- We reported last week that Freebirds has penciled in Sept. 11 as its opening day, but there's still a chance that date could inch forward.
- Along with Freebirds, Quaker Steak & Lube and possibly Vibrante Cafe & Shoppe will/could open during the second full week of September.
- The local Jimmy John's empire is getting ready to expand again with a Bellmead store next door to Starbucks.
- Samurai Steakhouse, regarded by me and possibly others, as the gold standard for local hibachi is closed for the time being. A social media item this week suggested that there was a health code violation in the mix. Now, a health code violation sounds bad. But bear in mind that many a decent eatery has been tripped up by the health inspector and come back to thrive. Can Samurai Steakhouse regain its place? It's definitely a different landscape than 20 years ago when Samurai was the only hibachi game in town, so I have my doubts.
- I received an email regarding a Wise Guys Pizza coming to town and have started looking for more info on this. Haven't found anything other than it looks like this is a Killeen-based chain. So maybe they're looking to get in on the red-hot Waco market. My source said it was coming to North Valley Mills Drive, where it seems like new restaurants are springing up like mushrooms after a rain.
That's all for now. Let me hear some noise, WacoFork land.
