Taylor Press

On Friday, the community turned out to break ground on what is one of the most anticipated additions to Hutto’s Co- op District, a new Jack Allen’s Kitchen restaurant.

The iconic comfort-food favorite is located at 420 Texas 79, and will join Southside Market, Top Notch Burger and other restaurants and retailers in the Co-op District.

With a planned size of 7,500 square feet, including indoor and outdoor seating areas, city officials expect it to be a large draw to the Co-op. The business is also expected to employ 100 workers, which necessitated the incorporation of a parking plan into the development.

The restaurant is being built in coordination with a six-story parking garage that will give the employees and customers ample parking, as well as serving City Hall employees.

The parking garage and restaurant are expected to open simultaneously by the end of the year.

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The linchpin of The Co-op District, Hutto’s 35,000 square foot City Hall celebrated the five-year anniversary of its opening Monday.

“I remember going to City Council meetings at the old building and we would have to stop council meetings when a train would come through because you couldn’t hear a thing. We don’t have that problem here,” said Mayor Pro Tem Peter Gordon. “This is the citizen’s building. We’re here to help take care of it and make sure we do the right things.”

The building’s 2019 grand opening was meant to kick off growth of The Co-op District, a 35-acre walkable development that expands the city’s downtown area.

Development was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the supply chain and worker shortages that followed, but today heavy machinery and construction crews are hard at work. A six-story parking garage is currently being constructed to support Jack Allen’s Kitchen, which is expected to open late this year, joining a number of eateries, retail and service businesses that are already open.

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