Bagel Bear officially opened to customers in Cedar Park on Sept. 20. The restaurant serves bagel sandwiches, bagels, toasts, smoothies, matcha and coffee. 

On the menu: Bagel flavors include sesame, jalapeno cheddar cheese, everything, za’atar and more. Spreads include scallion, jalapeño, honey cream cheese, blueberry and medjool date cream cheese. 

The context: The bagel shop was originally slated to open in March, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
Opened Sept. 20
12301 W. Parmer Lane, Bldg. 1, Ste. 100, Cedar Park

Mimoza Hajmeli opened Dough it Up in Cedar Park in late October. The restaurant serves Italian classics like pizzas, pastas and more.
On the menu
Dough it Up brings together Italian recipes from different regions to serve homemade pasta, lasagna, focaccia, pizza and homemade sauces and salad dressings.
Menu items include calamari, focaccia sandwiches, artichoke dip, bolognese pasta, various pizzas and tiramisu for dessert.
About the owner
Hajmeli previously co-owned Liberty Hill Beer Market for seven years. Before moving to Texas in 2013, Hajmeli lived in Rimini, Italy and has always worked in the food industry.

• Opened Oct. 25
• 1540 Cypress Creek Road, Ste. 106, Cedar Park
• www.doughitup.com

The Austin Empty Bowl Project is returning Nov. 22 and Nov. 23 to raise funds to support Central Texans facing food insecurity.

What to know: Since 1997, the project has hosted annual events where attendees purchase handcrafted bowls to enjoy soup in and proceeds benefit neighbors needing nourishing meals. The nonprofit has raised over $1.4 million since its launch, as stated in a news release.

Interested participants will have two chances to get involved with this year’s event:

Austin Empty Bowl Project Preview Party
Attendees can select a bowl of their choice, hors d’oeuvres, soup, bread, drinks and door prizes.

• Nov. 22, 6–9 p.m.
• $125 per person
• Central Texas Food Bank, 6500 Metropolis Drive, Austin

• Nov. 23, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
• $30 donation per person
• Central Texas Food Bank, 6500 Metropolis Drive, Austin

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.”