Check out the latest Northwest Austin business updates, including new Asian restaurants, health food cafes and retailers. 

Bluefin Sushi & Ramen
The restaurant’s fifth location serves classic, chef specialty and sashimi rolls, ramen bowls, small cold and hot plates, poke bowls, and bento boxes.

• Opened Oct. 25
• 9828 Great Hills Trail, Ste. 310, Austin

• Opened Nov. 15
• 11600 Century Oaks Terrace, Austin

• Opened Nov. 7
• 13429 N. US 183, Ste. 110, Austin

A virtual community event will be held Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. for members of the Travis County and Austin communities to provide input on a new wildfire preparedness plan.

The event is part of a community engagement effort to update the 2026 City of Austin/Travis County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, a collaborative document to address wildfire concerns that is updated every 10 years.  

The details: The community wildfire protection plan aims to identify risk areas, prioritize areas for wildfire mitigation funding and make recommendations for homeowners to reduce fire risk. At the Nov. 19 event, the public will be able to share ideas about wildlife prevention and identify risk areas. 

“It is also paramount that our community members take action themselves to prepare for these hazards and know what to do and where to go should their neighborhood need to evacuate,” Austin Emergency Management Director Jim Redick said in a Nov. 7 news release. 
 

Heart Hospital of Austin is aiming to provide preventative health care to a growing number of working professionals in Central Texas.

What happened: Officials with the St. David’s cardiovascular hospital celebrated the opening of an expanded clinic for its Executive Wellness program at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 17.

In their own words: “Our Executive Wellness program is designed for the busy professional who wants to prioritize their health without disrupting their schedules,” said Brett Matens, Heart Hospital of Austin CEO.

How it works: Through the Executive Wellness program, patients may receive a comprehensive health analysis in one day by undergoing a series of tests and examinations. Many patients visit the Executive Wellness clinic as a benefit offered through their employers, Matens said. 

The impact: The $1.6 million expansion has doubled the program’s capacity to serve patients, now seeing up to six patients in a day and up to 120 patients in one month, Heart Hospital of Austin Director Cara Rivas said.
 

Texans began receiving full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits Nov. 14, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced. The renewed SNAP payments came after two weeks of delays due to the 43-day federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12.

The overview: SNAP is a federally funded program that provides low-income individuals and families with monthly stipends to spend on groceries. The food assistance program ran out of funding Nov. 1, one month after the government shut down amid disagreements over federal health insurance subsidies.

The details: Over 3.5 million Texans receive SNAP benefits each month, according to Feeding Texas, the statewide network of food banks. Payments are issued on a rolling basis throughout each month.

“For SNAP clients who receive benefits on or after the 14th of the month, full benefits will be issued on their normal issuance date,” the HHSC website states. “SNAP clients who already received partial benefits will receive the rest of their monthly amount on or after Nov. 14.”