About 9 acres of land near the Round Rock Ranch neighborhood could become commercial property, should a rezoning measure be approved by City Council.

The gist: At its Jan. 8 meeting, Round Rock City Council will consider rezoning two tracts of open space near the intersection of Gattis School Road and South Kenney Fort Boulevard into commercial districts.

The measure was previously approved by the Round Rock Planning and Zoning Commission in early December by a 4-2 vote. In that meeting, Ethan Harwell, of consulting firm Kimley-Horn, said the property owner and project developer hope to build a small-scale shopping center on the property with space for retail, offices and restaurants.

“We think we can fit about 30,000 to 40,000 square feet on this site and provide a nice little amenity for east Round Rock,” Harwell said.

Bites & Basil is now open in Hutto.

The gist: The restaurant offers Vietnamese cuisine with a Texas twist, featuring dishes like the pho wagyu, pho beef rib, marinated pork chop and rice, and a variety of vermicelli options.

Customers can also order the wagyu bo luc lac, which comes with a hot cooking stone for diners to cook the wagyu beef themselves.

150 Alliance Blvd., Ste. 240, Hutto

Here are the top Community Impact stories in the Austin area from Dec. 29-Jan. 1:
1. Kohl’s will not open new store in Bastrop
2. Bastrop Sprouts seeks 82 new hires ahead of spring opening
3. Austin ISD names principals for schools affected by closures and turnaround plans
4. AI guardrails, tax rates after disasters: New Texas laws take effect Jan. 1
5. Bastrop concludes $3.5 million Agnes Street extension project
6. Austin Energy planning for 'tremendous strain,' possible billing impacts from new data centers

Fast-casual eatery Jason's Deli is celebrating its 50th anniversary by honoring the fresh food, people and communities that have defined the restaurant, officials announced in a Dec. 30 news release.

The background: The deli was founded in 1976 by Joe Tortorice Jr. in Beaumont and has since branched out to 114 Texas locations and 235 delis nationwide in 27 states, per the release.

What's new: According to the release, the eatery is celebrating its anniversary by spotlighting new soups during the National Soup Month of January, while also rolling out new items, including the Deli-Bration Cookie—a sugar cookie topped with sprinkles—and returning others.