Fort Worth-based Canales has grown to about 20 locations in Texas and Oklahoma, according to its website. It will occupy 34,995 square feet in the old Dirt Cheap building located next to Planet Fitness. That Waco Commons Shopping Center also is home to a Tractor Supply store.

Reid also is listing the former CVS Pharmacy store at New Road and Valley Mills Drive that just went vacant. Some might believe the space hard to fill considering it was built to accommodate a niche user.

But Reid said he already has several interested parties.

Kris Collins, the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce’s senior vice president for economic development, shared an interesting statistic with business leaders Friday, when she presented the latest Greater Waco Economic Index findings.

The GWEI declined in September for the seventh straight month. But Collins softened the blow by reminding that Waco has become a melting pot for industrial development. Seven new companies from five countries have placed plants in Greater Waco since 2020. Announcements by companies from Mexico, Canada, Germany, Spain and Thailand have created $455 million in spending, 1.5 million square feet of new construction, and 578 new jobs.

Chip and Joanna Gaines took their Cottonland Castle off the market, deciding to resume public tours at the landmark Austin Avenue property.

But would-be castle owners still have options. The Parsons Castle at Lake Whitney recently became available, priced at $5.5 million. It features 10 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, 11,000 square feet, a ballroom, commercial kitchen and bar, and bride and groom suites, according to a listing by Hacker Property Group. The owners reportedly engineered and built the home over 10 years as a private residence that could accommodate nuptials.

The owners “have held weddings there … but never heavily marketed it as event space,” said Eric Hacker with Briggs Foreman Sotheby’s International Realty. Hacker said he has marketed other properties considered castles, “but I’ve never seen anything that overlooks a lake like this.”

The property lies in Bosque County, and has a Clifton address.

Pamela Cervantes was down but not out on Monday. Her new drive-in movie theater in Bruceville-Eddy did not attract the crowds she had hoped for over the weekend. In fact, she and family members who bundled up in a pickup truck probably outnumbered the outsiders who attended.

“I don’t understand why the community didn’t come out,” said Cervantes, who wondered if Friday night football games cut into her grand-opening crowds. She thought she had received a positive response from those she told of her plans. She worked overtime spreading the word on social media and even had a couple local TV stations out to enthusiastically tell her story.

Her husband, Julian Cervantes, owns a Dallas-based construction company specializing in building highway bridges for the Texas Department of Transportation. He committed money and manpower to making the 19-acre drive-in theater setting presentable and accessible. Stage, screen, projector, sound system, concession stands and bouncy houses stood ready.

But few came, and reviews were not encouraging. C&C Theater took online heat for its pricing. Several posters compared it unfavorably with the drive-in theater in Gatesville. Pamela Cervantes said in an interview the Gatesville drive-in is a different animal, operating throughout the week and not just on weekends. She charged a little more for admission so she could charge less for food and drink, she said. But the community has spoken, so she has made price adjustments for this Friday and Saturday evenings.

Kids to age 4 and seniors over 65 pay nothing. Four people or fewer pay $15 a carload, more than four pay $20 a carload, she said in an interview. The Cervanteses do not have permits to show first-run movies, so November is “Hallmark” month and December will showcase holiday favorites.

Pamela Cervantes said the movie site would hold about 150 cars under ideal parking conditions. The exact address is 2355 N. Old Bruceville Road, which is about a 4-mile drive from Interstate 35. Cervantes suggested taking interstate Exit 321, hitting Callan Ranch Road, and watching for signs.

Buc-ee’s and Mercedes-Benz are teaming up to give motorists a charge from their driving experience. The maker of luxury automobiles announced in a press release it has partnered with the exploding Texas-based chain “in launching a network of premium EV charging stations” across North America.

Once found exclusively in Texas, Buc-ee’s now has locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee. It has broken ground on new stores in Colorado, Missouri and Mississippi.

“Buc-ee’s strategic locations along major travel routes, combined with their commitment to clean and accessible amenities, aligns perfectly with our vision. Together, we’re not only providing exceptional value but also redefining the EV charging experience for drivers nationwide,” Mercedes-Benz North America CEO Andrew Cornelia said in the press release.

The nearest Buc-ee’s location to Waco is in Temple, but another is under construction about 30 miles up Interstate 35 in Hillsboro.