By Edmond Ortiz
This early fall edition of Light Bites shines a light on coffee shops opening in downtown, and the near and far west sides of town, and the launch of a Hollywood Park-area Mexican seafood eatery, and kid-friendly bookstore in Beacon Hill.
Elsewhere, pet owners can check out new doggy daycare and boarding camps in New Braunfels and the Leon Valley area, a new indoor golf venue in Schertz, an upcoming French steak-frite eatery in Boerne, and popular bakery chains coming to the Alamo Heights area.
Finally, see which notable local bars and restaurants have shuttered or are heading into their final months of business.
NOW OPEN
Reunion Coffee
The downtown coffee shop is celebrating its reopening following a remodel 6 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 11 with free drinks. Reunion will also release its fall menu.
100 Villita St.
Berry Yummy Sweets
Leslie Vasquez has for several years owned and operated Berry Yummy Sweets, originally making treats such as chocolate-covered strawberries at home and offering them at markets and pop-up events and for preorders. Berry Yummy Sweets has since grown, and now Vasquez and her family have opened a permanent storefront, where patrons can find fresh-baked sourdough bread, a variety of chocolate-covered treats, soup and bread bowls, and matcha and coffee drinks.
29782 U.S. 281 N., Bulverde. Open 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Tue.-Fri., and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat.
Morning Bookclub
Jennifer Jimenez launched this independent bookstore Oct. 1 in a Beacon Hill neighborhood. Morning Bookclub is focused on serving young families, providing children with a curated collection of books that are meant to entertain, inspire and educate. Visitors can expect to find storytimes, coffee and sandwiches. The bookshop also offers community partnerships to help promote literacy and boost local schools via book donations, book sales, and teacher discounts.
1814 Blanco Road, Suite 105 (956-784-0899)
Trader’s Town Markets
Oct. 10 is the slated grand opening day for Trader’s Town Market’s new downtown spot. Previously based on Wurzbach Road, this indoor marketplace offers a range of local small business vendors, from home decor to food, including Tea Blossom tea room, which also serves as an event space. The indoor venue is open 6 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. Additionally, Trader’s Town operates the nearby River North Farmers Market 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays.
614 McCullough Ave.
BEL Furniture
The family-owned furniture retailer is opening a 185,000-square-foot showroom at Rolling Oaks Mall as of Oct. 10. Grand opening activities include furniture giveaways, gift cards and other gift items for store visitors.
6909 N. Loop 1604 E.
Stout’s Jewel
The team behind Stout’s Pizza and Stout’s Signature opened Stout’s Jewel Oct. 2 in Southtown. The new upscale piano bar, featuring craft cocktails and event space, occupies a former residential building that has hosted various culinary concepts in recent years, including The Jewel and Eleven O Two. The structure itself dates back to the 1850s.
1102 S. Alamo St.
Bogeys and Brews
The Chamber Schertz Cibolo Selma Area held an Oct. 9 ribbon-cutting ceremony for Bogeys and Brews Golf Club, an indoor venue with simulators, tournaments, leagues, lessons, a full bar, large flat-screen televisions, and corporate and private events.
18735 I-35 N., Suite 201, Schertz (726-261-9314)
Baltico Seafood and Grill
An Oct. 7 grand opening took place for the new Stone Oak-area Mexican seafood restaurant that now occupies the former Eggspectations space. The menu features char-grilled octopus, seafood rice, Gulf shrimp mole, and the Four Seas Taco, which contains a mix of seafood. Diners can also choose from salads, various specialty charcoal-fired pizzas, such as pizza with salmon or smoked tuna, burgers, dry-aged ribeye, jicama tostada, desserts and kids’ items.
402 N. Loop 1604 W. Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri. and Sat., and noon-6 p.m. Sun. (210-545-3199)
Rhapsody Counseling and Wellness Center
Rhapsody opened Oct. 5 in Windcrest, offering different types of counseling and wellness support for individuals, couples, families and groups, as well as immigration psychological evaluations.
8940 Fourwinds Drive, Windcrest
Cajun Coffee Shack
The owners of the Far West Side mobile coffee trailer opened a brick-and-mortar drive-thru location Oct. 7 near the junction of Tezel, Grissom and Culebra roads. The mobile coffee stand is still operational at 11618 Potranco Road.
9139 Grissom Road
El Riqui Mariscos de Carreta
This new South Side eatery opened Sept. 30. Originally based in Tijuana, El Riqui is inspired by Baja California’s street-side mariscos, and features Sinaloa-style seafood dishes.
7514. S. New Braunfels Ave., Suite 1101
Bitelo Brazilian Steakhouse
Bitelo opened Sept. 29 at The Portico at Shaenfield Ranch retail center, offering an elevated Brazilian churrasco experience, featuring premium cuts, tableside service. Lunch and dinner are provided with salad bars, and there is pricing for children’s meals.
7807 W. Loop 1604 N., Suite 1102 (210-236-7033)
Firehouse Subs
The fast-food chain opened its first Boerne storefront Oct. 5 in a former GameStop space at the Menger Crossing shopping center.
1375 S. Main St., Boerne
The Brew Bar
The owners of the Brew `94 coffee truck have now fully launched The Brew Bar, a brick-and-mortar cafe, on the South Side.
1840 S. General McMullen Drive, Suite 105. Open 5:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. weekdays, and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. weekends
Paws and Stripes Ranch
This veteran-owned dog boarding and daycare center opened Oct. 1, offering supervised indoor/outdoor play, enrichment, as well as nightly photos and a record card for the pet owner.
5722 Kenwick St.
HealthTexas
The chain of primary care clinics recently opened a Stone Oak location, offering a range of primary care services, including telehealth and walk-in appointments.
1314 E. Sonterra Blvd., Building 6, Suite 601
COMING UP
Swedish Hill
The Austin-based bakery, deli and cafe chain plans to open its first San Antonio location at the former Twin Sisters Bakery and Cafe space near Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills. Swedish Hill originally opened as Sweetish Hill in the mid-1970s. After encountering financial issues in the late 2010s, Austin company MML Hospitality acquired the business and rebranded the venture. Menu offerings include fresh-baked pastries, such as bagels and croissants, breakfast items such as breakfast sandwiches, deli salads, soups, rotisserie chicken meals, deli sandwiches, and coffee and matcha drinks.
6322 N. New Braunfels Ave.
Le Steak by Tardif
Chef Jean Tardif is opening Le Steak in a space formerly occupied by The Creek restaurant, which closed this spring after 20-plus years of service. Le Steak is inspired by France’s famed steak-frite restaurants.
119 Staffel St., Boerne
Le Chateau Pet Resort
A New Braunfels location of Le Chateau is opening this fall. Features will include private dog suites with outdoor access, multi-level cat condos and villas with dedicated lounge time, daily enrichment activities, in-suite television with comforting sounds, a gourmet bedtime treat with nightly turndown service, and play-yard cameras.
301 Caney Creek Road, New Braunfels
PopUp Bagels
The viral, Connecticut-based bakery plans to open its first San Antonio location in early 2027 at The Collection retail center near Alamo Heights. PopUp Bagels is known for simply offering five varieties of bagels and encouraging patrons to rip their bagel and dip them into a schmear, of which there several flavors.
7959 Broadway St.
Mattenga’s Pizzeria
The local pizza chain will soon celebrate the opening of a Helotes-area location with a free pizza buffet, according to a Mattenga’s social media post.
9123 N. Loop 1604 W., Suite 103
CLOSING SOON
Midnight Swim
John Michael Villanueva, co-founder of the popular St. Mary’s Strip bar, announced via social media that Midnight Swim will close its doors Jan. 3. According to Villanueva, the rest of this year will be marked with all kinds of activities and celebrations leading up to the closure of the Tobin Hill entertainment venue. However, Villanueva hinted that something different will fill the space in the coming new year.
2403 N. St. Mary’s St.
The Curve
The renowned South Side restaurant will permanently close at the end of this year, ending 51 years of service, according to a social media post from the owners. The Curve is known for serving traditional Tex-Mex staples for breakfast and lunch, including all-you-can-eat enchiladas on Wednesdays.
4379 SE Military Drive (210-333-0581)
NOW CLOSED
Cowboys Dancehall
The venerable Northeast Side dance hall is permanently closed, ending more than 20 years of entertainment, according to an Oct. 9 social media post from the nightclub’s owners.
Cowboys’ officials filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sept. 9. Company representatives said construction tied to the Interstate 35 expansion project was the main culprit, as frequent road detours and closures – particularly those happening over weekends –deter people trying to access the sizable honky-tonk at 3030 NE Loop 410.
“We have made extensive efforts to find a solution that would allow us to continue operating at our longtime home,” Cowboys’ Oct. 9 online announcement stated. “Unfortunately, despite those efforts, the challenges facing our business have left us without a viable path forward under the present circumstances.”
Cowboys representatives did indicate, however, that the dancehall could reopen in some form in the distant future although that would not take place until after I-35 construction reaches its scheduled 2028 conclusion.
Cowboys hosted several concerts over its history and, for a time, was the host site for the annual San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Cowboy Breakfast.
“While our doors are closed, we aren’t ruling out the possibility of another chapter. We remain hopeful that a change in circumstances could one day create an opportunity for Cowboys to return,” the social media post stated. “However, we want to be transparent: there are currently no plans to reopen and no guarantees of what the future may hold.”
Hungry Farmer
The famed family-owned steakhouse permanently closed shortly after the Sept. 28 death of co-founder Jack Garrahan, aged 86. Jack, his wife, Verlene, and his brother, Richard, founded Hungry Farmer in 1967.
The restaurant was known for its red and white, barn-like facade, steaks, chicken fried steaks, and traditional, rustic, family friendly atmosphere.
Multiple Hungry Farmer locations existed across the San Antonio area at one point, but the storefront at Interstate 35 and Southwest Military Drive was the final storefront.
“Closing the doors on the Hungry Farmer. So proud and forever thankful to my grandparents for creating something so incredibly special and legendary,” Garrahan’s granddaughter Madison Dunn wrote on Tik Tok.
