ATX-NNW: Impact 10/29/2025

Nashville-based chicken restaurant Hattie B's Hot Chicken is opening its second Austin location at Domain Northside this November.

The restaurant will feature a dining room with 48 seats and the covered patio features 58 seats.

The background: The restaurant was founded by father-and-son duo Nick Bishop Sr. and Nick Bishop Jr. in 2012.

Locations can be found in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Nevada and Texas. Hattie B's first Austin location, at 2529 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin, opened in February of 2024, as previously reported by Community Impact.

Quote of note: “It's hard to believe it's been almost two years since we first opened on South Lamar," co-founder Nick Bishop, Jr. said in a news release. "We've been encouraged by how much the Austin community has supported us, and we're excited to take the party to North Austin and serve up some heat, hospitality and a whole lot of chicken to this awesome community."

Campaigns against Austin's Proposition Q reported a strong fundraising advantage over supporters of the tax increase ballot measure in the weeks leading up to the November election.

The details: Several political action committees, or PACs, are working in favor of or against Proposition Q this fall. After already spending tens of thousands of dollars on their campaigns as of late September, new reporting from the groups this week shows that activity has ramped up with days to go until Election Day.

Pro-Proposition Q PACs drew about $80,000 in the past month and spent more than $120,000 on their campaigns. On the other side, groups opposing the tax rate measure reported contributions totaling almost $290,000 and about $260,000 in spending.

Huntington Bancshares announced in October that it would acquire Cadence Bank, which has several locations throughout Austin, Dallas and Houston. 

What you need to know: Huntington Bancshares shared an Oct. 27 news release stating that it would acquire Cadence Bank, which has 390 locations throughout the southern U.S. 

The release states that with the acquisition, Huntington will not close any existing Cadence Bank branches. 

Texas homeowners could see larger property tax breaks on this year’s bills if voters approve two state propositions on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The details: Proposition 13 would raise the property tax exemption on a Texas homeowner’s main residence, known as a homestead exemption, from $100,000 to $140,000. Proposition 11 would give homeowners who are over 65 years old or have a disability a $200,000 exemption.

The exemptions would apply only to taxes charged by public schools.

The impact: Sen. Paul Bettencourt, the Houston Republican who authored the legislation, estimated in June that the average Texas homeowner would see about $484 in annual savings if the tax cuts are approved by voters, with roughly $950 in savings for seniors and people with disabilities. These estimates do not account for potential tax rate increases by local governments.

If voters approve the two ballot measures, the cuts will take effect for the current tax year and appear on homeowners’ upcoming tax bills, according to the Texas House Research Organization.

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 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.”