Click the restaurant name for the full story.
February
BB's Home Cooking
After tiring of corporate life following a nearly 15-year career in the tech sector, John Despertt left his job in 2004 as a network specialist at Dell to open a homestyle, Southern restaurant in Georgetown.
March
Shade Tree Wine Bistro
David Roberts said he never saw himself as a restaurant owner but stumbled into the business when he befriended Kevin Stuart, the former owner of Stillhouse Wine Room in Killeen. The business is now closed.
April
Greenhouse Craft Food
Greenhouse Craft Food was one of many restaurant concepts developed by chef and owner Rob Snow as he worked his way through the culinary industry, but the idea for the restaurant’s “casual farm-to-table” dining theme was always a key focus, he said.
May
Sweet Lemon Kitchen
Rachel and Kevin Cummins, the owners of Sweet Lemon Kitchen in downtown Georgetown, finished turning the lodging portion of their business in February into event spaces after seeing a more pressing need in the community for places to host events, they said.
June
Dahlia Café
At Dahlia Cafe in Liberty Hill, owners Debi and John Johnston operate with the motto: “Thanks for letting our family serve your family.”
July
The Pit Barbeque
After nearly 35 years, The Pit Barbeque owner Neal Tucker credits his business’s success to “good food, fair prices and fast service.”
August
Milano Trattoria
Much of the magic happens behind the scenes in the kitchen of the cozy Italian eatery on a corner in the Wolf Ranch Town Center.
September
Lin’s Asian Café
Wei Lin, a co-owner of Lin’s Asian Café, said his favorite part of owning a restaurant is interacting with the patrons.
October
Firo Fire Kissed Pizza
Matt Jones traveled Europe in search of the best pizza and gelato recipes he could find, using them as inspiration for his business.
November
Hydrate
Chad Sitzmann, a Georgetown chiropractor, said it pained him to see his patients walk out of his office and drive to a nearby fast-food restaurant for a smoothie that would be filled with sugar.
December
El Monumento
El Monumento was designed to mimic a Mexican hacienda, with a leafy, lush courtyard in the center and the windowed walls of the restaurant and bar surrounding it.
