Edinburg, Texas 🥖

Get ready for unlimited breadsticks! Olive Garden is officially bringing its first location to the city, with plans for a new $3 million, 7,825-square-foot restaurant at 605 E. Trenton Road.

Construction is scheduled to begin on February 16, 2026, with an anticipated completion date of October 12, 2026.

📍 605 E Trenton Rd, Edinburg, TX 78539

McAllen, Texas
McAllen residents, you may have noticed higher water bills recently.

On October 13, 2025, the City Commission and Public Utility Board (PUB) approved over $33 million in initial bond funding to finally establish a drought proof water supply for the city’s future.

This funding officially launches the massive $180,000,000 Brackish Groundwater Treatment Plant project. This facility is key to reducing reliance on the Rio Grande and build an independent water source for McAllen.

The planned location for the Brackish Groundwater Treatment Plant is the site of the existing Northwest Water Treatment Plant on North Bentsen Road.

Edinburg, Texas
Stripes is planning to build a new $1.2 million, 4,746 square foot convenience store at the corner of Chapin and McColl.

Construction is scheduled to begin on February 15, 2026, with an expected completion date of October 13, 2026.

📍 Chapin & McColl, Edinburg, TX 78539

McAllen, Texas

Heads up, North McAllen! A new taco spot is moving in. 🌮 Taco N Todo is officially coming soon to the former Thirsty Monkey location on North 10th street.

An official opening date has not yet been announced, but it is expected to open before year end.

📍 3424 N 10th St, McAllen, TX 78501

The RGV Joins Nationwide 'No Kings' Movement .
Demonstrators across the Rio Grande Valley and the nation are continuing to voice fierce opposition to President Donald Trump’s stance on immigration enforcement and other policies they view as authoritarian.
Events will be held on October 18th in
Brownsville, Weslaco, Harlingen and McAllen.

Donna, Texas

Ulta is opening its doors to the public officially Friday, October 31st at 10am. They will have their grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, November 7th at 10am.

📍 1600 Murphy Ave, Donna, TX 78537

Starbase, Texas
Starship Flight 11 is scheduled for launch on Monday, October 13! 🚀

The launch window from Starbase, Texas, opens at 6:15 PM CT (Central Time).

Brownsville, Texas

The spicy chicken craze is officially coming to Brownsville! 🔥 Dave's Hot Chicken is opening its first location in Brownsville at 1165 FM 802. The 2,866-square-foot project involves a complete tenant finish out for the new restaurant.

The renovation is scheduled to begin on December 1, 2025, with a target completion of May 1, 2026.

📍 1165 FM 802, Brownsville, TX 78521

Harlingen, Texas 🍔

A new Whataburger is coming to town!
A $1.2 million, 2,816 square foot restaurant is planned for the northwest corner of Expressway 83 and Dilworth Road. The project includes the new restaurant with a drive thru and all related site work.

Construction is expected to begin on January 19, 2026, and is scheduled for completion by June 15, 2026.

📍 W. Expressway 83 & Dilworth Rd., Harlingen, TX 78552

Pharr, Texas

IKEA’s grand opening is tomorrow (October 1st)!
The store will open at 10am!

Palmview, Texas

Buffalo Wild Wings GO is opening its first Palmview location in the Palmview Plaza. The new 2,000-square-foot restaurant, focused on takeout and delivery, involves a complete interior upfit of an existing tenant space.

Work is scheduled to begin on November 10, 2025, with an expected completion date of February 9, 2026.

📍 1350 W Palma Vista Dr, Palmview, TX 78572

Pharr, Texas
Lucha Libre is coming to the Avocado Festival! 💥🥑

Experience the thrill of high-flying action, dramatic entrances, and jaw-dropping moves as some of the biggest names in lucha libre take the ring! ⚡🎭

🔥 Featuring stars like Laredo Kid, El Simbolo, Imagen 2, Hijo de Arkangel, La Barby, and more, this is a show you won’t want to miss!

📅 Friday, October 11th
🕑 FREE ENTRY: 2 PM – 5 PM (perfect for early family fun!)
💵 $5 ENTRY: After 5 PM
🕕 Main Event: Lucha Libre at 6:00 PM
📍 Downtown Pharr

Mercedes, Texas

Marshalls is coming soon to Mercedes. The new 26,001 square-foot store will be located at The Shops at Mercedes retail center.

Construction is scheduled to begin on October 15, 2025, with an expected completion date of February 15, 2027.

📍 6001 E. Expressway 83, Suite G, Mercedes, TX 78570

Harlingen, Texas

Burlington is remodeling its store at 2721 West Expressway 83 in Harlingen. The 43,623 square-foot project involves a complete interior renovation of the existing retail space.

The renovation is scheduled to begin on December 1, 2025, with an expected completion date of August 1, 2027.

The official filing indicates an extended 20 month timeline for the renovation, suggesting the work may be completed in phases to allow the store to remain open.

📍 2721 West Expressway 83, Harlingen, TX 78552

McAllen, Texas

The Target store at 3600 Nolana Avenue in McAllen is scheduled for $4 million dollar interior and exterior remodel.

The remodel is scheduled to begin on March 2, 2026, with an expected completion date of August 14, 2026.

📍 3600 Nolana Avenue, Mcallen, TX 78504

Brownsville, Texas

A new 7 story Embassy Suites hotel is being built at 3301 Pablo Kisel Blvd in Brownsville.

Construction is scheduled to begin on January 5, 2026, with an expected completion date of November 6, 2026.

📍 3301 Pablo Kisel Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78526

Edinburg, Texas

HTeaO is building a new 2,156-square-foot location at 4017 S. McColl Road in Edinburg. This will be the second HTeaO tea bar announced for the RGV!

Looks like this will be next to the Walmart on Trenton and Mccoll road.
Construction is scheduled to begin on December 1, 2025, with an expected completion date of May 29, 2026.

📍 4017 S. McColl Road, Edinburg, TX 78539

Pharr, Texas

The RGV’s first IKEA store will opening its doors on October 1st!
We will keep you updated with any changes!

📍 500 N Jackson, Pharr, Texas

📸 Rick Grimaldo (thank you for the pic)

Tejano music legend Bobby Pulido has officially announced he is running for Congress.

He will be running as a Democrat in Texas' 15th Congressional District. In his announcement, he stated his goal is to bring the same pride and "corazón" to Washington that he has always brought to his music.

Pulido is focusing his campaign on key issues for the community, including tackling rising costs, fighting corporate greed, and working toward comprehensive immigration reform to support the local economy.

McAllen, Texas ⚕️🩺

The South Texas College Nursing & Allied Health Center campus is scheduled for a $6 million dollar renovation and expansion. The project will update a total of 29,663 square feet within a neighboring building.

The renovation is scheduled to begin on October 1, 2025, with an expected completion date of October 1, 2026.

📍 2101 Vermont Ave., Mcallen, TX 78503

Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Education Agency is investigating over 100 teachers for allegedly calling for or inciting violence following the Charlie Kirk assassination.
Abbott stated that those educators will have their teaching certifications suspended and will be ineligible to teach in Texas public schools.

🎶 Get ready, RGV! 🎶
Stone Temple Pilots are coming LIVE in concert at Payne Arena in Hidalgo, TX this Saturday, November 8th! 🔥
🎤 Supporting Act: Toadies
📍 Payne Arena – 2600 N 10th St, Hidalgo, TX 78557
🎟️ Tickets available at: PayneArena.com
ℹ️ More info: RGVconcerts.net

Brownsville, Texas

Sprouts Farmers Market has a new location coming to 3457 Old Highway 77.
The 31,543-square-foot project includes the new grocery store along with attached space for four additional retail tenants.

Construction is scheduled to begin on May 4, 2026, with an expected completion date of August 9, 2027.

📍 3457 Old Highway 77, Brownsville, TX 78520

Edinburg, Texas

Space Monkey Barrcade, is coming soon to Edinburg, located at 1204 E. Canton Rd. across from the AMC theater.

It will be a free play arcade where guests pay one price to play all day and will feature a full bar and kitchen. The venue will be open to all ages, but will be strictly 18 and over after 9 p.m..

📍 1204 E. Canton Rd., Edinburg, TX

City of McAllen Revokes Permits for Downtown Bars that Refuse to Prevent Underage Drinking

Less than 12 hours after the intense and engaging public comment at the August 29th City Commission Workshop, during which the public demanded bar operators curb underage drinking the City issued citations to over a dozen establishments that failed to take even the most basic preventative measures.

“They knew we were coming, and they made no changes,” said City Manager Isaac Tawil. “These operators have shown blatant disregard for the law and zero concern for protecting young people in our community. Based on these clear violations, the city has revoked their permits.”

To protect minors, the city is prioritizing enforcement of the two most critical safeguards against underage drinking: age-verification technology and UV ink to clearly mark patrons under 21.

On September 2, as a direct result of these establishments refusing to implement these safeguards, the City issued notices of revocation to the following establishments:
1. The Mini Bar
2. Valle Verde
3. Pasha
4. Scores Bar
5. Pecado Night Club
6. Karma/El Belicon
7. Broka
8. NY 17th Floor
9. The Lab on 17th
10. B7 Shot House
11. The White Rhino
12. Primo
13. Warehaus
14. Precopa
15. Tabu
16. Hustlerz
17. The Flying Walrus
18. Grand Central Square
19. Noxx
20. Yes Shot Bar

The age verification tools are inexpensive and effective, with age-verification systems costing as little as $250 to $500 per year, less than the profit from a single busy weekend. Other Special Use Permit requirements, including surveillance cameras, adequate lighting, and on-site security personnel, remain in place to ensure overall safety and compliance.

Starbase, Texas

A new restaurant and bar named Chompy's is being built at 50520 Rio Grande Dr. to serve the growing Starbase community. The project involves the new, ground up construction of a 2,929 square foot building, including a full interior fit out. The estimated cost for the new build is $2,000,000.

Construction is scheduled to begin on September 15, 2025, and is expected to be completed by August 4, 2026.

📍 50520 Rio Grande Dr., Starbase, TX 78521

McAllen, Texas

Get ready for an authentic international experience! Sala De Despecho, an established restaurant and bar concept with locations across Latin America, Spain, and major U.S. cities like Miami, New York, and Las Vegas, is making its Texas debut in McAllen.

Known for its vibrant atmosphere and focus on "música de despecho" (heartbreak music), Sala De Despecho is set to bring a unique cultural and entertainment experience to the Rio Grande Valley.

📍 4037 Expressway 83, Suites 185-190, McAllen, TX 78501

McAllen, Texas

Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen located at The District will be opening in October. The grand opening is planned for October 27, 2025.

📍 7701 N 10th St, McAllen, TX 78504

Donna, Texas

A new food truck park, the Backyard Eatery, is celebrating its grand opening in Donna this Saturday, September 6th.

Located at 2112 Redskin Ave, the new park will feature a wide variety of food options, including tacos, burgers, Korean corn dogs, coffee, elotes asados, and a snack shop. A full bar will also be on site, serving mixed drinks and other alcoholic beverages. For the opening weekend, the park will also host local vendors.

📍 2112 Redskin Ave, Donna, TX

Edinburg, TX 🌯
Construction update 😁
Chipotle Mexican Grill is coming to 4112 S Business Highway 281!

The project is expected to be completed by February 9, 2026.

📍 4112 S Business Highway 281, Edinburg, TX 78539