When childhood friends Mary Blumer and Sara Shulman opened Angel’s Icehouse in 2004, it signified a new beginning for both of them, they said. Today, the Spicewood restaurant is an opportunity to pass on their blessings to the community, from feeding the local fire department after Hill Country fires to taking in stray kittens to treating staff and customers like family, they said.

“We believe in second chances,” Shulman said. “We want everyone to feel welcome. We want everyone to feel safe here. ... This is their happy place.”

Blumer and Shulman said they became friends in high school and launched their business venture 15 years ago after navigating transitions in their personal lives. At the time, the Spicewood area looked very different than it does today, Blumer said.

“People thought we were crazy. [When we opened] there was not one home down here,” she said. “We’ve been blessed. That’s why it’s called ‘Angel’s.’”

In addition to 15 mostly local draft beers and a menu focused on Southern comfort food, Angel’s offers multiple outdoor seating areas, a fenced-in playground, a dog menu, sports specials, 11 televisions and live music on the weekends.

Blumer and Shulman said the restaurant, located on 5 acres off Hwy. 71, is a place where dogs are welcome and the whole family can enjoy food, drinks and entertainment in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

In November, Angel’s introduced a lunch menu with items such as chili, salads and enchiladas, and also expanded its dinner menu to include some of the restaurant’s original food offerings and more labor-intensive dishes, including Mary’s Tinga Tostadas. The restaurant’s 15th anniversary is in June, and Blumer and Shulman said they will be planning something special to mark the milestone.

Blumer and Shulman said they have seen many local restaurants open and close during the past 15 years and are thankful for the community support that has allowed Angel’s to continue to grow.

“I think the reason we’ve made it so long is we’re like a family,” she said. “We take it personally,”