A popular Central Texas barbecue spot that closed down last month is smoking up future plans in a neighboring I-35 corridor town. The brand featured in Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ joints is planning to open in Kyle.
Hays Co. Bar-B-Que and Catering presented a proposal to come to Kyle at the Tuesday, July 16, city council meeting.
"It's an honor and my family and I are all excited about making the move," owner Michael Hernandez said at the meeting. "We don't want to just serve the community, we want to be the community."
Hays Co. Bar-B-Que had served tangy and smoked barbecue dishes to the San Marcos community since 2007 before the restaurant shut its doors on June 15 after selling the building to the Hays County Food Bank.
The proposed location would be at 505 S. Old Highway 81, which was a tire shop before and the current zoning is for construction and manufacturing. The restaurant would be about 2,000 square feet with a large play area for kids, an outdoor stage for live music, and an outdoor walk-up bar.
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There is also a possibility to add to the restaurant that would give the space a second story with retail options. Before the company opens there are about $300,000 in utility upgrades that will include an 8" waterline and fire hydrant improvement, onsite improvements, electrical service, and underground telecom lines.
"I believe this project will be a catalyst to the westside downtown redevelopment," said Kyle Director of Economic Development Victoria Vargas at the meeting.
Kyle Economic Development proposed a one-time $300,000 grant for the improvements, which would be awarded to the barbecue owners after a year one benchmark is achieved. Also, a three-year restaurant incentive was proposed that would include 50% property and sales tax rebates.
Hays Co. Bar-B-Que offers popular smoked meats like brisket, turkey, sausage, and ribs along with sides of mac and cheese, pinto beans, and jalapeno cream corn.
Once closing on the property, Hernandez said it would take about five months to open to the public. Hernandez said to MySA that after the location is approved by council, Hays Co. Bar-B-Que will stage a food truck on the property until the brick-and-mortar opens around mid-August.
"We're going to gear it towards families," Hernandez said. "I think our main focus right now is bringing the outdoor atmosphere and allowing our customers to enjoy it while spending time with their family while eating pretty good barbecue."
Kyle Mayor Travis Mitchell noted that it has been over eight years since a sit-down restaurant opened in downtown Kyle. The mayor shared the news with residents on Facebook after the meeting.
"I couldn’t be happier to report that tonight city council received a public proposal to bring the Hernandez family, and Hays Co. Bar-B-Que and Catering, to downtown Kyle, TX. Their proposal is to retrofit Gomez Tire Shop next to Casa Maria’s into a great new space for downtown sit-down BBQ," Mitchell said in the post.
The council approved bringing back a Chapter 380 agreement and restaurant incentive for approval at the August meeting.
Director of Communications Rachel Sonnier said in an email, "We are excited Hays Co. Bar-B-Que and Catering has selected downtown Kyle as their new home. Not only do they serve terrific food that's been consistently recognized as a Top 50 BBQ Joint by Texas Monthly, but they are also a family-run business that we know will become active in our community. We look forward to seeing them transform that area of downtown into an active area for both residents and visitors to enjoy."
July 17, 2024
Hill Country Reporter
Gabriel Romero is the Texas Hill Country reporter for MySA, covering the I-35 corridor growth, a certain Beaver-branded gas station, huge Texas sports news, and all the changes coming to the region. Gabriel is a California native who’s covered Atascosa and Medina Counties for the Castroville News Bulletin, the Leader-News, and the Medina Valley Times from 2016 to 2020.
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