Keller city council unanimously approved the sale of city property at 541 Keller Parkway on March 21 to make room for Te’Jun Texas Cajun restaurant.

According to the city’s Facebook post, this location will be the third for the Texas-based, Cajun-inspired seafood restaurant. The others are in Red Oak and Robinson.

While Te’jun started with serving crawfish, it has since expanded its menu to include lobster; snow, Jonah and Dungeness crab; and other Cajun favorites such as shrimp, po'boy sandwiches, blackened chicken and sausage.

“We are excited to make Keller, Texas, the location for our third Te’Jun restaurant,” owner Joe Reid said. “Keller is a very family-centric community, which was an important criterion for us. We also feel this community places a lot of emphasis on outdoor experiences, which is central for enjoying what Te’Jun offers.”

According to the Facebook post, the Reids have personal ties to the community as well as their daughter and family are Keller residents.

Like the other two restaurants, this location will be near or over water—a pond backs up to the property—where patrons will be able to enjoy outdoor dining on the patio. According to the Facebook post, Reid hopes to stock the pond and offer fishing on-site with plans to add a pier as part of the project in the future, pending Federal Emergency Management Agency approval.

“Council and staff wanted to recruit something really special for this piece of property, and we’ve found that in Te’Jun,” Keller Economic Development Director Mary Culver said. “Their restaurants are about more than just incredible, fresh food; they have a warmth to them—the sort of places that families come back to again and again to enjoy time together and build memories.”

Te’jun Texas Cajun is slated to open in fall 2024, according to the Facebook post.

Mark joined Community Impact in Nov. 2022 after spending almost 20 years as a freelance writer. He covers Keller, Roanoke, Trophy Club, Westlake and Northeast Fort Worth. When he's not writing, he enjoys the outdoors, making his wife laugh and trying to keep up with his two teenage sons in the gym.

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KELLER (CBSNewsTexas.com) — Willa Fitzgerald begged her mom for a party to celebrate her 5th birthday, but when nobody showed up Saturday, the Keller community showed out.

"We started setting up and I didn't really pay attention to the time and before I knew it, it was 11:20 and I was like, 'Oh, this party started at 11,'" said Willa's mom, Alexa Fitzgerald.

Her heart dropped when she realized none of Willa's friends were coming.

"Willa was sort of waiting for her friends to arrive and nobody was showing up," she said.

But instead of packing up and heading home, Fitzgerald made one last attempt to get the party going and posted in a Keller community Facebook group, inviting kids to Willa's party.

"I really didn't want to tell my daughter that no one was going to show up to her birthday party, but that didn't happen," she said.

Asking her daughter what happened instead, Willa responded, "Everybody came!"

Fitzgerald expected one or two kids to show up and was shocked to see so many Keller residents come, gifts in hand.

"I knew that the Keller community would show up but I didn't realize to what extent," she said.

Families and kids streamed in; strangers who just wanted to make sure Willa felt loved.

"For them to stop what they're doing on a Saturday and be like, 'We are going to stop what we're doing and go straight to somebody we never met before,' it just speaks to how wonderful the community is here," Fitzgerald said.

She and her family moved to Texas two years ago, and moments like this, she said, shows them that this is where they were meant to be. "This is the Texas that everyone talks about."

Fitzgerald hopes one day her daughter will look back at this day and remember that it means a lot to just be kind.

"Showing up for somebody, even if it is a little inconvenient to you, it just means so much to other people and it really meant a lot to us today," she said.

A mother in the Keller Independent School District says she's upset with the district's book policy, saying it's causing elementary school librarians to remove certain books such as the seventh book in the Harry Potter series.

Over the past two years, books have been a major topic of discussion in Keller ISD. Last year the district banned books on 'gender fluidity' amongst a list of topics that resulted in books being removed from schools.

The board approved new policies last fall with guidelines for educators and librarians in the district to follow. It includes making sure books are age or grade-level appropriate.

Laney Hawes, a mother of four in the district, has been vocal about the topic. She said she's concerned about recent books that have been removed from her son's elementary school library, not because of content alone, but rather age recommendation.

"It is simply based on its grade or reading level. It doesn't even matter what's inside the book, it could be the most simple benign book in the world, but if it's reviewed for say, 13 years old, it can no longer be in my child's library and I'm angry," said Hawes.

The policy, which is posted on the district's website, has a chart that shows recommended ages, grade span and content access levels.

“I have a fourth grader who's reading at a sixth, seventh, potentially even eighth-grade reading level, and now, we have this policy that's come down that says, well, those books can't actually be in his school anymore," said Hawes.

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She said she learned through educators in the district that books like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 were being removed from elementary libraries based on their age recommendation.

"Harry Potter book seven is apparently reviewed for ages older than fourth grade and because of that, it can't be in the elementary schools anymore," said Hawes based on information she said she received from educators in the district.

In a statement Keller ISD said:

District policy requires that we twice annually review and confirm that books in our libraries align with grade-level recommendations from professional reviews. If more than 50% of the reviews are for a grade level that the campus does not serve, the book will be relocated to the next campus level. The majority of professional reviews for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows rate it for sixth grade and up, while Keller ISD’s elementary schools go to either fourth or fifth grade. Books in the Twilight series are rated for seventh grade and above, so they would continue to be available in our middle school libraries.This review process is ongoing, so no books have been moved at this time. However, in the event that a book is ever moved to a higher grade level, students at any grade level can still request to check out available copies of the book via an interlibrary loan, with their parent or guardian’s permission.

Hawes said she reached out to the district and heard back from an administrator earlier this month. Hawes said was given a similar explanation and was told that professional reviews for that Harry Potter book are for grades six and up. At the time, she was told librarians had not removed any books because they had until the end of the school year to complete the review process. Hawes and her family could still have access to the book, they would just have to take an extra step.

"I reached out to the district and said I have a child who is an advanced reader and I want him to be able to check out Harry Potter number seven if he gets through one through six. And she said, 'Well, the way that it's working is you still can, you just have to request it be shipped from another library," explained Hawes.

She said that defeats the purpose of her son picking out a book for himself.

"What's frustrating about that is it takes away the magic of the library. Like the library is this magical place full of endless possibilities," explained Hawes. "If a child doesn't know that this book is available at another library, how is he going to ask? How's my son going to ask for the book he doesn't know exists? He can't, unless I specifically asked."

She said she agrees that illicit material should not be allowed, but expressed her concerns that a broad policy may have unintended consequences for books that have nothing to do with such topics.

On the district's website, there is a frequently asked questions page regarding books, policies and challenging books.

Parents are allowed to challenge books per the district's policy. If a book is removed due to a challenge, it will not be eligible for consideration to be added again for at least 10 years, according to the district website.

Local entrepreneur looks to cool off the Lone Star State as Jeremiah’s announces the opening of their newest location in Texas

Keller, TX (RestaurantNews.com) Local entrepreneur Steven Dubberly has brought Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, the hottest brand in the frozen dessert category, to Keller, TX. The new Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is located at 2122 Rufe Snow Dr, Suite 102, and is inviting the community to celebrate with a grand opening event in early July.

Prior to Dubberly’s involvement with Jeremiah’s, he led a career in law and ran his own practice, gaining experience working with small businesses. He was first introduced to the sweet treats brand by his girlfriend, Alicia Mouser, who took him there on one of their first dates. As Dubberly progressed in his career, he eventually decided he wanted to explore a new path outside of the law. After falling in love with the fun and vibrant brand, he knew Jeremiah’s was a company he wanted to be a part of. With another location in development in Saginaw, TX, he hopes to open at least five Jeremiah’s locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“I want to work in a place that brings a smile to my customers’ faces, and Jeremiah’s is the perfect place to do that,” said Dubberly. ”It’s a great business with good community roots, and has a unique atmosphere. We strive to keep things fun and cool, and provide a great experience for both our staff and guests. Keller doesn’t have anything like Jeremiah’s in the area, and I strongly believe we can become a real staple.”

The Keller location reflects the family aspect that both Jeremiah’s and the community values. Dubberly will be running his location with family and friends, a close-knit group who wanted to become involved in something together. Along with Alicia, both his parents will be involved as well as his friend and business partner Aubrey McPherson.

Each Jeremiah’s location boasts an upbeat atmosphere full of vibrant colors and offers over 40 flavors of indulgent, high-quality Italian Ice, as well as rich and creamy Soft Ice Cream. The Jeremiah’s Gelati, which features layers of Italian Ice and Soft Ice Cream, offers nearly limitless flavor combinations and is the star of their menu.

To celebrate the newest Jeremiah’s location, the store will be hosting a grand opening event in early July for the whole community to come out and celebrate with plenty of tasty treats, music, giveaways, and discounts for everyone to enjoy. The new Jeremiah’s is a perfect family-friendly destination for local Keller residents to come and spend quality time together.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Steven and his family to bring Jeremiah’s newest location to Texas,” said Julianna Voyles, Director of Operations for Jeremiah’s Italian Ice. “Their commitment to family values and community involvement make them a perfect fit to help us lead our expansion efforts in Keller, and we are confident the new location will be a success.”

To learn more about Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, or its franchise opportunities, please visit https://jeremiahsfranchise.com.

About Jeremiah’s Italian Ice

Founded in 1996 and franchising since 2019, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice has come to be known not only for its superior frozen treats, but also for its outstanding customer service, community involvement, and an exciting brand image that exudes the Jeremiah’s motto – LIVE LIFE TO THE COOLEST®. Focused on delivering flavorful experiences to each and every guest, Jeremiah’s is committed to serving its vibrant, flavorful treats up with a smile in a lively environment. With 100+ locations throughout Florida, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Colorado, Nevada, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas, Jeremiah’s is offering franchises across the Southern United States. To help guide the brand’s rapid expansion, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice has partnered with Pivotal Growth Partners – a team of franchising veterans who’ve led some of the top brands in food service to award-winning growth. For more information about Jeremiah’s franchise opportunity, visit https://jeremiahsfranchise.com.

About Pivotal Growth Partners

Pivotal Growth Partners (PGP) is a full-service Growth & Development Firm with an unparalleled track record of success in growing franchise brands. The experienced team at PGP has awarded & developed more than 5000 franchised businesses across the US and internationally, working with startups and some of the world’s largest companies. With a combined 50+ years of experience and a network of growth and development partners, Pivotal Growth Partners creates value, growing small, regional companies into nationally acclaimed brands. PGP deploys proven processes and systems to effectively grow a business, by creating a “Results Focused” Franchise Growth & Support Culture within its brands. For more information, visit www.pivotalgrowthpartners.com.

KELLER, TX, June 05, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving®, an award-winning company and industry leader in stress-free solutions for junk removal and moving needs, is thrilled to announce its newest location in Keller, Texas. The location is set to open its doors to the public on Thursday, June 8. The Keller College HUNKS will provide donation pickups and general labor assistance in addition to the company's signature fast, friendly moving and junk-hauling services.

Franchise owner Bob Collins leads the Keller College HUNKS team in serving the city's neighboring areas with helpful, high-quality moving and junk removal solutions. College HUNKS is a purpose-driven company that is dedicated to being a part of the community, and the Keller College HUNKS team plans to support the key causes of the brand by donating 70% of all junk removal items to the community.

"I worked in corporate financial services earlier in my career and was able to retire early. Embarking on two years of traveling, I got the itch to do something different, which was when I found College HUNKS," said Bob Collins, Franchise Owner of the Keller College HUNKS. "I was drawn to the opportunity, culture and the support network that is set up at College HUNKS to build successful franchise locations. I look forward to being the best in the junk-hauling and moving business, as well as the self-satisfaction that business ownership brings."

The Keller College HUNKS is located at 17540 Matany Building 1, Suite 101, Justin, TX 76247. The location will provide flexible, dependable moving and junk removal services to area residents and businesses throughout Keller, Westlake, Roanoke, Trophy Club, Argyle, Decatur, and Bridgeport.

"We are delighted to welcome Bob Collins to our team and to have his support in growing our brand in Texas," said Nick Friedman, Co-Founder and Visionary of College HUNKS. "College HUNKS is a values-focused brand that emphasizes a service mindset to deliver our brand promise of a stress-free experience. Collins dedication to trust, care and meeting the community's needs at the Keller College HUNKS is sure to offer a meaningful experience to every team member and client he serves."

For more information about the Keller College HUNKS, visit https://www.collegehunkshaulingjunk.com/keller/ or call 817-663-7828.

College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving® was originally founded by two college buddies with a beat-up cargo van and now has more than 200 franchises providing full-service tech-enabled residential and commercial moving, junk removal, donation pickups, and labor services in the United States as well as Canada. H.U.N.K.S., which stands for Honest, Uniformed, Nice, Knowledgeable, Service, is a socially conscious, values-based organization and has a national partnership with U.S. Hunger, which strives to end childhood hunger. The brand was awarded the Community Hero award by U.S. Hunger in 2022. The company strives to become recognized as an iconic brand, renowned for its world-class company culture and service, while also providing a viable employment and franchise opportunity to pursue personal and professional fulfillment.

For more information, visit www.collegehunkshaulingjunk.com.

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