Aperí, an aperitivo-style wine bar, opened March 19 at Paggi House on The Loren Hotel grounds, serving 40+ bottles and Italian small plates Thu–Sun.

Zoocade has taken a 32,900‑square‑foot warehouse on Middle Fiskville, turning the space into America’s first holographic zoo and arcade with a 60‑foot tunnel and party offerings.

Sixteen new Austin restaurants are in CultureMap's reader‑voted Best New Restaurant bracket; voting runs Mar 19–Apr 7 and the winner will be revealed Apr 9 at Distribution Hall.

Owner Hoover Alexander is retiring and Hoover's Cooking will end full service on May 31 after more than 27 years.

Activision Blizzard renewed its lease at 9825 Spectrum Drive, keeping Building 1 of Davis Spring Corporate Center fully occupied in northwest Austin.

Austin police say a pedestrian was struck and later died in the 9300 block of Menchaca Road. Detectives say the driver remained at the scene and is cooperating.

An investigation found Austin police sharply reduced in‑person compliance checks in 2025, leaving survivors worried that convicted sex offenders aren’t being monitored. Advocates are pressing for clearer oversight and notification.

A state raid at The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock has reignited questions about how Texas poker rooms use a narrow private‑club defense to stay open. Regulators are now testing that legal seam.

A resurfaced clip of James Talarico saying his campaign "became a non‑meat campaign" drew swift criticism from Ted Cruz, John Cornyn and other GOP leaders.

Southern Living picked Austin’s Franklin Barbecue as the best in Texas for a fifth straight year, reinforcing the East 11th Street smokehouse’s longtime hold on the brisket crown. Fans can preorder or book the new Backyard for private events.

Abbott hosted Canada’s Conservative leader in Austin to tout trade and energy ties while Democrat Gina Hinojosa ramps up organizing and fundraising ahead of November.

A father and his 4-year-old son drowned at Hog Bayou in Calhoun County after a nighttime fishing trip; multiple agencies recovered their bodies during a Wednesday search.

A Williamson County jury handed Clinton Wayne Harmon a 32‑year prison term after convicting him of attempted capital murder in a March 2024 shooting that left his ex‑wife badly wounded but alive.