Hopdoddy, the Austin-born burger bar, is headed for Mueller with a new restaurant planned at 2005 Aldrich St. The arrival will bring the chain’s Wagyu Smash, Doddy Melt, and boozy shakes to Aldrich Street’s steadily growing roster of casual dining spots.
As reported by Community Impact, the Mueller location was first detailed in June 2024, with the address listed as 2005 Aldrich St. That early coverage pointed to a spring 2025 opening window, a timeline that ultimately did not happen.
More recent coverage has put the Mueller restaurant inside a bigger regional buildout. On Feb. 13, 2026, What Now reported that an Austin Business Journal Instagram post forecast six Hopdoddy openings in Texas in 2026, including three in the Austin area, along with a longer-term goal of roughly 45 locations by 2030.
Suburban Push: Leander And Pflugerville
A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing reviewed by MySA details a Leander restaurant at 19389 Ronald W. Reagan Blvd., Suite 100, with construction slated to begin in January 2026 and wrap up in June. MySA’s reporting also notes a similar project planned for Pflugerville’s Stone Hill Town Center, suggesting Hopdoddy is locking in multiple Austin-area suburban sites in the same year.
Why The Chain Is Expanding
Hopdoddy CEO Jeff Chandler told Restaurant Business that the brand ended 2025 with modest traffic gains and is now ready to speed up unit growth, projecting five to seven new openings this year with larger targets after that. He framed the expansion as quality-driven rather than a pure numbers grab, saying leadership is focused on picking the right locations and maintaining a consistent guest experience…