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Favorite Austin burger chain moves forward with first drive-thru in Georgetown

James Beard Foundation Smoke Session at The Brewer's Table P. Terry's

P. Terry's is moving ahead with plans to open its first Georgetown location.

Photo by Shelley Neuman

The rhythms of daily life may have come to a grinding halt due to the coronavirus pandemic, but at least one local restaurant group is moving forward with plans to open a new location. Beloved local burger joint P. Terry’s Burger Stand will open its first Georgetown location at 1421 S. I-35 on March 26 in the Wolf Crossing development.

The opening will be a more subdued affair than usual for the company. According to a release, the location will operate as a drive-thru only until further notice. Despite not immediately running a dining room, 65 new employees were hired to serve the familiar menu of burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and shakes.

To help with extra income during economic uncertainty, P. Terry’s is also providing its crew with paid volunteer opportunities at organizations like the Central Texas Food Bank and Dell Children’s Medical Center.

The Georgetown location is the latest move in P. Terry’s ambitious expansion plans. In February 2019, co-founder Patrick Terry announced he was handing over the CEO reigns to former Whataburger and Taco Cabana executive Todd Coever, teasing it was a start of a new era for the mini-chain.

That plan has already seen the company branch out from Austin, where it was founded in 2005. In a release announcing a San Antonio location opening in fall 2020, P. Terry’s also revealed that the brand would be settling into Pflugerville and New Braunfels in the upcoming year. It’s unclear if the current health crisis will change those plans.

Throughout all the growth, P. Terry’s has hinted that the Central and South Texas expansion may be just the beginning.

Echoing previous statements he has given to CultureMap, Terry said in a January release, "This year, as we continue to dip our toe outside of the Austin market, it should give us a good barometer for future growth in Central Texas and beyond."

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Taco News

Popular Austin taco truck Con Todo wraps up business after 3 years

contodotacos.com

Con Todo is closed, but Chef Joseph Gomez is looking forward to the future.

A very popular Austin taco trailer at Celis Brewery has suddenly shut its ordering window. Con Todo chef Joseph Gomez made the announcement on his Instagram account, which was previously the business' account.

As Gomez points out in the message, the account predated Con Todo and will survive it, too, under his own name. It's a clear handle for what the chef plans to do: continue his career and the things Con Todo stood for, but not under the Con Todo name or project.

"Sorry for delay on posting but, after much thought, I’ve made the difficult decision to close the doors to Con Todo 😢. This is one of the hardest choices I’ve ever had to make," Gomez wrote. "Con Todo wasn’t just a business — it was my livelihood, my passion, so deeply personal to me. For those of you who know me, you understand how much heart, soul, time, effort I put into it."

Gomez lists several identities and callings he plans to continue expanding: among them, advocacy, cooking, writing, and being "a proud ADHD weirdo."

"My commitment to supporting migrant workers’ rights remains is as strong as ever, and I’ll continue that work through new projects, as I always have," he writes. "You’ve heard me talk about this mission before, and this year is going to be especially important to take a deep dive into it and explore what’s happening on the border towns where I am from. I won’t be quiet about it."

Gomez and Con Todo have garnered acclaim from food industry and media sources including the James Beard Foundation, Texas Monthly, and CultureMap's own Tastemaker Awards; however the chef doesn't seem too concerned with formal praise from the Michelin Guide as he signs off with the snarky Spanish "#michelinmisnalgas." (He had already been using the hashtag for years prior to winning a recommendation from Michelin in November 2024, and the team did attend the ceremony.)

According to Con Todo's website manifesto, cuisine at Con Todo was both deeply personal to Gomez and representative of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), so it seems likely that Austinites will get to enjoy eats in the same style from Gomez going forward.

"In the mean time, keep an eye out for me doing pop ups, events, talks, panels and a little pot stirring," Gomez writes. "Nos vemos pronto!"

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