Austin-born burger chain Hat Creek Burger Company plans to expand its presence in Leander. According to public filings, the company plans to open a new location on Crystal Park Trail with the exact address still to be determined.
What Now Austin reached out to Hat Creek Burger Company representatives to inquire about an opening timeline but did not hear back before publication. Permitting records list a construction completion date of April 2027. However, dates listed in public filings are not always definitive.
Hat Creek Burger Company was founded in Austin in 2008 as a food truck by Drew Gressett, a former University of Texas basketball player who set out on a road trip in search of the perfect burger. The concept, named after Gressett’s favorite novel, “Lonesome Dove,” grew from a trailer parked behind a West Austin bar into a chain of brick-and-mortar restaurants across the Austin area, including locations on Burnet Road, in Westlake, and in Southwest Austin.
Hat Creek is known for its all-natural, never-frozen beef burgers, hand-spun milkshakes, and family-friendly patios with playgrounds.
The Crystal Park Trail opening adds to a wave of restaurant activity What Now has tracked across Leander’s Ronald Reagan corridor. What Now Austin has reported on new locations for Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Tim Hortons, and Piada Italian Street Food, the latter within the same Northline development recently confirmed for a new Oak & Stone location.
For more information, follow Hat Creek Burger Company on Instagram and Facebook.
