, known as a runoff election, this month. Texans can vote early in the runoff election from May 18-22, with election day May 26.

How it works: State law requires that primary candidates receive more than 50% of the votes cast to advance to a general election.

In the May 26 runoff election, Republican and Democratic voters will choose who they want to represent them in statewide offices, legislative and Congressional seats, the State Board of Education and county-level positions. The winner of each runoff race will appear on the ballot in November.

On the ballot: The statewide Republican runoff races include:

• U.S. Senate: John Cornyn and Ken Paxton
• Texas attorney general: Mayes Middleton and Chip Roy
• Texas railroad commissioner: Jim Wright and Bo French

• Texas attorney general: Nathan Johnson and Joe Jaworski
• Texas lieutenant governor: Vikki Goodwin and Marcos Vélez