New businesses, restaurants popping up all over Tyler

TYLER - Finally, we receive good financial news for the country and East Texas.

This week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the recession is winding down and as the economy picks up, parts of East Texas are back on the fast-track for growth.

John Egan calls it a leap of faith.

Right in the meat of the 'Great Recession' he decided to open a new restaurant in Tyler.

The grand opening for "Burger House Hamburgers" is Sept. 21 and this week workers are putting the finishing touches on the restaurant located along S. Broadway Ave. near Stein Mart.

Egan said small businesses should be credited as digging us out of the recession.

"It excites me a lot," he said, while giving us a tour of the kid's area of the restaurant. "I think there's a lot of growth, there's a lot of potential people don't realize. There are approximately a half-million people coming in and out of Tyler each week."

Egan and his wife moved from the Dallas-area a couple of years ago to prepare for the opening of the store.

According to statistics, it was a good move.

One study projects the local economy growing at four percent over the next few years and that's almost a full-point-or-more over the national average.

Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass said sales tax numbers have been down based on new home sales and construction. However, in the same sentence, she said general retail has held up really well.

"Tyler is the regional center of East Texas," said Mayor Bass. "Population is 100-thousand in city limits but on any given day, 250-thousand people are within city limits."

Mayor Bass said there are few reasons Tyler is considered a hub. There is the medical district, several universities and large companies and businesses located in city limits.

In the last year, Academy Sports and Outdoor Store opened along with several other hotels and restaurants.

A new car wash is also being built on WSW Loop 323.

Business has been so strong at LifeWay Christian Store they needed more room and recently moved where Goody's was once located. Next door from LifeWay, Ulta Cosmetics is setting up shop.

"Tyler is blowing up," said Allison McKinney, owner of Smoothie King and Einstein Bros. Bagels. "North, South, East and West..there is room for growth everywhere, so why not grow here?"

BELIEVE IN EAST TEXAS! Calling all new business owners! If you have a company, business, restaurant or project recently up and running - large or small - we want to hear about it!!! Leave a comment below and give us all the information, directions, phone numbers...anything you feel is important.

OR - If you live here in East Texas and want to tell others about a nifty restaurant or cool business you've recently stumbled upon - you can also share that information below! Cheers!