From left to right, HNY+ founders Liam Brogan, Ross Cooley, and Luke Smialowicz currently live in a house together in Newport Beach, CA, but frequently come back to Austin. | Photo courtesy Ross Cooley
Honey, salt, and magnesium. These were the ingredients chosen to create HNY+, a new type of performance gel that landed its Austin-raised founder on the latest Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Ross Cooley, a 23-year-old lifelong Austinite, met his cofounders, Liam Brogan + Luke Smialowicz, while studying entrepreneurship at Texas Christian University. Tired of taking pre-workout that was full of artificial ingredients, the trio began making their own at home.
In the summer of 2024, Cooley packed his car with HNY+ and met up with two run clubs per day to get people to test the product.
“I was able to get the best customer feedback possible just from being in Austin surrounded by this health and wellness scene,” Cooley said. “Everybody wants to help everyone too, which is what I love the most about Austin.”
Once again, the Capital City is the fourth-largest city by population in Texas. Austin reclaimed its spot from Fort Worth by a margin of ~34,000 people, according to data from the Texas Demographics Center.
Outdoors
If you’ve been especially sniffly recently, you’re probably reacting to a spike in the cedar count over the weekend. Cedar season typically lasts from December to March, but a combination of high temperatures, dry air, and wind creates the perfect storm for increased cedar pollen. (KXAN)
Closing
After ~28 years in business on South Congress Avenue, Vespaio will close next month. Owners of the Italian restaurant will also close the nextdoor Chapulín Cantina, citing evolving conditions on the strip. However, you can still visit the group’s new restaurant, Vespa Rosso, in Dripping Springs.
Real Estate
Historic venue Kendalia Halle, a Hill Country dance hall that shuttered in August 2024, is on the market for $669,000. Located between Austin and San Antonio, the venue was built in 1903, and the listing includes a primary residence on the property.
Open
If you have some fitness goals to hit in 2026, there’s a new gym to help you out. Life Time opened a 57,700-sqft club inside The Bouldin mixed-use development on South Lamar Boulevard at the start of this year. (Community Impact)
Try This
A new, mother-and-daughter-owned ice cream trailer is slated to open this month in the Michi Ramen parking lot in north Austin. Milkmade will serve rotating flavors of ice cream and milkshakes (plus vegan options) and has been documenting the flavor testing process on social media.
Trending
Pinterest is predicting a pen pal renaissance in 2026. Online searches for cute stamps, letter inspo, and snail mail gift ideas have all seen a recent increase as folks look for new ways to create meaningful connections in an increasingly digitized world. Find some inspo of your own at one of Austin’s craft stores.
Listen
The Texans secured the fifth seed for the playoffs in a 38-30 win against the Colts. Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Houston Texans with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
The beginning of 2026 also marked the start of the 100th year in business for burger restaurant and bar Dirty Martin’s.
The staple Austin hangout has been a favorite, especially among UT students, since it opened its doors in 1926. To celebrate, Dirty Martin’s will celebrate with some centennial merch and host a birthday weekend in July.
Fun fact: Ross Cooley and I both attended Vandegrift High School here in Austin, but I graduated the year he started, so we never crossed paths. If you’re doing the math at home, that means I have just under two more years to make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Time to get on that grind.
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