Drivers cruising along I‑35 in New Braunfels have a new roadside mystery to chew on. A "Coming Soon" banner for King Buffet, a Texas-based all-you-can-eat Asian buffet chain, has popped up on the lot of a Hyundai dealership, even as cars still sit neatly lined up out front. State construction records show the roughly 10,666-square-foot showroom is slated to be converted into a restaurant, with an estimated $950,000 remodel scheduled to start March 15, 2026, and wrap up by Dec. 15, 2026. For now, the project remains in registered status while the dealership keeps operating on the site.
New Braunfels Digital Reporter Nicholas Hernandez for MySA spotted and photographed the banner on the property and noted that vehicles were still parked there as of May 27. The corresponding Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation record lists King Buffet at 485 North Business Interstate 35, describing a full remodel of the existing dealership into a restaurant. The filing shows an estimated cost of $950,000 with a March-to-December construction window, names NB Top Realty as the owner and identifies a Registered Accessibility Specialist tied to the permit.
What King Buffet Will Offer
King Buffet’s format leans into variety and volume, combining Northern and Southern Asian dishes with buffet lines and a Mongolian grill setup. Typical offerings include lo mein, General Tso’s chicken, egg rolls, crab rangoons, soups and seafood selections. The chain’s San Antonio website lists comparable stations and shows lunch and dinner prices generally ranging from the mid-teens to under $20 for all-you-can-eat service, a structure that mirrors the brand’s larger San Antonio locations.
Car Lot To Buffet Line
The permit calls for a 10,666-square-foot conversion, signaling a substantial interior overhaul rather than a light touch on finishes, which helps explain the roughly $950,000 projected cost. Filed in January, the record currently lists the tenant as "Not Assigned," a detail that leaves some wiggle room for shifts in the construction schedule as approvals and tenant arrangements are finalized.
Why This Spot?
The I‑35 corridor in New Braunfels pulls in commuters, Hill Country tourists and plenty of hungry families, making a high-capacity, budget-friendly buffet a logical play for the area’s steady stream of pass-through traffic. The MySA report notes that King Buffet is a Texas-based chain with locations in San Antonio and clarifies it is not affiliated with similarly named buffets elsewhere, a point the brand underscores as it expands across the region. If the conversion goes ahead as planned, the restaurant would add a sizable new dining option to a stretch of town better known for car lots and national retail chains.
What To Watch
Locals curious about when the buffet line will replace the car lineup can keep an eye on permit activity at the corner of N. Business I‑35 and McKenna Avenue, any appearance of construction equipment on the lot or a formal announcement from the restaurant or property owner. Until that happens, the TDLR registration and the on-site dealer-lot banner remain the clearest public hints that King Buffet could be serving the I‑35 crowd by late 2026.
