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Clothing and coffee: 12 business updates for Leander

New cafes, bars and stores continue to pop up around the Leander area. Here are a dozen to keep in mind.

Pepper Lunch
Japanese fast-casual restaurant Pepper Lunch will center around a unique dining experience where meals arrive on a 500-degree cast-iron plate so that diners can then mix, season and finish cooking their meals themselves. The location will offer the restaurant chain's signature beef pepper rice dish, steaks and teriyaki dishes.

  • Opening late 2026
  • 516 E. San Gabriel Parkway, Ste. 130, Leander

Tifa Chocolate & Gelato
Tifa Chocolate & Gelato will move into Northline next year, marking its first location in Central Texas. The restaurant serves various gelato flavors, espressos, hot chocolate and pastries. A professionally trained chef will be in charge of the gelato while the business opens.
  • Opening early 2027
  • 508 E. San Gabriel Parkway, Ste. 150, Leander
 
Now Open
Pickleball players find 9 new courts at PickleTex near Georgetown, Liberty Hill

Residents in the Georgetown, Liberty Hill and Leander area have new pickleball courts to play on.

PickleTex opened off Hwy. 29 in late June.

About the business: The facility offers nine outdoor pickleball courts. General manager Melissa Rubey said the courts' Pro-Cushion surface makes them soft and nice to play on. Additionally, she said they are under an arena-like covering that reduces the feels-like temperature by about 20 degrees.

PickleTex offers court reservations, open play, clinics and coaching. Additionally, the company has a membership program that includes discounted court reservations, priority booking and free open play sessions.

What else? The business is hosting a sold-out grand opening event July 11, Rubey said.

PickleTex is also preparing to open a location in Abilene this July, according to its website.

  • 6827 W. Hwy. 29, Georgetown
 
Neighboring News
Cedar Park to develop master plan for potential recreation center expansion

Architecture firm Barker Rinker Seacat will develop a master plan for a potential future expansion and renovation of the Cedar Park Recreation Center after City Council approved a contract June 25.

The details: The master planning process will “evaluate the existing facility, identify amenities that will best serve both current and future users, and incorporate stakeholder engagement,” city documents state.

The architecture team will look into the feasibility of adding amenities identified as priorities in the 2024 Parks Master Plan, such as an indoor pool, fitness facilities, playground areas and tennis and pickleball courts.

City staff selected Barker Rinker Seacat from a list of eight architecture firms that submitted proposals, city documents state. If city staff determine, based on the master plan, that the city should move forward with a renovation and expansion project, then staff will bring a design contract to City Council for approval.

A completion date for the recreation center expansion master plan has yet to be set.

 

Your Weekend To-Do List

Check out these weekend events across the metro area.

Disney's The Little Mermaid

Friday Night Flix: Dive-In Movie: “Jaws”

July 10-25, 7:30 p.m.
San Marcos

July 10, dusk
Cedar Park

More info

More info

 

Round Rock Wine Fest

Buda’s Summer Musical

July 11, noon-6 p.m.
Round Rock

July 11-26, 8-10 p.m.
Buda

More info

More info

 
To submit your own event, click here.

Stay In The Know
Lone Star Circle of Care celebrates half a decade of mobile healthcare in Central Texas

Lone Star Circle of Care has now brought mobile mammography services to communities across Central Texas for five years. The Big Pink Bus launched in July 2021, increasing access to breast cancer screening in the region, according to a news release.

“For five years, the Big Pink Bus has brought life-saving mammography services directly to women across Central Texas,” said Jon Calvin, CEO of Lone Star Circle of Care. “This milestone reflects our ongoing commitment to early detection and expanding access to care.”

What they offer: Through the Big Pink Bus, Lone Star Circle of Care offers mammography services and breast cancer screenings. The resource’s team also supports clients after their initial visit through follow-up support and getting connected to additional resources.

The local impact: Since its initial launch, the bus has given over 10,000 mammograms, and over 80 of those patients were diagnosed with breast cancer through their initial screenings. In the last five years, the bus has traveled over 53,000 miles through Central Texas counties, including Bastrop, Hays, Travis and Williamson. 

 

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General Manager

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