Lupita's Kitchen has opened its second Cedar Creek location at 887 SH 21 W., moving into the space once occupied by Leo's Italian Grill, which closed in July 2026. The restaurant, run by Lupita and Maria Reyes, has served scratch-made authentic Mexican dishes in Bastrop County since 2023, and the new spot marks the family's expansion within the fast-growing area.
The second location officially opened September 20, 2026, according to Community Impact, with the Reyes family continuing to operate their original restaurant at 1525 SH 71 in Cedar Creek. The family said they enjoy getting to know diners at the new location and are excited to share their food with more of the community, per the same report.
A Storied Site Gets New Life
Before Lupita's moved in, the SH 21 building carried its own reputation. Original owner Leo Gaertner opened Leo's Italian Grill there in May 2019 and ran it for years before closing the restaurant on July 8, 2026, to retire after 38 years in the food service industry, according to Community Impact's earlier coverage. The location also drew national attention when Fox's reality series Kitchen Nightmares, hosted by Gordon Ramsay, filmed an episode there in October 2024 that aired in March 2025, as reported by Mashed.
That television exposure means the address already carries some built-in recognition among Central Texas diners, even as the business inside has changed completely. Lupita's Kitchen now occupies that same storefront along a stretch of SH 21 that commercial real estate data from Crexi shows carries roughly 16,000 vehicles per day, a traffic volume that helps explain why the corridor remains attractive for new dining concepts.
Danza Azteca Performance Planned for October 18
Lupita's Kitchen will host a performance by Danza Azteca Guadalupana on October 18 at 6 p.m. at the Cedar Creek location. The group performs Indigenous ceremonial dances rooted in ancestral traditions.
Danza Azteca Guadalupana de Austin was founded in 2011 by the Flores family and presents ceremonial dances, according to Art City Austin. The performances draw on Indigenous ceremonial dances and ancestral traditions.
Growth Amid a Tough Texas Restaurant Market
The timing of the expansion lines up with rapid growth in the surrounding area. The census-designated place of Cedar Creek grew by more than 44% following the 2020 Census, reaching an estimated population of 4,955 residents in 2026, according to the World Population Review.
Still, the broader Texas restaurant industry has faced serious headwinds. Industry reporting from August 2026 indicated Texas led the nation in restaurant closures, with 1,039 locations shutting down between January and June of that year, according to the Dallas Express.
Against that backdrop, a locally rooted operator opening a second location stands out. For now, Lupita's Kitchen keeps its focus local, inviting Cedar Creek residents to its original SH 71 location and its new SH 21 spot alike as it grows alongside the community it serves.
