"Austin is where this brand got its start, and we're excited to bring more of that energy back to the city," Deep Eddy brand director Julie Cole said in Heaven Hill's April 2, 2026 announcement. In that announcement, the company said it would hand off its Dripping Springs tasting room through a sublease and stop operating the site after July 31.
The building at 2250 E. US Hwy 290 never sat empty. A different vodka company has been inside since August 1. The public still can't get in, and that's true of almost everything new in Dripping Springs right now. This fall's openings have been announced, permitted or promised. The places you can actually walk into this month were already here.
What Happened at 2250 E. Hwy 290
Deep Eddy began operating at the Dripping Springs facility in 2014. According to The Spirits Business, it moved distilling to Buda in August 2017. Heaven Hill described what the building became after that move. It was originally built for production, and a tasting room grew up around it as operations in Buda expanded. It ended up as the brand's "experiential site," with cocktails and concerts. Heaven Hill also said the Buda distillery would keep running unchanged.
The Hays Free Press reported that Deep Eddy's lease was nearing its end. It also reported that the company accepted a sublease request from Goodnight Loving and set June 13 as the tasting room's last public day. So the public lost its pour in mid-June, and Goodnight Loving got the keys on August 1. Those seven weeks in between are the reason the parking lot has looked quiet since summer.
Who Moved In, and Why the Building Fits
Goodnight Loving Vodka launched in 2020 as a father-and-son project from Tim and Timothy Osburn. Before the move, the brand described its vodka as made in Austin. The company calls its approach "Spring-to-Bottle." The water comes from Goodnight Loving Spring, an artesian spring on the founders' family ranch in Mason, Texas. In its April 8 announcement, the company said it would take over the 30,000-square-foot distillery and tasting room on August 1 and bring production together under one roof for the first time.
That order matters for anyone waiting to sit at the bar. Heaven Hill had turned the building into a visitor space first and a factory second. Goodnight Loving is turning it back into a production plant. LocalEats reported on October 8 that the company says the facility can produce more than a million cases a year. The same piece describes the vodka as corn-based, distilled seven times, 80 proof and made with no added sugar. The visitor experience is the last piece still to be set up.
As of that October 8 report, the tasting room had no opening day and no posted hours. The company's only stated timing was "this fall." On its own news page, Goodnight Loving says it will post the public opening date and hours once they're set. For now, a drive out East 290 won't end with a tasting.
The Same Pattern Shows Up Across Town
Goodnight Loving isn't the only one. Most of the new food and drink projects reported in and around Dripping Springs since late summer are in a similar spot.
| Project | Location | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| Goodnight Loving Vodka tasting room | 2250 E. US Hwy 290 | Building occupied since Aug. 1. No public opening date as of Oct. 8. |
| Proper Ash Steakhouse | 136 Drifting Wind Run, Suite 101, in the former Garbo's space at Belterra Village | State filing registered Sept. 17. Construction listed from Oct. 15, 2026 to June 15, 2027. |
| The Forager | Ranch Road 12, next to Howdy Neighbor | Expected in September. Still not open as of Sept. 24. |
| Roxie's | Mercer Street district | Expected in 2026. No confirmed address or date as of Sept. 24. |
| Nectarine Cafe & Bakehouse prepared meals | 2001 W. Hwy 290, Suite 116 | Planned for fall 2026 at the existing cafe. |
Proper Ash is the one with a calendar. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing lists construction starting October 15, which is two days from now, and finishing June 15, 2027. LocalEats described the work as a $500,000 refresh of a 5,173-square-foot restaurant by a Nashville-based ownership group. The restaurant itself hasn't announced anything yet. If that schedule holds, the Belterra Village space will be a construction site all winter and spring.
Roxie's comes from the Salt Lick family. Community Impact reported in March 2025 that it was planned for 299 Mercer St. with a 2026 target. By late September, LocalEats still had it on the 2026 list, but with no address or date. That leaves the earlier Mercer Street address unconfirmed.
LocalEats' "Now Open" section for the 60 days before September 24 summed up the season. It said nothing new had opened in Dripping Springs, Driftwood or Wimberley that it hadn't already covered. The most recent confirmed openings in town are from the first half of the year. Community Impact's midyear roundup lists Rice and Oak Thai Texas Grill Kitchen, which opened January 2 at 1025 Cannon Drive, and Southern Roots Boutique, which opened June 5 at 330 West Mercer Street.
This Weekend Fills the Rooms That Are Already Open
The new places aren't open yet, so this weekend's biggest event runs through the established ones. The Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival runs October 16 through 18, with 70 free shows on seven stages in historic downtown and more than 40 songwriters. DripTX's festival guide lists five of the seven venues. All of them are existing downtown businesses:
- Hudson's on Mercer Street
- Acopon Brewing Co.
- Homespun Kitchen & Bar
- Mazama Coffee Co.
- The Grawlix Cocktail Lounge
The festival's official roster includes George Ensle, Grace Pettis, Rachel Laven, Kelsi Creek, Goldpine, Will Overman, Charlie Argo and Natalie Price, among others. Each day has its own hours:
- Friday, Oct. 16: 1:30 to 8 p.m., good for the after-work crowd.
- Saturday, Oct. 17: noon to 8 p.m., the longest day.
- Sunday, Oct. 18: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., which overlaps Sunday brunch. LocalEats recommended brunch at Homespun on Mercer Street in its late-September roundup.
Ranch Park Carries the Rest of the Calendar
After the festival, most of the fall calendar moves to Dripping Springs Ranch Park, the city-run grounds at 1042 Event Center Drive.
The 4th Annual Día de los Muertos Community Ofrenda opened at the park today. According to the city calendar, it runs daily through November 5, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. On the same grounds, "Dead by Dawn: The Curse of Dead Hill Ranch" runs on the park trails October 16 and 17, October 23 and 24, and October 29 and 30. Its opening two nights fall during the songwriters festival.
In November, the Dripping Springs Farmers Market is scheduled at the Ranch Park Vendor Hall on Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. The dates are November 4, 11, 18 and 25.
What to Watch on East 290
Goodnight Loving's tasting room is the opening most likely to land this season, since the building is already set up to pour for visitors. Deep Eddy's public room closed June 13, the new tenant took over August 1, and by mid-October no date has been announced. When an opening day is set, it should appear on Goodnight Loving's news page. Until then, the brand's website lists house cocktails like a Texas Martini and a Prickly Pear Cooler.
Ivy Residential Group follows changes like the sublease at 2250 E. Hwy 290 and the permits filed at Belterra Village across Dripping Springs and the Hill Country. If you'd like a quiet conversation about what changes along 290 might mean for your own plans, Start a Confidential Consultation with Megan.
