In 2025, Community Impact profiled six restaurants and bars around Leander and Liberty Hill. Check them out below:

Bella Sera
The Liberty Hill restaurant is owned by Niki Granit, a third-generation Italian chef whose family moved to Texas from Sicily in the 1980s.

Granit's uncle Johnny Vebi started the family-owned business in 2003 when he opened the first Bella Sera restaurant in Marble Falls. Over the last 22 years, the family has opened several locations across the Central Texas area, including Boerne, Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, and Kerrville. Bella Sera also has a franchise location in Leander, Granit said.

Nameless Saloon
Cecelia Fortney first opened the bar in 2024. She credits her son with the idea of starting the outdoor venue-style bar with food trucks.

She said he was the vision behind the business before leaving to operate restaurants in Lakeway, and Fortney is keeping his vision alive.

K-Pop Austin announced in an Instagram post in early December that the store is relocating to the H-E-B Plus in far Northwest Austin.

The details: The store was previously located inside Hana World Market at 1700 W. Parmer Lane, Ste. 100, Austin. The market recently closed its doors in late December, but reopened in its new location Dec. 17.

K-Pop Austin sells a variety of merchandise including albums, keyrings, magazines, concert boxes, posters and photo books.

• 11521 N. RM 620 Bldg. A, Austin

We Are Blood is encouraging Central Texas to kick off the new year by donating blood at a local hospital.

The overview: In honor of its 75th anniversary, the organization will host its Partners for Patients event from Jan. 2-9 at nearly 20 hospitals and emergency medical service agencies across Central Texas. The blood drive campaign, held during National Blood Donor Month, is intended to combat blood shortages experienced during and after the holidays, according to We Are Blood information.

How it works: Interested participants can sign up for a time slot to donate blood at several locations from Jan. 2-9.

Why it matters: “During the holidays, emergencies do not slow down,” said Davis Winget, Williamson County clinical practices captain, in a news release. “As first responders, we see firsthand how donated blood saves lives every day. Partnering with We Are Blood helps ensure patients have what they need when it matters most.”