Texas Featured
Austin and Central Texas
Local businesses and founders in Austin, Round Rock, Waco and the surrounding Central Texas towns.
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Royers Round Top Cafe: The Family Cafe in a Tiny Texas Town Known for Pie
Bud and Dr. Karen Royer moved from Houston in 1987 and took over a 40-seat cafe. Today Royers is known for pies like the…
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Czech Stop: The West, Texas Bakery and Gas Station Serving Kolaches Along I-35
Since 1983, Czech Stop has kept travelers fed with kolaches and Czech pastries at Exit 353 in West, Texas, halfway between Dallas and Austin.
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Kreuz Market: Lockhart’s Barbecue Landmark That Moved Its Coals in 1999
A Lockhart meat market started selling barbecue in 1875. Charles Kreuz bought it in 1900, and when the market moved in 1999, the pit…
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Threadgill’s: The Austin Filling Station and Beer Joint Where Janis Joplin Found Her Voice
Kenneth Threadgill opened a filling station with the county’s first beer license in 1933. His Wednesday night singing sessions helped shape Austin’s music scene.
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Amy’s Ice Creams: How a Tufts Pre-Med Student Started an Austin Scoop Shop on Guadalupe Street
Amy Simmons learned the ice cream business while studying pre-med in Boston. In 1984 she opened her first Austin shop, and the locally owned…
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Louie Mueller Barbecue: Three Generations of Smoke in Taylor, Texas
Louie Mueller opened his Taylor barbecue joint in 1949. His son Bobby ran the smoker for decades, and grandson Wayne is the pitmaster today.
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BookPeople: How Austin’s Grok Books Became One of the Country’s Largest Independent Bookstores
Two couples opened Grok Books near UT in 1970 with a $5,000 budget. Today BookPeople fills a huge store at Sixth and Lamar with…
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Austin and Central Texas: Beyond Keep Austin Weird
Austin’s local-first spirit goes well beyond a slogan. A look at the independent businesses of Austin, Round Rock, Waco and Central Texas.