If there's one thing that we've learned after years of success in the real estate photography industry, it's that first impressions are super important. Sure, looking your best on a first date might score you some brownie points. But in the real estate business, making a stellar first impression can mean the difference between selling a property and losing a client.
If you're reading this page, chances are you're involved in real estate in some form or fashion, whether you're an agent, builder, interior designer, or architect. You're probably in need of a professional real estate photographer in Lockhart, TX but aren't sure which company to trust. We get it - you're making an investment into your business and need to know that you're working with talented professionals. Fortunately, you can scratch those other names off your list, because you're just a few clicks away from working with THE best real estate photography firm in Texas!
Welcome to Twist Tours Real Estate and Portfolio Marketing Services: your go-to group for modern real estate photography and interactive virtual tours. We're proud to be a local company, serving Central Texas Drone photography, video with awesome real estate photography, 3D Matterport models, 2D + 3D floor plans, and premium single property websites.!
Unlike some of our competitors, we care just as much about how our products look as you do. That's why we make it a point to provide our customers with the finest photography and friendliest customer service in the game. Our professional photographers utilize the latest technology and equipment, so you can rest easy knowing your photos will look incredible. With a team of creative superstars by our side, we're always on top of new marketing trends and photography techniques. That way, sellers get what they deserve, and buyers get what they want: the very best real estate photography available in Texas.
Our photographers and Matterport scanners are ridiculously great at what they do. Plus, our support team is made up of bona fide superstars. So, if you have questions or concerns, we're more than happy to chat with you.
Our photography and videography expertise includes:
Real Estate Photography
Online Tours
3D Models
Aerial Photography
Floor Plans
Virtual Staging
Unmatched Real Estate Photography in Lockhart, TX
We've all heard the phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words," and in today's digitally-dominant world, that saying is more poignant than ever. In real estate, pictures have a huge impact on whether a home is sold or passed by. That's especially true in a time when prospective homebuyers are less likely to travel in-person to tour a home in their price range.
With more time on their hands to peruse real estate listings, buyers are inundated with all sorts of images, which is why your real estate photos must stand out from the crowd. Once buyers filter through property locations, pricing, nearby school districts, and square footage, they want to flip through photos. If your pictures aren't up to snuff, you can be sure the homebuyer will move to the next listing.
Fortunately, Twist Tours is here to provide you with high-resolution, creative photography for your real estate needs - whether you're listing a brand-new home or selling a property that has been on the market too long.
We believe Twist Tours stands apart because we do more than capturing a visual record of a home. Instead, your Twist Tours real estate photographer develops an emotional bridge between potential buyers and real estate listings by enhancing the home's true character. Every aspect of our real estate photos, drone shots, videos, and tours are carefully engineered to bring your property to life
With a staff of highly-trained, innovative real estate photographers, there's no project too large or "out of the box" for us to handle. And we're not just talking real estate photography in the classic sense - we have successful clients in many different industries, who use our photographers for:
Interior Design
Lighting Design
Office Building
Medical Office
Landscape Design
Event Venue
Apartment Rental
Commercial Property
Restaurant
Vacation Rental
Spa & Retreat
Out of the Box Projects
Cutting-Edge Virtual Tour Photography
At Twist Tours, we believe that virtual tours and walkthroughs have a secure place in the real estate industry. Every agent needs access to great property walkthroughs, which is why we offer several imaginative tour options for every budget. We provide three types of full-service virtual tours: photo tours, floor plan tours, and our most popular option, 360-degree walkthrough tours. We also provide custom 3D Matterport services complete with photography, floor plans, and aerial video for clients in our service area. Not located in Austin or San Antonio? Our self-service options are a great choice, even if you're located in another country.
What is 3D Matterport?
Before we give you a breakdown covering our real estate tours, you might wonder: what is Matterport 3D?
These immersive walkthroughs bring properties to life, almost like a life-sized dollhouse that buyers can tour. Matterport's incredible tours help the top real estate brokerages and even FSBO pros sell homes quickly and win listings by giving homebuyers the chance to experience your property as if they were really there.
Our 3D Matterport experts scan your home, and when it's all said and done, you'll have an incredible 3D showcase highlighting all the bells and whistles of your listing. If you're looking to get a leg up on your competition, here's your chance!
3D Degree Walkthrough Tours
If you're really looking to take your real estate game to the next level, a 360-degree tour is the way to go. By far our most popular tour, our 360-degree tours feature premium single-property websites that combine the 3D Matterport space, floor plan, and professional photo packages into an amazing interactive online presentation experience. Additionally, clients can choose to include an interactive 2D floor plan or a 3D floorplan feature that looks like HGTV's like Room Planner. We can even include a virtual walkthrough video, walkthrough tours that are optimized for mobile devices, brand logos, and detailed buyers' tools.
1.
Floor Plan Tours
These custom walkthroughs feature floor and photo tours that display on a premium single property website. Our floor plan tours include a stunning virtual walkthrough tour, a gallery of professional photos, an interactive 3D and 2D floorplan with an HGTV-style Room Planner, and more.
2.
Photo Tours
These tours contain professional photos from our team of photographers, displayed in a single-property premium landing page that comes with a beautiful gallery display, the virtual walkthrough video tour, along with your digital branding materials.
Along with our virtual tour packages, clients may choose additional features, including:
Real Estate Videos: Excellent real estate videography in Lockhart, TX is hard to find, especially if you're working on a budget. Luckily, Twist is here to save the day. We take your YouTube videos to another level of awesome with video clips, agent bookends, entry slides, and exit slides. Choose the exact copy you would like displayed, and our team will automatically upload it to your YouTube channel.
FREE 3D Floor Plans: Yep, you read that right. Our 3D floor plans with Room Planner are 100% free and let buyers edit, visualize, and plan their spaces in 3D.
Tour Reports: What good would a virtual tour be without actionable insights for you to monitor? We offer detailed stats on tour visits, sites referring your virtual tour, and more. Our tour reports are emailed directly to your email account so that you have easy access on a regular basis.
Custom Brochures: Twist Tours offers more than 15 personalized templates, which have our floor plans built-in for online and offline marketing needs.
Syndicate Your Tour: We can place your virtual tour on the MLS listing, on realtor.com, and YouTube platforms.
Interactive Floor Plan Tours: Let tour viewers interact directly with your floor plan with the addition of interactive features, like point & click hotspots. This feature is especially useful for mobile users.
Lead Capture: Our unique Lead Capture technology will drive more photo clicks and turn your real estate virtual tour into a lead-making machine.
Aerial Video and Photography Services for Real Estate
Nothing showcases your property quite like professional aerial video and photography. With our drone photography services, you can turn lookers into buyers by giving them a unique vantage point of your commercial or residential property. If you're looking to set your real estate business apart from your competition, drone photography and video is the way to go.
Aerial photography adds an extra layer of "special" to your real estate photos, taking your listing from dull to downright beautiful. Sellers want to work with agents willing to entertain creative ways to sell homes. Buyers want to see every nook and cranny of the home they're interested in buying. With aerial real estate photography, you get the best of both worlds.
Benefits of aerial real estate photography and video include:
Property Location
If you're a real estate expert, we bet you're used to hearing the saying "location, location, location." One of the greatest benefits of aerial real estate photography is the chance to see where a home is located with respect to parks, restaurants, and other attractions. If you need to capture the entirety of a property's layout, take to the skies.
Property Accuracy
Taking pictures is one of the most important steps in selling a home. Generally, exterior real estate photos are taken from common locations like driveways, back yards, and on decks. Aerial real estate photography and videography can show a more accurate, robust depiction of a home for sale, giving buyers a more complete picture of the home they're looking to buy.
Tell a Better Story
Excellent storytelling is one of the most reliable keys to real estate sales. On the one hand, buyers want to know exactly where their money will be going when buying a home. On the other hand, sellers want to work with an agent who has more than the typical tools of the trade on hand. When coupled with interactive virtual tours, hiring a Twist real estate videographer in Lockhart, TX can help realtors tell a more captivating story.
Commercial Real Estate Photography Services
Ever considered professional real estate photography for your commercial business needs? Making a first strong impression is an incredible asset to your business. Doing so is equally as important for commercial purposes as it is for residential real estate reasons. With Twist Tours, your prospective clients can access online 3D virtual tours filled with stunning HDR real estate photography to give them a full picture of what you're selling. With our floor plan and room planner tours, you can even implement our real estate photos in your print marketing materials.
But that's just the start. A few additional benefits of commercial real estate photography include:
1.
Give Buyers What They Want:
The Wall Street Journal recently published a piece about the best ways to sell a commercial property. Their research found that buyers spent 60% of their time looking at photos on a property page. Knowing this, you must find creative ways to make your listings and marketing materials stand out. A lack of dazzling, positive imagery could mean you lose out on a sale or a tenant.
2.
More Clicks and Shares:
When prospective buyers or tenants are captivated by a real estate photo, they are very likely to click through to your website. Pictures with the right mix of professionalism and pizzaz are also share-worthy, meaning your commercial property for sale will reach a wider audience.
3.
Get That Great First Impression:
For buyers or tenants to take your commercial property seriously, your real estate images must make a positive impression by being HDR, modern, and beautiful.
Do the Twist
Guess what? At Twist Tours, we love our clients. Not just because of the fantastic relationships we've formed with builders, brokers, owners, designers, agents, and their staff - but because they get it. They know how important a strong first impression can be in the real estate industry. The only thing we love more than meeting new clients is helping them grow their business. If you're ready to get started on more success, we're here to help.
Need detailed pricing? Click over to our website to use our cost calculator and check out our photography packages. We look forward to hearing from you today!
866-648-0022Free Consultation
Latest News in Lockhart, TX
'All the luxuries you need' | Lockhart trying to balance small town charm with major growth
Matt Fernandezhttps://www.kvue.com/article/money/economy/boomtown-2040/lockhart-texas-growth/269-301d9a41-94a1-45df-9f8b-4d13e15f9eb6
LOCKHART, Texas — About 35 miles south of Austin, in Caldwell County, sits the city of Lockhart, home to nearly 15,000 people.Officially recognized as the "BBQ Capital of Texas," Lockhart is home to iconic barbecue joints like Black's BBQ, Kreuz Market and Smitty's Market."[Lockhart] smells like BBQ. You cannot beat it," Lockhart resident Cato Medor said.Lockhart native Michael Velasquez works the barbecue pits at Smitty's Market, where the brisket, ribs and sausage are plentiful."It...
LOCKHART, Texas — About 35 miles south of Austin, in Caldwell County, sits the city of Lockhart, home to nearly 15,000 people.
Officially recognized as the "BBQ Capital of Texas," Lockhart is home to iconic barbecue joints like Black's BBQ, Kreuz Market and Smitty's Market.
"[Lockhart] smells like BBQ. You cannot beat it," Lockhart resident Cato Medor said.
Lockhart native Michael Velasquez works the barbecue pits at Smitty's Market, where the brisket, ribs and sausage are plentiful.
"It's a peaceful little town. I would never leave here. Raised my kids here, have my grandkids coming up," Velasquez said.
But he is concerned the once small farming community is growing so fast.
“It’s hard on our taxes now," Velasquez said.
New houses are popping up quickly, with developers like Lennar and D.R. Horton putting up hundreds of homes.
"We love it. [It] is a quiet place, about 14,000 people, and [we] have all the luxuries you need," Medor said.
Medor and his wife moved from Leander to Lockhart last month to be closer to his stepdaughter, who is a musician. He said they also moved because Lockhart is more affordable.
"It’s a lot cheaper, a whole lot cheaper," Medor said.
RELATED: 'I could stay here forever': Growing number of musicians leaving Austin and moving to Lockhart
That was a big draw for his family.
“I honestly think this house was a little over $300,000. I am guessing if you put this inside the city of Austin, it will probably go up to $700,000, if not double, if not more," Medor said. "It’s a beautiful place.”
Lockhart Mayor Lew White said Lockhart is more affordable than other Central Texas cities, with home prices in the $300,000 range for a 3-bedroom – a lot more house than you can get for the same price in Austin.
"More economical places to live – lower taxes, lower utilities, slower pace," White said.
In addition to residents, Lockhart is also attracting more businesses.
Mill Scale Metal Works, which builds high-end smokers, is building a 10,000-square-foot facility next to Kreuz Market, off US 183. And popsicle factory Ziegenfelder will be creating 100 new jobs and bringing a $29 million capital investment to the city in 2025.
RELATED: Barbecue grill and smoker manufacturer to open 10,000-square-foot facility in Lockhart
Meanwhile, Real Cold, a 300,000-square-foot cold food storage facility, will build in Lockhart later this year. It will focus on direct-to-consumer grocery delivery in the Austin-San Antonio area, bringing 100 new jobs and a $65 million investment to Lockhart.
"It's a good thing. We want to grow our tax base. We want to create jobs for people to work here locally,” White said.
But with the growth comes challenges – like more traffic.
"We are constantly in discussion with TxDOT – our major thoroughfares are TxDOT roads," White said.
He said road improvements are needed.
"Projects right now being considered, that's for a feasible for the traffic on Highway 142 at 130, where the majority of housing development is happenings right now," the mayor said.
Velasquez said as much as he and his family love the slower pace of life, they embrace the growth.
"It brings us a lot of business," he said.
The city of Lockhart projects the population could double by 2040.
Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.
Lockhart grateful Williams loves doing what she does
Kyle Mootyhttps://post-register.com/lockhart-grateful-williams-loves-doing-what-she-does/
LPR EditorOver at least six generations and likely more before and more to come, Garfield Arnik of Dale has bestowed quite an impact on his family.“It was so valuable, and you don’t realize it until you get older,” said Shirley Williams, Arnik’s granddaughter. “It was values as to how we are to carry ourselves, not going around depending on anybody, be true to who we are, don’t let anybody change us, and don’t be begging anybody. Don’t go around blaming people. If...
LPR Editor
Over at least six generations and likely more before and more to come, Garfield Arnik of Dale has bestowed quite an impact on his family.
“It was so valuable, and you don’t realize it until you get older,” said Shirley Williams, Arnik’s granddaughter. “It was values as to how we are to carry ourselves, not going around depending on anybody, be true to who we are, don’t let anybody change us, and don’t be begging anybody. Don’t go around blaming people. If people don’t want to be bothered with you, move on because somebody is gonna see your goodness.”
Williams took heed of those words of wisdom, and on Jan. 27, she was named the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce’s Most Worthy Citizen for her lifetime of work with and constant love for the children in the area.
Those words of wisdom came from her grandfather who never learned to read or write.
“It stayed with me my entire life,” said Williams, 81, and going on her 59th year of marriage to Homer Williams.
Shirley Williams grew up in Dale, living next door to her grandfather. Her mother, Esther, carried on the same kindness traits as her father, so it was instilled in Shirley. She and Homer have raised two children, Dr. H. Fritz Williams of San Antonio, and Dr. Deirdre Williams of Lockhart, a Professor of Education at Texas State University. Dr. H. Fritz Williams has two children, 30-year-old Donovan, a Lockhart High School coach who played in the NFL, and Khaliah, 27, a second grade teacher in San Antonio.
Shirley Williams was noted as a loving and caring teacher’s aide at Carver Kindergarten for a quarter of a century, but her impact, has also reached far beyond those 25 years.
Williams was presented the honor at the Luling Civic Center by the 2023 Most Worthy Citizen, Jeffry Michelson.
Williams started to school at age 5, alongside her brother at a one-room schoolhouse in Dale taught by Mrs. Willie Brown. Eventually, the school in Dale was closed when Carver Elementary was built in Lockhart. Williams went there as a fifth and sixth grader, then attended Lockhart Vocational Carver High School, graduating in 1959.
“Lockhart was much different back then,” Williams said.
While at Carver High, Shirley met Homer, who had been born in Gonzales, but lived in other towns, including Luling, with his parents, before settling in Lockhart in 1962.
Shirley began attending Austin Community College, where she earned her certificate. She said she aways loved to read, even when she wasn’t asked to do so.
She was a historian, babysat, and worked in the hotel industry in Austin.
Homer had joined the military and was stationed at Fort Hood in Killeen. He asked Shirley once if she would go to church with him. She did. He repeated the act the following week, and again. Eventually, Homer asked Shirley’s father if he could marry Shirley.
“My Daddy told him, ‘Yes, but I want you to remember she’s already been raised so you don’t have to raise her,’” Shirley said. “I think that would be good for anybody. He listened to my Daddy.”
The Williams were married in 1965, originally living in Dale but moving to Lockhart in 1968, buying a house for $3,000. That was the house where they had their two children. Shirley was a stay-at-home mother.
However, she did venture to work at H-E-B, becoming that store’s first African-American employee.
“There were actually some people that didn’t want anyone to check them out except me,” Williams recalled.
Eventually, motherhood brought Williams back home, but when Dorothy Buckner asked Williams to work at Carver Kindergarten, she was once again in the Lockhart workforce. Besides, she started working at Carver when Deirdre was beginning kindergarten there.
“I treated them as I would treat my own child because I have a love for children,” Williams said.
Williams recalled a recent trip to H-E-B where a former student recognized her. “They had me crying,” she said. Then, on their way to College Station, the Williams stopped in Bastrop at Buckee’s.
“We were going into the restroom,” Deirdre Williams said. “There was a young lady working there who came into the restroom and said, ‘Mrs. Williams, is that you? I heard your voice.’ She went on to share that she had been in kindergarten at Carver. It just so happened she was going to graduate the next weekend from Texas State. We went to that graduation. She said, ‘I’m here because of you.’ Buckee’s gave her an advancement and she was going to get her Master’s Degree.”
During a recent trip to a Lockhart restaurant, a young lady leaving as the Williams family was going in. The girl said, “Mrs. Williams, you don’t remember me, but I remember you. I was in your classroom. I love you.”
“Just knowing I made a difference in someone’s life, they still remember me… it just thrills my heart,” Shirley Williams said. “Thinking about how many have told me that, it just really touches me.”
Homer also has a work ethic few have, working as a carpenter, with the Post Office, as a mechanic, with the IRS, and as a youngster picking cotton.
“I picked cotton until the year I graduated,” Homer said. “I told my father, I’m going to pick cotton this year, but I ain’t gonna pick no more cotton.”
A 20-year military man, Homer has also spent 20 years with the Post Office and the IRS.
“I worked up until one day I was repairing a house we used to live in, and I was working on a baseboard and someone said, ‘sit down,’” he said. “I’ve been sitting down ever since.”
The Chamber honor was almost too much for Shirley Williams to grasp.
“I am having such a hard time processing it,” she said. “I just want to do what I do. I’m just gonna continue, stay in the organizations that I’m in.”
Her organizations are plentiful. In addition to her previous work, Shirley Williams is either a current or past member of American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, Heroines of Jericho, a board member of Caldwell County Food Bank, board member of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library, Friends of the Library, an election officer of Caldwell County, a member of the Historical Commission, member of Senior & Law Enforcement Together, Texas Extension Education Caldwell County, member of the First Baptist Church — Mother of the Church; Progressive Club, and Lockhart Education Foundation.
Her church, First Baptist Church at 514 Neches Street, is pastored by her son, Dr. H. Fritz Williams.
In Dale, we were all family,” Shirley Williams said. “Everybody was related to each other. There was love. Everybody was everybody’s children. If you did something, they’d tell your parents, and you were in trouble. We were raised up as a village, people who cared about each other’s children.”:
Shirley Williams was the second of five children, with all of her siblings retired and living in Austin. Her sister worked in education, while her three brothers are each retired from the military.
Fiddler's Green Music Shop Takes a New Location in Lockhart, Texas
mandolincafe.comhttps://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/content/977-Fiddler-s-Green-Music-Shop-Takes-a-New-Location-in-Lockhart-Texas
Photo credit: Jay BaltierraLOCKHART, TEX. — Fiddler’s Green Music Shop has assumed a new location for their retail operation in Lockhart, Texas (population 14K+). In early 2020 just as the pandemic unfolded they were the subject of a feature article (Tales from the Pandemic: New Location and Owner for Fiddler's Green Music Shop) from August 4, 2020...
Photo credit: Jay Baltierra
LOCKHART, TEX. — Fiddler’s Green Music Shop has assumed a new location for their retail operation in Lockhart, Texas (population 14K+). In early 2020 just as the pandemic unfolded they were the subject of a feature article (Tales from the Pandemic: New Location and Owner for Fiddler's Green Music Shop) from August 4, 2020. The store is now ready to welcome customers into their new shop.
We spoke with owners Ben and Jenn Hodges about the new location. Ben told us, "As some may remember, we moved during the pandemic from our long time Austin location to a basement space in Lockhart, about a half hour south of Austin and where our family calls home. After three years we were presented with the opportunity to purchase a beautiful historic building in downtown Lockhart, directly across the street from the basement we were renting.
"Our good friends Janet and J.J. Grigar, who own the Lockhart screen printing and framing business 'Logos' approached us when they decided to sell their building. The Grigars are longtime residents and champions of Lockhart both in historical preservation and by being valuable members of our lovely small town community. They were committed to finding a small mom and pop business to be the new caretakers of this 1896 building and were extremely gracious during the process. We certainly could not have made this happen without their friendship and dedication and will forever be grateful to them.
"The new space is absolutely perfect for Fiddler’s Green! We now have a large street level storefront and showroom complete with 15' windows that fill the space with beautiful natural light. We did some remodeling and uncovered the original 1896 hardwood floors, and now have much more room for backstock, shipping, lessons, and a full workshop on site. It took us about six weeks of hard work to get the renovations done, and now that we are open we will be turning our focus to updating our website with detailed photos of all of our new inventory. Online customers can expect a large amount of inventory to be added in the next couple of weeks.
"We would like to thank everyone for their support during this transition and we can’t wait to visit with you in our new space!"
The new Fiddler's Green Music Shop is located at 108 N. Main Street, Lockhart, TX 78644. (512) 452-3900.
Additional Information
Photo credit: Jay Baltierra
Photo credit: Ben Hodges
Photo credit: Jay Baltierra
Photo credit: Jay Baltierra
Photo credit: Jay Baltierra
Texas Monthly BBQ Fest returning to ‘Barbecue Capital’ Lockhart
Casey Cheekhttps://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texas-monthly-bbq-fest-returning-to-barbecue-capital-lockhart/
Here in Texas, we take our barbecue seriously. Indeed, barbecue lovers have a celebration all their own happens each year.For the fourteenth time, thousands of barbecue fans from one end of the Lone Star State to the other will gather to sample the wares of some of the best joints in the business at the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, sponsored by the magazine and, for the most part, run by barbecue editor ...
Here in Texas, we take our barbecue seriously. Indeed, barbecue lovers have a celebration all their own happens each year.
For the fourteenth time, thousands of barbecue fans from one end of the Lone Star State to the other will gather to sample the wares of some of the best joints in the business at the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, sponsored by the magazine and, for the most part, run by barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn, barbecue editor.
Vaughn joined the Standard to share what attendees can expect this year. Listen to the interview above or read the transcript below.
This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:
Texas Standard: What’ve been eating lately? I’m going to fall over here if you say read red spicy hot links, so be careful.
Daniel Vaughn: Barbecue sliced beef and bread, ribs and sausage and a cold Big Red, if I can quote Robert Earl Keen.
I like that. Lockhart – that’s where you guys are going to be gathering?
That’s right, yes. Second year in a row we’re going to have the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest in Lockhart. It’s going to be great to get back there. We are going to be right downtown on Saturday, and we’ll be in the shadow of the Caldwell County courthouse. And then on Sunday, we’ll have our big Top 50 BBQ Festival out at City Park there in Lockhart.
What do you mean, Top 50 BBQ Festival? What exactly goes on there?
Well, you know, Saturday it’s all open to the public and we’ve got several vendors – some up and comers. But on Sunday is when we invite all the top 50 barbecue joints from our latest top 50 barbecue list to come cook and, you know, provide samples to the crowd. That is a ticketed event. So you will need a ticket to get into that one.
But everything on Saturday is, you know, you just show up and whatever looks tasty, you can purchase.
Very cool. There on the courthouse or is it sort of about town or what?
Yeah, on Saturday it’s really all around the courthouse. So a lot of the businesses will be opening up. One of our newcomers last year, Barbs B Q, they were in a tent there right on the street. And now they’ve got a brick and mortar right downtown, right basically across from where they were serving last year. So they’ve gotten themselves a permanent spot there. They’ll be open doing business and lots of other spots, too.
I know why you picked Lockhart, but I’m wondering if you could share that with us and tell us, is Lockhart still the center of the universe when it comes to barbecue for a lot of folks or what?
Absolutely, yeah. I mean, Lockhart is the barbecue capital of Texas. It’s got some of the most legendary barbecue joints and some of the best new places, too. So I love to see all the new energy coming into Lockhart, both with the festival and with the new restaurants that have opened there.
Of course, Terry Black’s opened last year, Barbs B Q opened this year, and they join, you know, some of the most legendary places like Kreuz Market – been open for over a century. Smitty’s right in downtown. You really can’t have a complete Texas barbecue experience without being inside Smitty’s. And then Black’s Barbecue on the other side of the square, you know, been around since 1932.
So there is so much barbecue history and so much new barbecue energy in Lockhart. It’s the place to be.
I hear that there’s a few things new at the barbecue festival. A curated taco trail? And have you all had live music in the past, too?
We have had live music in the past, but yeah, we’ve got a bunch of new great bands who are coming in, as well as a DJ.
And yeah, as far as the taco trail – so we’ve got a taco editor at Texas Monthly, José Ralat, and he’s brought in some great folks: Davila’s BBQ from Seguin, Jimenez Tortilleria in Lubbock, and El Charlatan from Socorro.
So yeah, I mean we’re going to have plenty of great barbecue, great tacos, great music, and also a bunch of live fire events, too. So we’ve got NOMAD Grills, M&M BBQ, Mill Scale. They’ll be there basically showing y’all how to cook and how to tame those fires.
Anything that you’ve spotted as a trend? And I know that you have to put together these top 50 lists each year. What have you picked up on?
Well, there is a bit of an international trend in Texas barbecue. I think a lot of immigrants coming into Texas are seeing Texas barbecue as a way to really show off their native cuisine. And, you know, you’ll see some of that in our new barbecue joints that we’re featuring on Saturday.
You got KG BBQ who’s in Austin. That’s Egyptian-Texas barbecue. And then you got Khói Barbecue out of Houston, which is a Vietnamese take on Texas barbecue. They’re bottling a curry sauce and I just saw them at another festival recently and tried some of their n??c ch?m, which they’ll be bottling soon as well. Putting that on a slice of smoked brisket is something special.
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Lockhart approves incentives for $10M hotel project
Austin Business Journalhttps://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2024/03/08/lockhart-holiday-inn-hotel-incentives.html
A four-story hotel with meeting room space is planned in Lockhart that officials hope will extend visitors' stays in what's known as the Barbecue Capital of Texas.The Lockhart City Council on March 7 approved up to $1.8 million in financial incentives for Lockhart Hospitality LLC to build a $10 million Holiday Inn Express & Suites at the corner of City Line Road and San Antonio Street. The project is expected to create at least 14 full-time jobs.The incentive agreement calls for the 40,000-square-foot hotel to have 90 rooms...
A four-story hotel with meeting room space is planned in Lockhart that officials hope will extend visitors' stays in what's known as the Barbecue Capital of Texas.
The Lockhart City Council on March 7 approved up to $1.8 million in financial incentives for Lockhart Hospitality LLC to build a $10 million Holiday Inn Express & Suites at the corner of City Line Road and San Antonio Street. The project is expected to create at least 14 full-time jobs.
The incentive agreement calls for the 40,000-square-foot hotel to have 90 rooms and be completed in 2026, though Lockhart Hospitality representative David Parker said the developer's goal is to have roughly 94 to 96 rooms and to "do everything we can to open as fast as we can." Speaking during the meeting, he said Lockhart Hospitality will spend 2024 finishing design, engineering and permitting, with a targeted groundbreaking in early 2025 and completion by the end of next year.
The building only takes up about half of the site, so the company also is aiming to recruit a dinner-service restaurant to complement the hotel's food offerings. The hotel will have a pool and a 1,200-square-foot meeting space that can be configured in multiple ways, such as auditorium and classroom settings.
"This seems to be the right place to start for Lockhart," Parker said. "This won't be your last hotel" because of the large amount of industry coming to the area.
Lockhart, located about 30 miles southeast of Austin, is a popular day-trip destination because of its proximity to the metro, its abundance of historic barbecue venues and its walkable downtown square.
City Manager Steve Lewis said during the meeting that the city's economic development wing aimed to enhance that by recruiting "a hotel developer to build a new hotel to serve both business and leisure travelers to Lockhart."
"The goal was to stretch people that were here doing day trips from kind of a regional tourism approach, trying to ensure that there are some additional overnight stays in our community" to boost retail and food sales in the city, Lewis said.
He said the capital investment for the project could approach $13 million.
"We think this is going to meet the needs of a growing business community over the next 10 years," Lewis said.
The Chapter 380 economic development agreement — codenamed "Project Holiday" during discussions — would provide up to $1.8 million in tax rebates to the company over 10 years. That includes a five-year property tax reimbursement, starting at 85% in the first year and incrementally decreasing to 50% by the fifth, for a maximum of $200,000. It also includes a 60% reimbursement of hotel taxes over a 10-year-period, or a maximum of $1.6 million.
The agreement is contingent on the developer reaching certain benchmarks, including building at least 1,200 square feet of conference space with room for 60 seats, investing at least $10 million, hiring 14 full-time employees and obtaining building permits by the end of 2024 and a certificate of occupancy by September 2026.
If the project comes to fruition, it would mark more development in Lockhart, which has a population of about 15,000. Other big projects in the city include the Related Cos.' cold storage campus, Balcones Real Estate Group's Lockhart Logistics and the Ziegenfelder Co. frozen treat factory.
No. of guest rooms
Rank | Prior Rank | Business name (Prior rank) |
---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Fairmont Austin |
2 | 2 | JW Marriott Austin |
3 | 3 | Kalahari Resorts & <br> Conventions |