ATX-NNW: Impact 7/30/2026

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Happy Chicks shutters its Northwest Austin location

Happy Chicks closed one of its three Austin locations in mid June, according to Joshua Bergmark, director of operations management at Happy Chicks, BBG'S Happy Kitchen Company and Eden Cocktail Room.

The backstory: Owners launched the location in fall 2023, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The restaurant offered scratch-made sides, sauces, chicken and vegan options.

What they offer: The Happy Chicks menu is stocked with nuggets, sandwiches, tenders and wraps. Patrons can choose from original, grilled, spicy or vegan chicken options. Other menu items include salads, mac & cheese, fries, roasted cream corn, tortilla soup and fresh fruit.

Learn more: The closure came after the company’s lease expired at the Northwest Austin location, Bergmark said. Now, fans can find the same menu at its other locations on Burnet Road and East 6th Street.

10611 Research Blvd., Austin

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Stay In The Know

Emancipet adds 3rd weekly mobile clinic day in Austin

Nonprofit Emancipet is adding Saturday service to its free mobile veterinary clinic through September, offering free spay/neuter surgeries, rabies vaccines and microchips at rotating Austin locations for Travis County residents.

The nonprofit operates 10 onsite clinics nationwide, four in Travis County, and a mobile clinic that operates according to a posted online schedule. The mobile clinic also offers low-cost wellness services with the office visit fee waived on free days.

What it means: CEO Cheryl Katon said the extra day could allow roughly 2,000 more spay/neuter procedures over the three-month span.

Affordable veterinary care helps reduce shelter intake in two ways: it allows owners facing cost barriers to keep their pets, and it lowers the lifetime cost of pet ownership from an estimated $8,000 to $25,000 at market rate down to $2,000 to $3,000 through Emancipet, Katon said.

What’s next: Whether the third clinic day continues beyond September depends on the city's budget, Katon said, deferring further detail to city officials.

Your Weekend To-Do List

Check out these weekend events across the metro area.

Bastrop Homecoming & Rodeo

Sunset Movie Series

July 28-Aug. 1, times vary
Bastrop

July 31, 8 p.m.
Georgetown

More info

Summer Stock Austin’s “Newsies”

Hays County Back to School Health Fair

July 31-Aug. 9
Austin

Aug. 1, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
San Marcos

More info

To submit your own event, click here.

CI Texas

Texas agencies outline plans to balance affordability with data center growth

Texas’ power grid operator and regulator have laid out their plans to regulate data centers that connect to the state grid and ensure data center companies, not residents, pay for the industry’s growth.

What's happening: To shield Texans from the negative impacts of data center growth, the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas are:

Prohibiting data centers from taking existing power resources off the grid
Launching a new process to evaluate large projects looking to connect to the grid
Creating standards that large consumers must meet before joining the grid
Developing incentives for large consumers to reduce their energy use ahead of a grid emergency
Requiring large companies to pay for the grid infrastructure needed to serve them
Improving ERCOT’s process for projecting future demand

Some context: The agencies outlined their data center policies July 17 in response to a June 10 order from the governor, although many of those projects were already in the works.

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Your local team

Grant Crawford
Editor

Taylor Stover
General Manager

Email [email protected] for story ideas, tips or questions.

Good Morning, Northwest Austin!

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