The golden arches are gearing up for another landing in New Braunfels, with state paperwork pointing to a new McDonald's near Klein Road and Pahmeyer Road. The proposed restaurant clocks in at about 4,146 square feet, features a dual-lane drive-thru and fresh site work, and carries an estimated $750,000 construction tab. Work is scheduled to kick off December 7, 2026, and wrap up April 21, 2027, the latest signal that New Braunfels' retail corridors are quickly filling up with national chains.
State filings lay out size, layout and timeline
Filings summarized by MySA describe a 4,146-square-foot McDonald's with a dual-lane drive-thru and related site work, with a planned December 7, 2026 construction start and April 21, 2027 completion date. The paperwork also pegs the estimated construction cost at $750,000 and notes the project will be privately funded on private land.
Site sits inside a larger retail shell filing
A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation registration for a project labeled "Klein Road Retail Shell" shows active work at Klein Road and Pahmeyer Road and lists a 24,000-square-foot shell tied to Drago Development, suggesting McDonald's could end up as one tenant in a larger center. Per the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the retail-shell entry confirms ongoing site work on that block of Guadalupe County.
Why chains keep choosing this stretch
New Braunfels sits squarely on the busy run between Austin and San Antonio, and that visibility, paired with rapid population growth, keeps drawing in national brands that want highway traffic and fresh rooftops. Portillo's, for example, has a registered project tied to town-center retail space, while chains like CAVA and Chick‑fil‑A have also surfaced in recent regional filings and coverage. Portillo's timeline was reported by the San Antonio Business Journal, and local reporting has followed CAVA and Chick‑fil‑A as they circle the New Braunfels market.
What to watch next
Before any fries get dropped, the project still has to clear the usual city and county hurdles, including permits, site plans and formal approvals. Neighbors who want to track the action can keep an eye on public records to see when the development moves to the next stage. The City of New Braunfels has already flagged Klein Road as a growing retail corridor and tied active planning documents to future development there, which helps explain the cluster of filings in the area. We will continue to monitor state and city records for permit activity and any direct confirmation from McDonald's or the property owner.
