NFM-Anchored Center Gains its First Restaurant: Upscale Texas-based concept, J. Alexander’s, to make its Austin-area debut

AUSTIN, TX (December 9, 2025) – A popular Texas-based restaurant, J. Alexander’s, will make its long awaited Austin-area debut at CedarView, the NFM and Scheels anchored mixed-use project in Cedar Park, Texas.

As the 117-acre project continues to advance, CedarView’s momentum has positioned it as one of the most anticipated r

etail destinations in Central Texas.

While each J. Alexander’s location has a menu specific to their community that reflects the local guests’ tastes, the concept is well revered for its upscale twists on classic American fare like Mid-Western prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, tempting sandwiches, hearty entrée salads and decadent desserts.

The CedarView location will signify the fifth spot in the Lone Star State. J. Alexander’s, has two locations in San Antonio and one location each in the Houston and Dallas area markets.

Within CedarView’s address at 750 E. New Hope Dr., Cedar Park, Texas, the new restaurant has inked a ground-lease for a prominent pad site with frontage along E. New Hope where a new stop light will be installed on CedarView Drive, which will be the main entrance into the project. There, J. Alexander’s intends to build a restaurant with approximately 8,500 square feet – and open in conjunction with the new NFM and Scheels.

“CedarView’s vision for a vibrant mix of best-in-class restaurants, retail and thoughtfully designed gathering spaces promises to create a dynamic destination for North Austin, and we’re honored to be part of that,” said G.J. Hart, chief executive officer of SPB Hospitality, which owns J. Alexander’s and other upscale restaurant brands. “We look forward to joining the community and delivering dining experiences that reflect the quality and hospitality our brand stands for.”

Jennifer Petrovich, the listing broker and development consultant for the NFM-anchored project, says progress on all aspects of the monumental project - which is forecasted to generate $435 million in new tax revenue for Cedar Park in its first 25 years of operation – are going very well.

"J. Alexander’s decision marks a major milestone not only for CedarView but also for the broader Austin restaurant landscape,” Petrovich notes, adding that historically, new-to-market restaurants debut in established trade areas like downtown or The Domain. “J. Alexander’s choosing Cedar Park first signals a clear market shift - one driven by the unprecedented impact, scale, and regional pull of the CedarView development and the extraordinary traffic-generating power of NFM."

She notes a 260,000-square-foot Scheels sporting goods store is anticipated to open first, in the fourth quarter of 2026. It will be followed by the 1.5 million-square-foot NFM, previously known as Nebraska Furniture Mart, which is slated to open in the first quarter of 2027.

Also slated to open in the first quarter of 2027 is the 297-key Marriott hotel coupled with a 30,000-square-foot convention center and parking garage in partnership with the City of Cedar Park.

Petrovich adds another pad site has already been spoken for by an undisclosed tenant, noting it will be another “first to market” concept for the area. She’s also at the “LOI,” or letter of intent stage, for a third pad site.

Between inked and pending activity, Petrovich is presently focused on marketing two unclaimed pad sites. 

Petrovich also emphasized the development team’s continued commitment to curating top-tier tenants.

“We’re still actively seeking exceptional restaurant operators, and we welcome brokers to bring their tenants,” she said. “We love working with the brokerage community and want a tenant mix that reflects the quality and ambition of CedarView.”

She also expressed gratitude for the project leadership. “It’s an honor to work with the NFM and Berkshire Hathaway team. They are a team with deep integrity and are simply the kind of people everyone hopes to work with in this industry. This project is transformative for the region, and their partnership is what makes opportunities like this possible.”

J. Alexander’s is owned by Houston-based SPB Hospitality, which purchased the concept as well as Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill, Redlands Grill, Overland Park Grill, and Merus Grill brands in 2021.