Local · Trusted · Free
The Morning Impact — your neighborhood's most important stories, delivered every morning.
Pflugerville City Council approved a lease with West Pecan Coffee + Beer for a cafe in the new City Hall building during its Sept. 8 meeting.
The details
West Pecan’s second location will be in a public-facing space in the upcoming facility, which will be located at 605 E. Main St.
According to city documents, the lease begins on Nov. 2 and ends on Jan. 1, 2030.
Deputy City Manager Emily Barron said the cafe will provide job opportunities and a high-quality dining option for residents and visitors. She said part of the reason the city chose West Pecan was because of its dedication to creating third spaces for residents, or social environments apart from home and work.
The new City Hall is nearly complete, and city staff are hoping to move into the new facility in December.
“This lease supports Downtown East project goals by strengthening high-quality retail and dining offerings, enhancing family-friendly gathering spaces, expanding cultural and social amenities, and activating a community-oriented third space within City Hall,” city of Pflugerville documents state.
The discussion
Some council members and residents—including De Juana "De J." Lozada, who is running for City Council in November—expressed concerns with the lack of a formal bidding process for the cafe space.
“I support West Pecan and celebrate their success, but supporting one business should not mean excluding others from an opportunity created with public resources,” Lozada said. “The city says that West Pecan was identified as the ideal local partner. Through what process? Who else had the opportunity to be considered?”
Council member Jonathan Coffman said he thinks the deal is a great opportunity for the community, but agreed there could have been more of a public process.
“That would have been great, but I also have a lot of confidence in this partnership and what it's going to bring and the lessons we're going to learn to extend similar situations to other small businesses,” Coffman said.
The motion passed 5-2, with council members David Rogers and Melody Ryan voting no.
