ATX-BAS: Impact 9/16/2025

From gourmet popcorn to a new flower shop and more, here are the latest business updates in the Bastrop-Cedar Creek area.

This list is not comprehensive. Have a business update to share? Email [email protected].

N28 Ristorante & Pizzeria
The mini-chain restaurant will offer Southern Italian food such as handmade pasta, antipasti and more, using family recipes.

• 1006 Main St., Bastrop

• Inside Black & White Interiors, 1015 Main St., Bastrop

• 11 N. Main St., Elgin

• 426 Hwy. 21 W., Cedar Creek

Bastrop County officials are soliciting bids for an emergency generator that will be installed at the Bastrop County Community Center near Mayfest Park. 

The details: Although the Bastrop County Commissioners Court previously planned to use American Rescue Plan Act funding, the project will now be financed in part with $310,715 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program—money that was awarded in November 2024. 

The cost: Bastrop County will be responsible for 25% of matching funds, which totals about $77,678. 

Notable quote: “The Bastrop County Commissioners Court approved a contract with Leaf Engineers on April 14,” Leon Scaife, a purchasing agent for Bastrop County, said. “Leaf Engineers have provided drawings and specifications for the required emergency generator.”

Get ready for chills, thrills and killer cocktails—Sign Bar’s immersive haunted maze, Fear Fair, opens Sept. 19.

The details: Created by immersive experience group ALT, the carnival-style attraction promises creepy clowns, eerie games and plenty of jump scares. ALT, known for its folklore-fueled productions, said the maze will blur the line “between fear, folklore and fun.”

Guests must at least 21 years old to attend during regular hours, but families can join in on the fun during kid-friendly matinees starting Oct. 4. These daylight sessions run on Saturdays and Sundays with lights on and no roaming actors.

Before or after the maze, visitors can try Sign Bar’s special Halloween cocktail lineup with spooky creations like the Blue Lagoon of Doom, The Sanderson Sip and Leatherface’s Last Call. Food will also be available next door at Lao’d Bar.

Fear Fair runs Sept. 18-Nov. 2 at Sign Bar in East Austin, home to more than 75 salvaged signs from local businesses. Tickets start at $6.50 and are available online.

The University of Texas Press will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a day-long literary event at the Austin Public Library's central campus Sept. 21.

The details: Attendees can listen to conversations with several acclaimed authors about their books published through UT Press, including Sarah Bird, Michael Hurd, Leonard Moore, Lisa Keefauver, Toni Tipton-Martin and Steve Harrigan. The free event will run 10 a.m.-7:45 p.m., beginning with opening remarks from Mayor Kirk Watson, who will declare Sept. 21 as "University of Texas Press Day."

The backstory: UT Press has become the largest publisher in Texas, releasing more than 4,000 books since its inception in 1950 and producing 15 scholarly journals annually, according to UT Press information.

The organization works in both scholarly and trade publishing, producing works across disciplines, including archaeology, anthropology, art, architecture, food, film, music, and history. UT Press is committed to documenting Texas culture and producing works studying the state's landscapes, cities, art, politics, icons and heroes.