Home Care In Leander, TX

From new dining hotspots to places to get a workout, there's no shortage of new places now open or coming soon in Leander and Cedar Park.

Now openThe Baked Crust Pizza and Taproom

The Baked Crust offers stone-fired pizzas ranging from classics, such as pepperoni, Hawaiian and supreme pizzas, to more eclectic flavors, such as tandoori chicken, chili paneer and truffle mushroom. In addition to pizza, the restaurant offers salads, sliders, wings and a variety of sides. The location also features a full bar stocked with wine, specialty cocktails and a large selection of draft beers.

Behavioral Innovations

The office specializes in applied behavioral analysis therapy to children on the autism spectrum. ABA therapy aims to explore the way students behave, learn and interact with their environment to help develop life skills while addressing challenging behaviors, according to the company’s website. Behavioral Innovations has been practicing since 2000 and has facilities in six states, including locations in San Antonio and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

HTeaO

The menu features a variety of sweet and unsweet flavored iced teas, such as peach ginger, mint and strawberry passion, as well as a secret menu with flavors, such as gingerbread man, apple pie and blueberry muffin. Customers can also create custom tea drinks by mixing flavors. Also on the menu are lemonades, hot chocolate and hot and iced coffee drinks, including macchiatos, lattes and an Americano.

The Living Room

The photography studio offers decorated backdrops for photographers and videographers looking to shoot corporate photos, family portraits and other creative ventures. Photographers can rent separate rooms for different photography sessions, including the Motherhood Room, the Bay Room, the Family Room and the Office Space. Rooms can be rented for one-to-three-hour sessions, or the entire home can be rented at an hourly rate.

Lumi’s Crepes & Coffee

Lumi’s serves a range of French-inspired crepes using Belgian waffle styles and authentic white, milk and dark chocolate imported from Belgium. While the food trucks specialize in sweet crepes, the Cedar Park location will also serve savory crepes, such as the French Onion Steak Crepe. The restaurant will also offer paninis and a wide range of coffee drinks.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds

Malabar, a worldwide corporation headquartered in India, sells a variety of gold, silver and platinum rings, necklaces, watches, earrings and other accessories. Additionally, the store sells gifts and gold coins, and can customize jewelry with a variety of gemstones.

Texas Roadhouse

The restaurant chain is known for its ribs, steaks, burgers, fried chicken and homemade sides. The franchise has more than 700 branches worldwide.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

The chain cafe opened in early November and is known for its variety of smoothies made with fruit, supergreens and more, with the option to add supplements such as collagen, probiotics, protein or multivitamins. Also on the menu are smoothie bowls, breakfast and lunch wraps, and salads.

Coming soon

The Back Nine Golf

The Back Nine will offer several high-tech simulation bays where golfers can work to perfect their swing. The facility will be available 24 hours a day to accommodate a variety of schedules and will allow players to play simulations of golf courses from around the world while tracking their stats. The facility will offer tournament play, can sponsor corporate events and will host kids training camps.

Batteries Plus

The store specializes in battery and lighting solutions for retail and commercial customers. The location carries thousands of varieties of batteries, ranging from everyday household AAs to automotive, marine, recreational vehicle and powersports power sources.

Port of Subs

The sandwich chain, which was launched in Nevada in 1972, primarily serves West Coast states but has been expanding into Texas. The restaurant serves a variety of customizable hot and cold sub sandwiches, wraps, salads, sides and desserts.

VIP Furbabies

Pet resort VIP Furbabies will offer pet day care, boarding, and a spa for dog and cat grooming services. The business will offer a new parent special, which will include a month of unlimited day care for $99.

Apex Pickleball Club

The 49,000-square-foot complex will feature 16 pickleball courts, professional coaches, locker rooms, private party rooms, a pro shop, and a restaurant and bar called PickleDilly’s. Nathan Parodi, Apex’s director of marketing and sales, said the restaurant will likely be open by mid-January. The facility will also offer classes, tournaments and special events.

What's next—permits filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation

J Alexander's

The $4.25 million construction project is slated to break ground in March, with an estimated completion date of November 2026. No official opening date has been announced. The restaurant, which serves a variety of American food, craft beers and cocktails, currently has three Texas locations, with new branches opening in Plano and Prosper in early 2026. The Cedar Park branch will be the first in the Greater Austin area.

Mountain Mike’s Pizza

The California-based pizza franchise filed a permit with TDLR for a new Cedar Park location. Construction on the facility is slated to begin in February and complete in May. No opening date has been announced. The pizza chain sells a variety of pies named for famous mountains, including the Pike’s Peak, the Everest and the McKinley, in addition to wings, salads, sandwiches and desserts.

In the news

Ma Bailey’s

The Leander-based women’s clinic will expand its services starting Jan. 1 and begin offering both office appointments and home visits for new mothers and their families. The clinic has plans to expand with new facilities in Round Rock and Wimberley. Ma Bailey’s has set a 2030 goal for those clinics to be operational.

Closings

Maggie Mae’s

The restaurant, located in Leander’s Old Town district, first opened Dec. 15, 2021, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The business served a variety of American food, including burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, wings and sides, in addition to a wide selection of alcoholic beverages at the bar. Maggie Mae’s still operates a location at 323 E. Sixth St. in Austin.

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The school district called a special session on Wednesday to hear from the community and consider options before taking up a vote.

LEANDER, Texas — Leander ISD has decided to move forward with its consolidation plan for Faubion Elementary, which will close as students join Westside Elementary next school year.

"I think that there's an opportunity for Faubion students to flourish in some of the fantastic programs of Westside. I think repurposing the campus and expanding New Hope creates new instructional opportunity," Leander ISD board member Nekosi Nelson said.

The district will leave the consolidation discussion regarding Steiner Ranch Elementary for a later time.

"We are in a disagreement of the fact that there needs to be something done financially," said Andrew Hayslip, who has two children at the school district. "If you lose 100 kids, you're back to being upside down in this whole process."

The school district said it's been dealing with challenges from enrollment trends, campus capacities, staffing needs, long-term financial stability and the overall experience for students.

"These are our kids and I believe we need to do the right thing," Kim Tagge, a homeowner in the area the school district covers. "The homeowners, the community and all of us who are older have always believed we would leave behind that legacy and that place for our kids to learn and be secure."

Faubion students will join Westside at the Westside campus as part of the plan. The consolidation also included having Steiner Ranch Elementary students join Bush and River Elementary schools, but the board wants to wait another year before making that decision.

The board said consolidation has never been done in the school district.

The school board heard from dozens of students, parents and community members that showed up to Cedar Park Middle School for the meeting. Many have asked the school board to consider other measure to avoid consolidation.

The main concerns expressed at the meeting were the distance of commutes for some and the overall learning impacts for kids at the potentially impacted schools.

Board members will be keeping an eye on the enrollment numbers and see if consolidation is appropriate in the 2027-2028 school year.

The Faubion Elementary School site could be used to address expansion of New Hope High School. The school district administration will have to come up with a comprehensive plan and present it to the board.

Last Updated On – 29th November, 2025

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The holidays return with dazzling displays, family-friendly celebrations, and beloved traditions — and if you’re searching for the best Christmas Tree Lighting Austin 2025 offers, this guide highlights every major ceremony in Austin and surrounding Central Texas cities. Although official 2025 dates are still being released, these verified annual events follow consistent schedules each year, allowing you to plan early and check back for updates all season long.

Editor’s Note: Our staff works hard to bring you the latest information. However, all information mentioned in this article is subject to change. As always, please confirm before heading out.

East Austin & Surrounding Cities

The Hutto Tree Lighting with Cacao & Carols is an annual event in Historic Downtown Hutto where families gather to witness the traditional tree lighting while sipping hot cocoa and enjoying Christmas carols.

The City of Taylor Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting is a free annual event featuring a festive parade on Main Street followed by a tree lighting celebration in Heritage Square with live music and photos with Santa.

The Bastrop’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is a cherished community event near Austin, Texas, that marks the start of the holiday season with the ceremonial illumination of the town’s Christmas tree.

North Austin & Hill Country Tree Lightings

The Leander Old Town Christmas Festival is a full-day community event near Austin featuring a Rudolph Run, a Christmas Marketplace, a holiday parade, and the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree.

The Dripping Springs Christmas Tree Lighting is a festive community event held at Veterans Memorial Park that features live performances and is typically followed by a free holiday movie showing.

The Cedar Park Heritage Oak Tree Lighting is an annual event at Heritage Oak Park, where the city’s largest live oak tree is illuminated with over 50,000 lights, featuring holiday activities, music, and a visit from Santa.

The Domain Northside Tree Lighting is part of a larger festive event in North Austin’s shopping district that features the lighting of the holiday tree and family-friendly entertainment.

South Austin & I-35 Corridor Tree Lightings

Santa’s Arrival is the official holiday kickoff event in Kyle, Texas, featuring the annual city tree lighting ceremony, choir performances, and free photos with Santa.

The Budafest Tree Lighting is the ceremonial kickoff event for the multi-day Budafest holiday festival, featuring a countdown led by Santa Claus, an ornament market, and live music in Downtown Buda, near Austin.

The Zilker Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony marks the beginning of the holiday season in Austin by illuminating the 155-foot-tall, spiraled Christmas tree made from over three thousand lights draped from a historic moon tower in Zilker Park.

Looking for fun things around ATX? Check out our weekly updates with the best picks for Things to Do in Austin this Weekend — all curated by a local.

Want to discover more Christmas tree lightings across Texas? Take a look at the Houston Christmas Tree Lighting Guide and the San Antonio Christmas Tree Lighting Guide for even more ways to celebrate.

LEANDER, Texas — Every weekday at 10 a.m., a small group of volunteers meets over Zoom to discuss how they will help flood victims living in the Leander and Sandy Creek community.

John Parigi, a Rockwall resident, leads the discussion and always begins with a prayer.

“Thank you, dear Father, for giving us the will, the desire and the hope to plan and to put together resources for those who are in need,” he said with his head bowed and eyes closed. The five other volunteers on Zoom do the same.

The ragtag team has been sticking to this routine for the last four months since floods struck on July 4, focusing on the parts of Central Texas that, they say, were not getting enough coverage or attention.

“You had a lot of people showing up there [in Kerrville] with the government, like the Texas Department of Emergency Management,” Parigi said. “We had a lady working with us, her name is Melissa, and she was driving around and interviewing victims in the areas that were not incorporated and talking to them about what their needs were.”

Parigi was referring to Melissa Fryzel—one of the volunteers Spectrum News has talked with before in the immediate weeks following the floods.

Also in the group are Irene Reichenbach, Kaleena Schumaker and a representative from the Austin Disaster Relief Network, all of whom have advocated and worked toward flood mitigation in the small but tight-knit community. The group is scattered across Texas, Reichenbach even logging in from her home in Tennessee.

Topics vary every day. Some days, it’s a status update on families who are receiving donations or help with rebuilding, sometimes paired with a challenge to overcome.

“Seeing what we need for her home so we can figure out how to get it done. I have people to do the labor,” Schumaker said. “If [only] I had the supplies.”

Other times, it’s announcing a new wave of funding.

“It’s $700; it’s six checks collected back in July,” Parigi said. “And I asked her to hold the money if possible unless they have an emergency that comes up and needs immediate attention.”

The group has been doing this on their own time, but while they coordinate different efforts for different people, they have been working to formally organize themselves as a 508(c)(1)(a) under the name “Christ’s ARMs.”

“The ‘ARM’ stands for Angel Relief Ministries,” Parigi said. “We’re trying to establish something that can have arms to reach out, to be further than that [for] any disaster here in Texas and then expand to other parts of the country.”

The first step was technically accomplished months ago, getting a group together. The first formal step, though, is creating a mission statement.

“That will establish everything we do and how we do it,” Parigi said.

Until the group formally establishes the tax-exempt organization, they’ll continue to meet over Zoom.