It’s been quite the eventful month here in Abilene. We saw students graduate, summer festivities begin and the new start of many local businesses here in the Big Country.
And while some businesses are booming, others have shut their doors permanently this month with one of Abilene’s oldest restaurants closing. From new community amenities to grand re-openings and new business announcements, here’s what happened in Abilene’s local business scene in May.
Business openings
Sun Laundromat, located at 2401 Garfield Ave., celebrated its grand opening on May 14, welcoming the Abilene community to the new modern laundry facility.
The new location offers self-service laundry, drop-off wash and fold and commercial services for local hotels and Airbnbs. More information can be found on the laundromat website.
La Aguila, a Hispanic-inspired street food truck, reopened this month after moving into a new food truck. La Aguila hosted a grand reopening on May 22 to celebrate the new truck and pay tribute to their customers.
Abilene Heritage Square also opened its doors to the public this month on Saturday, May 16. The 8-acre campus features the revitalized Abilene High School campus, originally built in 1924, and additional new space housing community amenities geared toward lifelong learning
The square features the new main library branch, a three-story modern facility housing books for kids and adults with study rooms, a recording studio and a makers space.
The campus also features the new Spark Science Center, a science-focused Branch of the Grace Museum, and rental spaces for weddings, reunions and other events. More information can be found on the square’s website.
Restaurant closure
One of Abilene’s oldest restaurants has closed and is listed for sale through Barrnett & Hill real estate. Farilito, a 75-year-old family-owned Mexican restaurant at 209 Cottonwood St., has closed and has been listed for sale for $500,000 as a commercial retail property.
A yellow closed sign can be seen posted at the front of the restaurant.
The home attached to the restaurant that was previously occupied by the restaurant owners is also included in the restaurant’s listing, and the property is zoned to permit restaurants along with bars, taverns, lounges and clubs serving alcohol for on-site consumption as zoned uses.
New things coming
This month also saw many new business announcements, including Fuego Tortilla Grill, a Tex-Mex chain offering gourmet tacos, burrito bowls and margaritas, that will be moving into the old Chick-fil-A building at 3130 S. Clack St.
The opening date is unknown, but according to Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filings, the estimated completion date for construction is July 10.
Abilene is also expected to see the opening of a new fifth McDonald’s location with construction well underway this month at the new location at 6144 Buffalo Gap Road.
The 4,146 square foot restaurant is set to be completed by the beginning of October and will feature McDonald’s new dual-lane drive-thru layout, according to a project document from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Here are business openings, closings and what’s coming to Abilene
Reporting by Lauren Dossey, Abilene Reporter-News / Abilene Reporter-News
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