February: Hippo Pharmacy
Sajid Shaikh opened Hippo Pharmacy in Downtown Hutto in July 2020, in large part because he said Hutto did not have a locally owned pharmacy.
“Everywhere around here seems to have a hometown pharmacy, but Hutto didn’t,” Shaikh said. “I saw the opportunity and I just kind of ran with it.”
Hippo Pharmacy
107 East St., Ste. A, Hutto
512-846-6004
www.hippopharmacy.org
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; closed Sun.
March: Starmark
Back in 1995 in Tucson, Arizona, Keith Benson, president and co-owner of Starmark, realized he was not happy in his career as a psychometrist, where he did psychological testing in the forensic field.
He had a dog he was training at the time, and after a long, stressful day at work, training his dog gave him joy. This passion led Benson to find a hands-on dog training program in Missouri, where he met his business partner, Jerry Wolfe.
Starmark Animal Behavior Center
200 CR 197, Hutto
512-759-2275
www.aboutdogtraining.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., closed Sun.
May: This Old Wood
Mike Draper founded This Old Wood in 2006 as an Austin-based business that primarily used reclaimed lumber to replace flooring.
Today, This Old Wood, now based in Pflugerville, uses reclaimed and recycled lumber to build all kinds of custom furniture, walls and flooring.
This Old Wood
13313 Old Gregg Lane, Pflugerville
512-288-1194
www.thisoldwood.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., closed Sun.
June: Austin Steam It
In 2007, Mike Padilla said he had a bad experience while having his carpet professionally cleaned.
After talking about it with his friends and family, Padilla said he decided he could do it better, and shortly thereafter Austin Steam It was born.
Austin Steam It
4701 Priem Lane, Ste. C3, Pflugerville
512-202-3808
https://austinsteamit.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat.-Sun. by appointment only
August: Hutto Flower Market
Misty and Shawn Faglie opened Hutto Flower Market in 2019. With Misty’s years of experience as a florist and Shawn’s as a business owner, the two said they had everything they needed to set up shop.
However, a few months into operating at their old shop on FM 1660, Misty and Shawn found they needed more space.
Hutto Flower Market
117 East St., Ste. 100, Hutto
512-846-4151
https://huttoflowermarket.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., closed Sun.
October: Willard's Brewery
For the team at Willard’s Brewery, maintaining a unique presence in an unassuming business district in south Pflugerville is just as important as building brand awareness and sales distribution throughout the country.
The facility on Patterson Industrial Drive originated in late 2019 as a place to make the company’s line of hard seltzer products. But by October 2020, owner Bill Gillies and his team began operating a taproom to brew and sell their own beers.
Willard’s Brewery
2400 Patterson Industrial Drive, Pflugerville
512-910-4099
www.willardsbrewery.com
Hours: Wed.-Thu. 4-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. noon-10 p.m., Sun. noon-8 p.m., closed Mon.-Tue.
December: Spare Time Texas
Spare Time Texas opened the Pflugerville entertainment center in 2015, two years after opening the original location in Temple.
General Manager Stefan Cox said Spare Time owner Mike Emmon was looking for a second Central Texas city to expand into, and Pflugerville was a compelling choice as a rapidly growing community.
Spare Time Texas
1724 FM 685, Pflugerville
512-647-1700
www.sparetimetexas.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-midnight, Fri. 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-1 a.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-midnight
