This fall, Georgetown's most interesting new places to sit outside near the Square opened on property that was already there. One is a backyard on South Rock Street that has turned into a small food yard. The other is a beer garden that Monument Cafe had before and has now brought back. Over the same months, the national names opening in town went into new storefronts on West University Avenue and along I-35. The two kinds of growth look very different, and the fall calendar makes the difference easier to see.
A coffee truck moved into the house it was parked behind
The address is 1005 S. Rock St., a few blocks south of the courthouse. Rose & Dagger Coffee Co. started there as a coffee truck in the home's backyard. On Sept. 5 it opened inside the house itself, according to Community Impact. The shop serves lattes, teas and refreshers and sells art, flowers and candles made by local residents.
The backyard is called The Grounds, and over the summer it filled up behind the coffee shop. Here is who is there now, with opening dates:
- Sanford Sourdough Bakery, opened July 1. This Round Rock bakery runs a trailer here selling San Francisco-style sourdough, sandwich loaves, a lunch menu of sandwiches and soup, sourdough starters, and frozen take-and-bake goods.
- El Hombre Tacos, opened late July. Owner Eric Thornell parked one of his catering trucks here permanently. The menu includes the Hombre Taco, which is steak and melted cheese on a flour tortilla, plus nachos and street tacos on corn tortillas.
- Churros ATX, moved in Aug. 1. The truck used to be I <3 Churros at the Tasty Trails food truck park. Owner Cesar Velasco moved it downtown, Community Impact reported. Expect churros filled with dulce de leche, a churro loop served with ice cream, and chicken and beef empanadas.
- Rose & Dagger Coffee Co., open inside the house since Sept. 5.
Together that makes coffee, bread, tacos and dessert at one address. Almost all of it opened within about ten weeks, and nothing new had to be built. A truck became a shop in the house it had been parked behind, and the yard behind it became the place to eat.
Monument Cafe brought back something it already had
Head a little west of Rock Street to Monument Cafe at 500 S. Austin Ave., which opened a beer garden and a market this month. Community Impact reported that the beer garden had a soft opening Oct. 5 and opened Oct. 8. It has outdoor seating and craft beer on tap. The new market sells grab-and-go items and handles pickup orders from the full menu.
The beer garden is a return. Co-owner Cristy Schuler told Community Impact that the property already had one when Monument Cafe moved there in 2008. She closed it in 2012 and spent the last two years working to bring it back.
So the two newest outdoor spots south of the Square have the same origin. Both grew out of property that was already in use. The Rock Street yard took a backyard and filled it. Monument Cafe took a beer garden it had shut down and reopened it.
West University filled up with new storefronts
Out on West University Avenue, the late summer looked different. Community Impact counted six businesses new or coming to Bluebonnet Plaza in mid-September. Most of them are brands that people from Georgetown already know from other cities.
| Business | Address | Opened |
|---|---|---|
| Summer Moon Coffee | 1312 W. University Ave., Ste. 102 | Aug. 8 |
| Paris Baguette | 1314 W. University Ave. | Aug. 14 |
| Birds Barbershop | 1314 W. University Ave., Ste. 105 | Aug. 21 |
| Mountain Mike's Pizza | 1314 W. University Ave., Ste. 101 | Sept. 2 |
| Shake Shack | 1316 W. University Ave., Ste. 101 | Sept. 9 |
Mountain Mike's in Georgetown is the chain's 17th Texas location. It is run by Rajeev Dewan, who also owns the Manor and Cedar Park locations, and it has six big-screen TVs, a patio, a kids arcade and a weekday lunch buffet. Shake Shack is the first in Georgetown, with dine-in and drive-thru service. On opening day it donated $1 for every sandwich sold to The Caring Place, a local nonprofit.
The next big opening follows the same pattern. Georgetown's first Texas Roadhouse is scheduled to open Nov. 16 at 2209 N. I-35. That date is still a plan until the doors open. Crunch Fitness at 205 Jesse Cocke Drive has said only that it will open "this fall," and no exact date has been announced.
The chains moved into new suites in new centers along the main roads. The places near downtown added new uses to buildings and yards that were already there.
Williams Drive shows the same reuse in an ordinary building
You can see the same thing on Williams Drive. Frozen Flamingo at 1208 Williams Drive had said 2026 would be its final summer. Owner Faith Thomas closed it permanently Sept. 30, and Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard will move into that building. Franchisee Salvatore Raccuglia confirmed the plan to Community Impact, with a January opening listed. The building sells frozen desserts either way. Rita's January date comes about three months after Frozen Flamingo's last day.
Two other closings are worth knowing about. El Grandpa Mexican BBQ closed Sept. 27 at 150 Haverland Drive and said it would move to Austin, according to Community Impact. Pink Poppy Artisans Boutique on Rivery Boulevard closed in August, Community Impact reported.
The Square's monthly events end in November
The two new spots near downtown matter a little more because of what the calendar does next. The recurring Square events end for the year in the next few weeks. Community Impact lists the Nov. 6 First Friday as the final one of the year, and Nov. 14 is the last Second Saturday Market Days of 2026. After that, downtown moves to its holiday events.
Here is the full run from publish day through the Stroll:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Oct. 29, 5–7 p.m. | Trick or Treat Trail, free | San Gabriel Park |
| Sat., Oct. 31, 5–8 p.m. | Boofest Carnival, free | St. John's Methodist, 311 University Ave. |
| Nov. 1, noon–3 p.m.; Nov. 2, 4–7 p.m. | 54th annual Wurstbraten, sausage sale on Nov. 1 and meal on Nov. 2 | Zion Lutheran Church |
| Nov. 6, 6–8 p.m. | Final First Friday Music on the Square | Downtown Square |
| Nov. 7–15 | Field of Honor, free | San Gabriel Park |
| Wed., Nov. 11, 11 a.m. | Sun City Veterans Day ceremony, open to the public | Williamson County Veterans Memorial Plaza |
| Nov. 12–14 | Georgetown Christmas Shopping Spectacular | 1333 W. University Ave. |
| Nov. 13–15 and 20–22 | "Honky Tonk Angels," ticketed | Jones Theater, Southwestern University |
| Nov. 14, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. | Final Second Saturday Market Days of 2026 | Around the Square |
| Fri., Nov. 27, about 6 p.m. | Lighting of the Square | Courthouse |
| Sat., Nov. 28, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | Coffee & Cocoa Crawl on Shop Small Business Saturday | Downtown |
| Dec. 4–6 | 45th Georgetown Christmas Stroll, parade Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. | Downtown |
Some details on the list:
- The Trick or Treat Trail is tonight, Thursday, Oct. 29. It includes games, crafts, Touch-A-Truck and food trucks.
- The city's Field of Honor schedule includes an opening ceremony on Nov. 8 and a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11.
- The Heroes Chili Cook-Off that used to share Field of Honor's opening weekend has been postponed to March 14, 2027, so it won't be part of this November.
- The Christmas Shopping Spectacular is at 1333 W. University Ave., on the same corridor as the summer's new chains.
Once Market Days is over, downtown has no regular weekend event until the Lighting of the Square on Nov. 27, roughly two weeks later. The Grounds on Rock Street and the reopened Monument Cafe beer garden are new outdoor places near the Square that don't depend on the city's event calendar. You can walk to either one from the courthouse on a November Saturday, when the Square has nothing scheduled.
If following how Georgetown changes is the part of living here you enjoy, I'd love to compare notes. I keep track of these same blocks for clients deciding how close to the Square they want to be. When you're ready to talk through your own plans, reach out to Keri Jackson and let's connect.
