Buddy Bear, CorePower Yoga, Little Ola’s Biscuits, Vaura Pilates to join local restaurants, retailers, wellness Bbusinesses in Mueller’s mixed-use district
AUSTIN, Texas – Nov. 21, 2024 – Austin’s popular mixed-use, mixed-income Mueller community announced today it is welcoming another set of fan-favorite food, retail and wellness destinations to its thriving retail district, Aldrich Street. Four new businesses will soon join the primary collection of local businesses, including Buddy Bearchildren’s boutique, CorePower Yoga, Little Ola’s Biscuits and Vaura Pilates.
Buddy Bear will join the community as an expansion of the successful Lilla & Beth boutique and gift shop. Buddy Bear will focus on children’s clothing and gifts, helmed by longtime leader of its sister store and Mueller resident, Megan Cooper. Cooper’s expansion of Lilla & Beth into Buddy Bear stems from being tapped into the Mueller community and filling a gap that guests have longed for over the years. Buddy Bear will be located next to Lick Honest Ice Creams across from Origin Hotel and the Thinkery
“We’re so thrilled about the expansion of our existing Lilla & Beth kids’ section into its own dedicated space in Buddy Bear,” said Cooper. “Our goal was to create a space that reflects the joy and wonder of childhood. As a mom of two, I understand how precious and fleeting these early years are, and I wanted to provide an easily accessible space to help create and capture those memories for families within the Mueller community and beyond.”
CorePower Yoga, the highly popular workout destination with more than 200 studios across the U.S., will plant its roots in Mueller with a new studio at the corner of Simond Avenue and Aldrich Street in the recently completed Parkside condo building. CorePower Yoga offers a variety of different class formats, from vinyasa flows to strength training, led by expert teachers to amass a strong following in the health and wellness community.
“Mueller is a perfect place for CorePower Yoga; being nearby Mueller Lake Park with access to trails and the outdoors, alongside the mix of residential, offices and great restaurants, creates a special place for CorePower to build our community of teachers and members alike,” said Abby Gilbertson, Senior Vice President of Real Estate and Development at CorePower Yoga. “We look forward to offering classes in and out of our studio, and to being a part of this community.”
Mueller will also gain an additional eatery to its approximately 50 dining options. Little Ola’s Biscuits, comes from acclaimed Austin chef and head of MaieB Hospitality, Michael Fojtasek, who has founded several other iconic Austin restaurants, including recent Michelin star recipient Olamaie, Maie Day at the South Congress Hotel, Redbud Ice Houseand the courtyard eatery at Butler Pitch & Putt. Little Ola’s Biscuits will fill the recently vacated Halcyon space across from Mueller Lake Park and the Thinkery.
“The Mueller neighborhood provides everything we have been looking for in our next location for Little Ola’s,” said MaieB Hospitality CEO Ben Fordham. “The district already has a great mix of amazing shopping and dining options, and we knew instantly that our new Little Ola’s Cafe, that combines our famous biscuits with a full coffee program, would be a perfect fit to add to the draw for residents and visitors alike.”
Vaura Pilates, founded in Australia, will open its second U.S. studio on Aldrich Street next to Chuy’s. Vaura offers 50-minute, carefully curated, total-body-athletic pilates training classes for beginners and advanced participants with modern studios that feature professional instructors, neon lights, upbeat music and good vibes. Each location offers changing facilities and showers, sweat towels, hair-care products, water filling stations and a place to purchase bottled water and socks, if necessary.
These business are announced on the heels of some other highly popular food destinations – Chuy’s, Honest Mary’sand Nando’s, which all recently opened, plus Hopdoddy Burger Bar, which is anticipated to open in mid-2025. The district has also seen the recent opening of Modern Animal, a general practice veterinary clinic.
“We’re particularly proud of the latest waves of incoming businesses and the response we’ve seen from the existing businesses in the neighborhood and community,” said Sergio Negrete, who manages the leasing of Aldrich Street forCatellus, Mueller’s master developer. “Our goal is to provide our residents and the city of Austin with a carefully curated, highly desired destination at Aldrich Street, and to accomplish this in a manner that meets Mueller’s long-standing goals to allow local businesses to flourish, bring more jobs to the area, provide diversity of options and be compatible with and convenient to with surrounding community.”
Anchored by Alamo Drafthouse, the Thinkery children’s museum and two active and award-winning parks (Mueller Lake Park and Branch Park, which is home to the ever-popular indoor/outdoor Texas Farmers’ Market), Aldrich Street has become a year-round destination for Central Texans interested in enjoying the local and outdoor vibes that make Austin so popular, and who want to bring their families or meet up with friends to enjoy the running trails in the parks with whimsical public art, local restaurants, shops and services.
Two district garages provide ample, convenient parking options for visitors for $2/hour or validation from most participating businesses. Drivers can now simply drive in and drive out with their license plate scanned with the opportunities to pay automatically based on the license plate and credit card information in system, via an app or online each time they exit or free validation when they enter their info at the participating business.
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About Mueller: Mueller is one of the nation’s most notable mixed-income, mixed-use communities located in the heart of Austin. The 700-acre site of Austin’s former airport is being transformed into a diverse, sustainable, compatible, revitalizing and fiscally responsible master-planned community. Mueller is a joint project between the City of Austin Financial Services Department andCatellus Development. Upon completion, Mueller will feature at least 6,900 single-family and multifamily homes (including more than 1,725 affordable homes), a mixed-use town center district known as Aldrich Street, approximately 4.8 million square feet of prime commercial space, including 737,000 square feet of local and regional retail space, 144 acres of public parks and open space, plus Dell Children’s Medical Center, the Austin Film Studios, The Thinkery children’s museum, H-E-B and the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center. Learn more on Facebook and Instagram.
About Catellus: Catellus is a national leader in mixed-use development, solving some of America’s most complex land challenges. With nearly 30 years of experience as a master developer, Catellus has transformed former airports, military bases and urban industrial sites into thriving retail, residential and commercial communities. These projects, which often include substantial public amenities, add economic, social and environmental value to the communities they serve. Catellus has both the financial strength and development expertise to turn vision into reality at even the most demanding development sites.
About the City of Austin Financial Services Department: The City of Austin Financial Services Department (FSD) maintains the financial and economic integrity of the City of Austin and provides comprehensive and integrated financial management, administration, and support services to the City departments and other customers. FSD supports financial processes from preparing the annual budget and annual fiscal report, procurement processes, franchise agreements, real estate and development transactions, and overseeing the City’s investment portfolio and debt management. To learn more, visit