Opening and running a restaurant in Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas: permits, taxes and what sells

Permits and the health authority

Both cities share one health authority: the Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD), a single public health district serving all of Williamson County rather than a separate department per city. WCCHD's Retail Food Establishment Permit is tiered by gross food sales: $258 for $0–$49,999.99, $515 for $50,000–$149,999.99, and $773 for $150,000 or more, with a $100 late fee, per its published fee schedule. (Also running a truck: mobile food vendor licensing moved statewide to Texas DSHS on July 1, 2026, replacing WCCHD's own prior mobile-permit fee — check DSHS directly.)

Sales tax on the ticket

Prepared food carries a combined 8.25% sales tax in both cities: 6.25% state plus a 2% city rate, per the Comptroller's local rate listing — which holds the same whether a Round Rock address falls in the Travis County or Williamson County portion of the city, and the same again in Georgetown. That 8.25% is the statewide ceiling; local add-ons cap at 2% over the state rate everywhere in Texas.

Alcohol

TABC's statewide rules apply here the same as anywhere in Texas. Beer and wine service typically needs a Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer's Permit (BG); a full bar needs a Mixed Beverage Permit (MB). Either usually pairs with a Food and Beverage Certificate, requiring the business to qualify as a "restaurant" or keep alcohol to 60% or less of total sales — the current 60%-alcohol-cap rule, not the older "51% food" framing, though it lands on roughly the same 40%-minimum-food floor. A permittee also owes a 6.7% mixed beverage gross receipts tax out of pocket, plus an 8.25% mixed beverage sales tax charged to the guest. We didn't confirm a local wet/dry restriction beyond Texas's standard local-option system — check your address with TABC before applying.

The local food calendar

The confirmed market here is Round Rock's Trailside Market, an outdoor market with farmers, artisans and local vendors held Saturdays from 9:00am to 12:00pm at Memorial Park, per the city's own event listing. We didn't find a confirmed comparable market or food festival for Georgetown in this research.

What kind of restaurant works here

Round Rock and Georgetown are both part of the fast-growing Austin metro, but they carry different customer bases. Round Rock's economy includes a significant technology-sector employer presence — Dell's headquarters is based there — which supports a steady weekday office-lunch crowd. Georgetown pairs a historic downtown square with a large active-adult retirement community, Sun City, bringing a more leisure-paced, less office-driven dining pattern than Round Rock's. A restaurant built for one city's rhythm won't automatically fit the other, even at the same tax rate.

Running it on your own site

Your own site takes orders four ways — pickup, delivery inside the ZIP zone you set, a dine-in order sent from the table, or a pay-it-forward treat for another table — with every ticket paid straight into your own Stripe account and no commission taken on any of them. Set your 8.25% combined rate once under Admin → Restaurant and it applies and shows on every online ticket before the guest pays. If you ever run locations in both cities, set the rate per location anyway — the number happens to match today, but a location's rate shouldn't be copied from another one by habit.

FAQ

How much does a restaurant permit cost in Round Rock or Georgetown?
The Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) charges the same tiered Retail Food Establishment Permit fee across the county: $258 for gross food sales of $0–$49,999.99, $515 for $50,000–$149,999.99, and $773 for $150,000 or more, with a $100 late fee.

What's the combined sales tax rate on food in Round Rock and Georgetown?
8.25% in both cities: 6.25% state plus a 2% city rate, in both the Travis County and Williamson County portions of Round Rock and in Georgetown, per the Comptroller's local rate listing.

Are Round Rock and Georgetown really the same market for a restaurant?
Not quite. Both are Williamson County cities in the Austin metro with the same tax rate and health district, but Round Rock's economy leans on a large tech-sector office workforce, while Georgetown pairs a historic downtown square with a large active-adult retirement community — different lunch and dinner crowds even at the same tax rate.