Beefed-up design

2 new Austin-area Whataburger restaurants may feature polarizing design

Two new Whataburgers are coming to the Austin area.

Rendering courtesy of Whataburger

Two new Whataburger restaurants are coming to the Austin area, and they're likely to feature the burger chain’s new — and polarizing — design concept.

Filings with the State of Texas show Whataburger is preparing to build a 3,751-square-foot location at 17001 Smyers Ln. in Round Rock, near FM 620 North and O’Connor Drive. Construction on the $750,000 project is set to begin in May and be finished in September.

Meanwhile, Whataburger plans to spend more than $1.85 million on a 3,746-square-foot restaurant at 140 W. Metro Rd. in Leander, near U.S. Highway 183 North and Hero Way. That project is scheduled to start in August and be completed in October.

Jacobs Engineering Group in Dallas is designing the Round Rock location, and Castles Design Group in Houston is designing the one in Leander.

At this point, it’s unclear whether the Round Rock and Leander restaurants will be built using the chain's revamped design palette. However, it’s highly likely.

Asked for details about the two new locations, Whataburger spokesman Will Webber says: “No official announcements have been made at this time, but please stay tuned for more details as we’re closer to the openings.”

Last July, the restaurant chain unveiled its restaurant makeover. Now, new Whataburger structures typically will lack the iconic A-frame, corrugated-metal design that dates back to the 1950s. Rather, an A-frame architectural element will appear behind the chain’s “W” logo above the front entrance. Also, the reimagined exterior scales back the familiar orange-and-white color scheme.

After the summer announcement, Whataburger diehards welcomed the design refresh as futuristic and attractive, while others took too social media to bash the new look. In November, the San Antonio-based chain debuted its new-look restaurant in the Waco suburb of Bellmead.

burgers

More pumpkin, less milk

Austin-based vegan milk ready for fall with new pumpkin spice flavor

Photo courtesy of Malk

Pumpkin is one of the first ingredients in this flavored almond milk.

Vegans may avoid dairy, but they deserve a pumpkin spice latte in the fall. Malk Organics, an Austin-based almond milk company, is taking care of that with a new pumpkin spice variety.

This seasonal flavor is hitting shelves now, and will be available "throughout the fall season while supplies last," according to a news release. It joins three standard flavors — unsweetened, vanilla, and chocolate — for a total of four almond milks across the board. The company also makes oat and cashew milk, or "malk," and some creamers.

The second ingredient after filtered water is organic pumpkin, so that flavor should come out strong in whatever drink it's spicing up. It also contains almond butter and sugar, plus extracts of vanilla, cinnamon bark, nutmeg, ginger, and clove — all organic, too.

"With the popularity of the pumpkin spice flavor profile, we wanted to offer consumers a healthier way to enjoy their favorite fall beverages." said Malk CEO Jason Bronstad in the release. "We have meticulously crafted a pumpkin spice SKU featuring the cleanest ingredients without compromising on delicious flavor."

When Bronstad talks about health, he's referring to claims made in the release that distance the completely organic product from "gums, oils, and fillers." The brand prides itself on these things, plus few enough ingredients to count on one hand — not quite the case for this more intricately spiced product, but surely an exception can be made for that pumpkin pie flavor.

This isn't Malk's only seasonal effort; it's also bringing back its holiday nog made with almonds, maple syrup, nutmeg extract, and Himalayan pink salt. So far there aren't really any exotic flavors on the permanent menu, but a caramel creamer enhances the otherwise vanilla and unflavored line.

For those who feel called by the dairy-free pumpkin spice but don't know what to make with it, Malk has plenty of recipes on its site that might be nice to spice up. The Pumpkin Protein Pancakes are an obvious candidate for an extra bit of pumpkin oomph, as is the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. Actually, there are lots of pumpkin recipes already on the website using other varieties of Malk; but perhaps the Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Bars could use some additional adventure.

Pumpkin Spice Malk ($6.99 for 28 ounces) can be found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Erewhon, Gelsons, HEB, Fresh Market, and other local retailers. Find nearby options at malkorganics.com.