ATX-NNW: Impact 10/28/2025

Wow Poke could open its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in North Austin in November, according to a representative of the business.

The details: The eatery is known for its create-your-own or house poke bowls with various toppings such as salmon, tuna, avocado, edamame, furikake or spicy ponzu sauce.

The menu also features wraps, dumplings, wings, Hawaiian chips and spam musubi. Desserts include strawberry or mango mochi ice cream.

Did you know? Wow Poke has two food trucks in South Austin and another in East Austin, which will remain operational once the full restaurant opens, per the business' social media. 

• 7433 Burnet Road, Austin

A national search for the next leader of Austin Energy led to an internal hire, with interim General Manager Stuart Reilly's selected to take the job on a permanent basis starting this fall.

The details: Reilly has nearly two decades of experience in the public power sector, including previous stints as AE's deputy and interim general manager. He's been leading the city-owned power utility on an interim basis this year following the retirement of former General Manager Bob Kahn this spring.

As general manager, Reilly is responsible for overseeing the daily operations and long-range strategy at AE. The utility is operating on a $1.99 billion budget with nearly 2,000 full-time employees for fiscal year 2025-26.

As the Austin metro area continues to see expansion in the technology sector, industry leaders are highlighting key critical area of interest: power delivery. 

What you need to know: In an Oct. 22 meeting of Opportunity Austin's Economic Development Council, panelists representing a variety of arms of the local technology industry shared insights regarding technology industry expansion in the area. 

What they're saying: The technology sector in Austin has experienced rapid growth, panelists said, and one of the first questions being asked by companies seeking to locate here are about power supply. 

"So much of our current project was defined by how much power we could bring into the building," said Eric Van Hensbergen, a fellow and member of the leadership team of the architecture and technology group at semiconductor and software design company Arm. "In speaking with a lot of our partners, that's the No. 1 thing that they're looking for in regions that they're expanding into."

These considerations are especially relevant for data centers, he said.

Texas is home to about 3.5 million small businesses, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Estimates show that the average Texas small-business owner could save about $2,500 per year if voters approve an expanded business tax exemption on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The details: State Proposition 9 would exempt up to $125,000 of a business’s personal property, such as equipment, furniture and vehicles, from taxation. Texas business owners currently receive a tax exemption on property worth $2,500 or less.

“At $2,500, virtually everyone's paying this tax,” NFIB Texas Director Jeff Burdett said in an Oct. 24 interview. “If you have a desk, a computer and a chair, you're probably over $2,500 [in inventory]. … It makes no difference for almost any business.”

At the polls: Early voting in the Nov. 4 election began Oct. 20 and runs through Oct. 31. For more information about the propositions and candidates on your local ballot, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

The overview: As Community Impact enters its third decade, it’s returning to its roots of growth and deeper reader connections. The “Patron” program, which began in 2020 by reader demand, has relaunched as the InCIder.

“This relaunch represents our renewed commitment to readers who support our local news,” CEO John Garrett said. “Beyond funding great journalism, we also want to reward our InCIders and build deeper connections with them, creating a true sense of community around the work we do.”

Event details: As part of the relaunch, Community Impact will host its first-ever InCIder Hour, a new event aimed at celebrating and engaging the company’s supporters.

The event, open to InCIders only, will take place Nov. 12 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Community Impact Headquarters, 16225 Impact Way, Pflugerville.

Guests will have the opportunity to network with fellow InCIders, meet Community Impact staff and attend a featured conversation with legislative reporter Hannah Norton, moderated by CEO John Garrett.

“Our first event needed to start where all the hard work is put together,” Garrett said. “People are blown away when they see our operation. To be able to sit and chat with the best legislative reporter in Texas, Hannah Norton, makes it an event our InCIder friends deserve and hopefully will enjoy.”