Hot Headlines

Austin airport targets new international nonstops and more top stories

New international flights may be on the horizon for Austin.

Courtesy of ABIA/Facebook

Editor's note: It's time to catch up on the top Austin news of the week, from the potential for new nonstop flights to new life for a favorite South Austin space. Read on for our most popular stories, then visit this guide to plan your weekend.

1. 12 new nonstop international flights may take off at Austin airport. At a recent meeting, members of the Austin Airport Advisory Commission reviewed a list of the 12 global destinations that Austin-Bergstrom is targeting for new nonstop flights.

2. Central Texas barbecue staple plunges into new bathhouse in San Antonio. New filings show Terry Black's parent company Black Family Hospitality is planning to open a bathhouse on the premises of a new San Antonio project.

3. Popular comedian moves Texas show to avoid Austin podcaster's fans. Cristela Alonzo moved her Midlife Mixtape tour stop at from April 11 to May 9, saying she didn’t want to expose her fans to an uncomfortable environment.

4. Report: Bartlett's to take over old Threadgill's in South Austin. The old Threadgill's in South Austin will see new life as the second location of longtime North Austin steakhouse Bartlett's.

Threadgill's Riverside Threadgill's was open in South Austin from 1996-2018. Threadgill's Facebook

5. Texas makes top 10 for most affordable date nights in the U.S. Finding love on a budget has never been easier in Texas, which was just ranked one of the top 10 states with the most affordable date costs in the country.

airport nonstop flights openings threadgill's hot-headlines

MARKET MAKEOVER

H-E-B cuts ribbon on expanded Hancock Center store after renovation

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

Renovations are officially complete at the Hancock Center H-E-B.

After three years of construction, H-E-B cut the ribbon February 20 on its expanded Hancock Center store, unveiling a bigger location designed to offer more. That means more sushi, more chef-prepared meals, more specialty departments, and a full True Texas BBQ restaurant serving Cherrywood and surrounding Central Austin neighborhoods.

Major upgrades to the grocery store include the new True Texas BBQ restaurant with indoor seating, plus expanded sushi and prepared foods stations and significantly larger produce, meat, seafood, and grocery departments. The renovation also expands curbside pickup, beer and wine selections, and the Healthy Living department, while introducing new prepared meal options and a wellness clinic.

Hancock Center H-E-B A large prepared foods section sorts out dinner.Photo courtesy of H-E-B

The three-year construction project added more than 30,000 square feet, bringing the store to more than 124,000 square feet and modernizing one of H-E-B’s oldest locations in Austin.

Hancock Center is one of the few longstanding retail centers still intact as the I-35 expansion construction reshapes Central Austin’s commercial corridor. The center was originally anchored by Sears, Dillard’s, and one of the city’s first H-E-B stores. Today, H-E-B remains the primary retail anchor, as Austin Community College completes its expansion into the former Sears building, converting the longtime department store into classrooms and workforce training space.

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

Renovations are officially complete at the Hancock Center H-E-B.

The Hancock Center H-E-B opened in 1964, was remodeled as an H-E-B Superstore in 1998; in 2026, it's expanded even more. In terms of size, the Hancock Center store is be larger than H-E-B’s Lake Austin location but still smaller than the company’s flagship South Congress store. Unlike the Lake Austin and South Congress locations, which were built from the ground up, Hancock Center was expanded gradually over three years, with construction unfolding in phases around the existing store.

Hancock Center H-E-B Charcuterie boards won't know what him 'em.Photo courtesy of H-E-B

H-E-B operates 26 locations in Austin, making this the second-largest market for the grocery store chain behind San Antonio. H-E-B’s next Austin location is planned for Easton Park, where a new 115,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open in 2027.

openings h-e-b grocery