Cathy Hale

It may seem comical, but one topic we hear about consistently from you is WHY SO MANY MATTRESS STORES?!?

And why in the world are they so close together?

In Lakeway, there’s a Mattress Firm 1.6 miles away from another Mattress Firm. In the Lake Travis area, you can count nine mattress stores within a 3-mile radius. That’s a lot of shut-eye.

Perhaps it all makes sense. Yes, there are new homes and new residents and a growing community that needs its rest. We all sleep. In fact, the average person spends 25 years of their lifespan asleep! We obviously need mattresses.

[Read more…] about Unraveling the Mattress Store Mystery in Lake Travis

Lake Travis is 78% full today.

The Lake Travis water level is currently at 666.41 feet. And although it’s not by much … it’s better than the historical October average of 664.07.

The painful days of low lake levels hovering below 620 feet seem to be behind us for now. Sure, you still have to conserve water where you can and be smart about usage, but for the most part, life on the lake is happily buzzing once again.

In mid-May, wet weather delivered inches of rain in mere hours. Yes, lakes were filling up, but in exchange for the gift of rain from Mother Nature, disastrous flooding devastated homes, businesses, communities and even worse, lives were lost.

This past weekend you heard the familiar sound of raindrops pitter-pattering on your rooftop once again with cooler temps and flash flood warnings on the news.

If you ask the experts — meteorologists and climatologists — this weather is a direct result of El Niño and it’s gathering strength to bring a very cold and wet winter.

[Read more…] about What Does El Niño Mean for Lake Travis?

We appreciate it when you contact us about interesting stories unfolding in the Lake Travis area, and this one definitely fits the bill. Perhaps the bill you were waiting on for 20 minutes with cold queso on your table …

We’ve heard rumblings of poor service in some of our local establishments and we’re wondering if you’ve heard it too?

People who work in the service industry in the Lake Travis area are certainly skilled and friendly, but there seems to be a shortage of them.

Wait staff have too many tables, bartenders have too many drink orders, and some of our favorite go-to pizza places can’t deliver quickly because they don’t have enough help in the kitchen.

We know Lake Travis is amazing, which is why so many businesses want to be here. New growth attracts new residents and new residents bolster new business. It’s a cycle that makes sense.

Is our community in an awkward situation where new businesses have to sacrifice the customer experience because they can’t find enough people to adequately staff open positions? Positions that are necessary to run the business.

In a recent survey conducted by the Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce, 61% of respondents said they are having trouble hiring employees.

Let’s take a quick glance at local demographics to get a better understanding of why this could be happening.

[Read more…] about Help Wanted in Lake Travis: A Growing Shortage of Skilled Employees