WIMBERLEY – Where the iconic and beloved Cypress Creek Cafe once stood on the Wimberley Square will soon undergo a change as the city of Wimberley recently approved the demolition of the remaining facade. The new owners have already begun the process of drafting proposed designs to bring new life into the space.
The business was engulfed in a large fire in 2017, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch, as the owners of the cafe, who lived on the second floor of the structure, heard smoke detectors go off and evacuated the building. While there were no injuries to any individuals reported, the couple was unable to collect their dog and two cats, who died in the fire.
Dennis Gutierrez, who was the public information officer for the Hays County Sheriff’s Office at the time, said that the Wimberley Volunteer Fire Department received initial reports of a structure fire on the Square at approximately 1:55 a.m. on Tuesday, May 30, 2017, stated the previous News-Dispatch article. Wimberley fire officials observed flames shooting out of the side alley windows of the Cypress Creek Cafe when they arrived on scene at 2:07 a.m.
A total of 35 firefighters assisted at the scene, including North and South Hays County Fire Rescue, along with the Kyle and San Marcos fire departments. While fire crews attempted to attack the fire from the interior, a large explosion four minutes after they entered forced firefighters to retreat from the building and “go into a defensive posture,” Gutierrez said at the time. The fire was contained around 4:30 a.m and the building was deemed a “total loss,” with damage collapsing toward the middle of the concrete structure, Gutierrez said.
In the 1940s, it was Forister’s, then it became the Dinner Bell, and in 1981, it was purchased by the Calkins’ family to become the Cypress Creek Cafe. Now, the property was purchased in December 2024 by Michael Mekuly and his wife — owners of Community Pizza & Beer Garden, The Let Go and Nada Mucho Tex-Mex Heaven — following the devastation that was left from the 2017 fire.
The new owners are currently designing the property to include a 3,500 square-foot gourmet market, a 3,500 square-foot Mediterranean restaurant and a 20-room boutique hotel.
“My wife and I made the decision to buy the property because we felt like this scale of development was ultimately its destiny. We didn’t want to see the property end up in the hands of out-of-town developers that wouldn’t honor the history of it or understand the needs of the community,” said Mekuly. “We own three businesses in the Wimberley Square and we are raising our family here. We love the town and the community that surrounds it.”
While the purchase was finalized already, the city of Wimberley approved the demolition of the facade, due to public safety concerns. According to Wimberley City Administrator Tim Patek, professional inspections of the structure revealed that the remaining walls of the old building are not insurable and present a significant liability for the public.
“You have somebody, a new owner, that's purchasing it and in order for the person to purchase it, they have to get insurance for the property, in case there's any liability issues of anybody getting on there, and that person could not get the insurance because the facade is unsafe,” said Patek. “That's when the new owner went and got two structural engineers to come out and take a look at it. We got our engineers to come out, and they looked at it, and they all agreed that it's unsafe. So, therefore, when you have a situation like that, if it's unsafe, then it has to come down.”
The still-standing front wall is located in the established historic district in Wimberley, which per ordinance, would normally include a public hearing; however, because of the safety issues, the permit is allowed to be granted administratively.
The demolition permit is the only permit that has been approved for any activity on the property thus far.
In order for anything else to move forward, Patek explained that the owner would need to present a plan of what they are proposing to do at the site to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which is also the Historic Preservation Commission — since the structure is in the historic district. They would then have to review everything and then from there, once it gets approved, it would still have to go before city council for approval, Patek added.
“We passed the Historic Commission here, I think, last year. It's because we want things that are built there to be kept in the essence and the charm of Wimberley and blend in the way that it should be. We don't want something that's probably radical or that shouldn't be here,” Patek said. “That's why that Historic Commission was created, to be able to review plans like that, drawings and see if they think that something needs to change. If they do, they can recommend those things. Then, the owner has to take it back and then bring it back again before it gets approved.”
As maintaining the historic charm of the structure is important, Mekuly said that they will be saving as much of the exterior rock as possible to reuse it in the new structure, which will be “rebuilt in a similar style to honor the old structure.”
Mekuly added that he will be working with the city of Wimberley to ensure that the design meets current ordinances for parking and historical preservation over the next six months. He said that he hopes to start the construction phase in the fall, with an anticipated 18 months of construction.
Demolition was initially scheduled for last week, but due to finding asbestos in certain areas, that was delayed. It was set for the early morning hours on Tuesday, Jan. 14, according to Mekuly.
