An upscale "modern American" restaurant has taken root in Round Rock. Grey Orchard, by owner James Sun and chef partner Cole Fitzgerald, will start its soft opening phase July 9 at 2700 N. Interstate Hwy. 35.

Austinites may already be familiar with Chef Fitzgerald from Fig Italian Kitchen & Bar, a fine dining restaurant that opened on South Lamar Boulevard in August of 2024. The young chef arrived in Austin with Michelin Guide credentials — a "recommended" listing for Atlanta restaurant the White Bull, where he was the executive chef — and Fig was a nominee for Best New Restaurant at the 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

Chef Cole Fitzgerald is under 30 with two Austin restaurants under his belt and a prominent prior role in Atlanta.Photo courtesy of Grey Orchard

Sun also opened Fig with Fitzgerald, bringing experience from the famous Eleven Madison Park in New York City, among other restaurants. He also opened Cedro Scratch Italian & Bar and Mia Italian Tapas & Bar in Austin, starting in 2014.

The new concept, Grey Orchard, focuses on seasonal American food "shaped by subtle Asian influence," press materials say. It's all about the ingredients, whether that's obvious, as in the wild mushroom salad, or less so, as in the double smash burger or the fried chicken with Alabama white barbecue sauce. Some of the more Asian dishes include tempura fried bang bang shrimp, a duck bánh mì, and basil fried rice.

The main dining room at Grey Orchard.Image courtesy of Grey Orchard

One of the "wow" factors at Fig was artful plating, and it looks like that practice will continue at Grey Orchard, with lots of bright colors and garnishes.

It'll really pop against everything at Grey Orchard, which is almost entirely decorated with warm neutrals. An organic layout with partitions creates more intimate sections and choices for visitors — a few clusters of bench seats and chairs for one-on-one dining, tables touching or apart, plus a prominent bar. There is also a semi-private dining room for small groups and larger group bookings will also be available.

This wide shot shows some of the different experiences diners can have by choosing a different table.Photo courtesy of Grey Orchard

Grey Orchard's formal food and interior signal an interruption of its surroundings along the side of I-35, including chain restaurants with Austin roots like Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Pinthouse Pizza, and DoubleDave's Pizzaworks, or more broadly Texan chains like Whiskey Cake and Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q. Smaller, but growing local restaurants like Jack Allen's Kitchen and Salt Traders Coastal Cooking — the most similar to Grey Orchard, but still more casual — are also part of the cluster.

Reservations at Grey Orchard are available on OpenTable via greyorchard.com. Current hours are 3-9 pm Sundays through Thursdays and 3-10 pm Fridays and Saturdays. As this is the restaurant's soft opening, some things may be limited or change before the full opening later this month.