SATX-NSA: Impact 9/30/2025

A hotel that opened over 115 years ago in San Antonio has recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation project.

The details: The Gunter Hotel, situated at 205 E. Houston St., announced its grand opening on Sept. 22 in a news release, showcasing the upgrades.

Renovations totaled approximately $57 million, adding 20,000 new square feet of meeting spaces, 311 reimagined guest rooms and a new digital recording studio.

Additionally, the news release outlined the launch of four new bars and eateries on the hotel’s property, two of which are already open to the public—Jot’s, a new restaurant and The Keystone Club, a new brass bar.

Bar 414, a speakeasy, and Paris Baguette, the new cafe and bakery, currently have no opening dates but will be announced “soon,” according to the news release.

The local impact: “We are confident that The Gunter will offer an unforgettable stay for both locals and travelers from around the world,” Jiwon Choi, the owner and managing director of the property, said in the release.

• 205 East Houston St., San Antonio

A local card and collectable shop has expanded into a new storefront in Stone Oak, allowing for both retail and gaming spaces.

The details: Collector’s Club officially unveiled their new location at 19141 Stone Oak Parkway, Ste. 605, on Sept. 13 with a grand opening celebration.

Co-owners Richard Medina and JT Ludeman opened the card shop in January, operating from two separate, smaller locations within the same strip mall—one for the retail showroom and another for tournaments.

Medina said the new space will allow for full-scale, competitive card tournaments and other community events, while also featuring a retail counter in the same room.

“It’s perfect, we can now do everything in one spot,” Medina said.

What’s special about it? Collector’s Club mainly focuses on the buying and selling of Pokémon cards, hosting release events and competitive tournaments every week, Medina said.

But that’s not all—the shop also offers customers other trading card games like One Piece and Magic: The Gathering.

• 19141 Stone Oak Parkway, Ste. 605, San Antonio

Smokey Mo’s BBQ is marking 25 years of serving authentic Texas barbecue.

The backstory: The restaurant chain was founded in Cedar Park in July 2000 by Morris “Mo” and Lisa Melchor, a married couple who wanted to share their passion for classic Texas barbecue. The popularity of their first store led them to expand, and Smokey Mo’s now has 21 locations throughout Texas. 

What they offer: The restaurant is known for its ribs, brisket, sausages and pork belly burnt ends, in addition to a wide range of sides from mac and cheese to potato salad. All meats are smoked in-house daily, according to the company’s website.

Take note of these important updates from local businesses in the North San Antonio area.

The Shops at La Cantera
A popular shopping, dining and entertainment district on the northwest side of the city is celebrating 20 years since its inception this September.

• 15900 La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio

• 3603 Paesanos Parkway, Ste. 200, San Antonio

• Closing TBD