Texas Pie Co. wins Quest for Texas best
An iconic downtown Kyle business owner basked in the spotlight this summer by claiming a prestigious statewide prize. In August, Julie Albertson, co-owner of the Texas Pie Company, won H-E-B’s Quest for Texas best contest with her product, the Texas Pie Dough Puck. Albertson claimed the grand prize out of a field of over 400 entries from 101 towns across the state. Along with having her product sold as a Texas’ best Primo Pick in H-E-B’s statewide, Albertson also won $25,000 and helped place Kyle on the map.
Cabela’s merges with Bass Pro Shops
In one of the more stunning moves of 2016, Cabela’s announced it was being purchased by Bass Pro Shops in a $5.5 billion merger. According to a letter from Tommy Milner, Cabela’s Chief Executive Officer, the acquisition should be complete in the first half of 2017. Buda city leaders were unsure if the merger could mean signage or name changes for the company. Buda Mayor Todd Ruge said he expects the business, which came to Buda roughly 13 years ago, to remain open.
Amazing Ice sculpts into Kyle
In early 2016, Doug Christy chose to relocate his business, Amazing Ice Designs, from Austin to a warehouse in east Kyle. Christy, who at one point was a swimming pool installer and an all-purpose handyman, turned to ice sculpting 19 years ago. His business allows him to create ice sculptures that range from animals to logos and even food displays and functioning bars.
Buda earns Main St. status
The third time was finally the charm in Buda’s quest to obtain Main Street status from the Texas Historical Commission. In October, the THC tabbed Buda to be included in the Texas Main Street program. Buda joined a list of 89 other cities across Texas that have received a similar designation. The Texas Main Street program focuses on revitalization of historic downtown and neighborhood commercial districts. Buda had previously applied for Main Street status in 2010 and 2014.
Goodwill towards Kyle
Bargain shoppers and treasure hunters alike traveled to Kyle in early December as Goodwill Central Texas officially opened a new location along Kyle Parkway. The new Goodwill facility has a footprint of 30,000 square feet, with the sales floor taking up approximately 21,000 square feet. According to a Goodwill representative, the new facility will have a staff of 30 employees and could increase in the future. The facility also has a job center to help those working their way into the workforce.
Changing faces of Kyle
If you’ve driven along Center Street in downtown Kyle, you probably have seen a tall Texan with a ten gallon hat leaning against Milt’s Pit BBQ. The new signage, created by Kyle business owner Lynn Wilkinson of Great Big Signs, was installed on several downtown businesses earlier this year. Those signs were part of Kyle’s Downtown Revitalization Program, which helped businesses improve facades in the downtown sector.
Casa Alde receives its first alcohol permit
Area residents now have the chance to pair a cold brew with “The Same” or a “Fattie” after longtime Buda business Casa Alde applied, and received, a beer and wine permit from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The reason behind the move was customers requesting that the business serve alcohol.
Pokémon Go takes over town
For the better part of summer 2016, area residents roamed City Square Park in Kyle and other area landmarks as they sought to capture a Pikachu or a Zapdos. At least in the virtual sense, anyway. PokemonGo became the craze this summer as Buda and Kyle citizens were swept up in the worldwide phenomenon.
