News You Can Eat

New Mediterranean lunch and a solstice party shine in Austin food news

Solstice Coffee & Cocktails founder Matthew Wenger pours two drinks at once at his new Jonestown bar.

Photo by Geo Mendez

Good things come in...pairs? This week's food news had a few emerging themes like new brunch and lunch services, notable chain openings, local foodie giveaways, and more.

Openings and closings

More news on openings is coming tomorrow in longer stories; for now, here are some updates on chains.

Texas-based Little Woodrow's has a new location at the Domain Northside at 11420 Rock Rose Ave. #130. This location stands out — and above the surrounding area — thanks to a rooftop deck. The chain is known for its rustic neighborhood bar feel, and it offers bar foods like wagyu sliders, crispy Brussels sprouts, and loaded waffle fries.

Tokyo teppanyaki restaurant Pepper Lunch is opening its first locations in Texas, and three of the four are in the Austin area: Leander, Hutto, and Kyle. The Leander restaurant at 516 E. San Gabriel Pkwy., Ste. 130 will open first, at the end of 2026. The chain plans to have several more leases signed across Texas by the end of June.

Shanghai street food-inspired chain Ugly Dumpling has opened its first Austin restaurant at 10000 Research Blvd. The menu covers soup dumplings, wontons, and popular dim sum dishes, plus bubble teas.

Giveaways

Rambler Sparkling Water, which is based in Austin, is running a Golden Can promotion. Fans who find a Golden Can in their eight- or 12-pack carton will receive prizes including ACL Festival and Rambler merch, a Yeti cooler, or even two ACL Music Festival wristbands with airfare and lodging. Golden Cans can be found in original and lemon-lime packs.

The Downtown Austin Alliance will be doing weekly giveaways from local businesses this summer through September. The "Summer of Giveaways" is meant to support businesses impacted by convention center redevelopment. Participating businesses include Elephant Room, Revolución, Mom & Pops, Happy Chicks, Speakeasy Austin, Sushi Roku, Foxy's Proper Pub, The Escape Game, Le Cafe Crepe, Cedar Door, Central District Brewing, and The Kitchen Bistro. To join, text "ATX" to (512) 890-3099.

New brunch and lunch services

Wilhelm & Werner at the newly renovated Faust Hotel now has a new lunch service, and brunch is close behind, starting June 27. New menu items include tuna niçoise and a fried gulf fish sandwich for lunch, and duck confit hash and Caprese Benedict for brunch.

Oria, the new Mediterranean restaurant on Barton Springs Road, now has a weekday lunch service featuring items like lamb kefta skewers with tzatziki and herb salad and a mushroom shawarma bowl with quinoa, salad, and harissa aioli. A lunch combo bundles an appetizer and entrée for $28.

Other news and notes

French bistro Épicerie is offering $5 frozen Pimm’s Cup cocktails after 5 pm Mondays through Fridays. The New Orleans classic combines Pimm’s No. 1 with a "light and floral gin," according to a press release, plus ginger, lemon, and a cucumber and mint garnish.

Solstice Coffee & Cocktails, a new all-day drinking and dining destination in Jonestown, is celebrating its first solstice with the inaugural Solstice Fest, a three-day celebration from June 19-21. There will be live local music, a vinyl DJ brunch, a special cocktail menu, flash tattoos, and local food trucks.

Austin pastry chef and 2026 James Beard Award finalist Tavel Bristol-Joseph is celebrating Juneteenth at his Caribbean restaurant, Canje, on June 19 with a fundraiser for Heavenly Beings, a Black artist showcase. Then on June 22, the restaurant is hosting an opening reception for a new art exhibition to be shown in the dining room. The reception will be free to attend. RSVP via Eventbrite.

food news lunch brunch mediterranean cuisine giveaways cocktails

Pizza purchase

New owner eats up struggling Texas-based Pizza Hut for $2.7 billion

Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut is being sold.

Plano-based Pizza Hut, whose sales have floundered for several years, is set to be acquired by private equity firm LongRange Capital in a $2.7 billion deal.

LongRage said Tuesday, June 16, that it agreed to buy Pizza Hut’s global business, except for the chain’s operations in China, from restaurant conglomerate Yum Brands for about $1.5 billion. Restaurant group Yum China Holdings, which has a corporate office in Plano, is purchasing Pizza Hut’s Chinese business for about $1.2 billion.

The deals are expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

This will mark the first time since 1977 that Pizza Hut hasn’t been owned by either PepsiCo or Yum and its predecessor, Tricon Global Restaurants.

“Despite efforts to revitalize the brand and shut underperforming locations, it has become increasingly clear that pushing the [Pizza Hut] division back into growth will require a level of investment and patience that Yum is just not prepared to commit to,” Neal Saunders, managing director and retail analyst at data analytics and consulting company GlobalData, wrote.

The deals follow a sweeping review, launched in November, of the troubled Pizza Hut brand. Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas.

There are almost 20,000 Pizza Huts in more than 100 countries, including nearly 1,000 locations in Texas.

In February, Yum said it was shutting down an estimated 250 Pizza Hut restaurants as the chain continued to post weak sales and profit. In 2025, Pizza Hut generated global sales of $12.8 billion, including $5.6 billion in the U.S. That compares with $13.1 billion in global sales and $6 billion in U.S. sales the previous year.

“Under LongRange and Yum China, Pizza Hut will be well positioned for future growth with ownership that brings deep expertise in the restaurant industry,” Yum CEO Chris Turner says in a press release. “Pizza Hut is one of the most iconic restaurant brands in the world, and we are proud of the important role it has played in Yum’s history.”

Among the brands in LongRange’s portfolio are 24 Hour Fitness; casket manufacturer Batesville; and Greencore Group, which makes food items such as sandwiches, salads, prepared meals, desserts, and pizzas.

Aside from Pizza Hut, brands under the Yum umbrella include KFC and Taco Bell. Yum and its franchisees operate more than 63,000 restaurants in 155 countries.

More pizza deals
Pizza Hut isn’t the only locally based pizza chain with new ownership. In January, OneRyan Global said it acquired a majority stake in Fort Worth-based Mr. Gatti’s Pizza for an undisclosed amount. OneRyan, which has been a Gatti’s franchisee, is the investment vehicle for Brint Ryan, chairman and CEO of the Plano-based Ryan tax consulting firm.

Gatti’s was founded in Stephenville in 1964 and relocated its headquarters to Austin in 1969. Today, the chain has more than 230 open or planned locations in Texas and the Southeast.

In February, Gatti’s said it was targeting the Houston area as part of the chain’s expansion plans. “Houston is a strategic market for sustainable growth and wide-open franchise opportunities,” said Scott McIntosh, vice president of franchise development at Gatti’s.

pizza hut yum brands plano pizza