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Texas issues liquor license to Datapoint Cantina & Cocina at 25211 Hwy 281

Texas issues liquor license to Datapoint Cantina & Cocina at 25211 Hwy 281

Money Moves San Antonio, TX local

A mixed-beverage permit went to El Gordo Cantina LLC at the address Taqueria Datapoint has said it plans for a sixth outlet, past a June target with no confirmed opening

October 26th, 2026: Liquor license issued

Overview

Updated Nov 1

State license data shows a mixed-beverage permit issued Oct. 26 to El Gordo Cantina LLC for Datapoint Cantina & Cocina at 25211 U.S. Hwy. 281 N. in San Antonio. A separate TABC application tracker still listed the request as received in early November, with a Dec. 8 deadline for protests.

The address is the one Taqueria Datapoint named for its next outlet. Owner Francisco Lopez said in March 2026 that it needed about three more months, and a June listing followed. No opening has been confirmed.

Why it matters

This license is the clearest public signal on whether Taqueria Datapoint's planned sixth location actually opens.

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Key Indicators

5
Existing Taqueria Datapoint locations in Greater San Antonio
The chain told Community Impact the 25211 site would be its sixth outlet.
MB
License type issued
Texas mixed-beverage permit allows on-premises sale of liquor, beer, and wine.
16
Months between build-out registration and liquor license
TDLR registered the project June 27, 2025; ABC issued the license Oct. 26, 2026.

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People Involved

FL
Francisco Lopez
Owner, Taqueria Datapoint
Leading the brand's planned sixth-location expansion

Organizations Involved

Taqueria Datapoint
Taqueria Datapoint
Local Tex-Mex restaurant chain
Five locations in Greater San Antonio; planning an outlet at 25211 U.S. Hwy. 281 N.

A San Antonio Tex-Mex chain serving tacos, parrilladas, and all-day breakfast tacos.
GC
El Gordo Cantina LLC
Texas limited liability company
License holder for Datapoint Cantina & Cocina

The entity that holds the Texas mixed-beverage license for the 25211 U.S. Hwy. 281 N. site.
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
State regulator
Issued the mixed-beverage license

The Texas agency that regulates alcohol sales and issues retailer licenses.

Timeline

June 2025 October 2026

3 events Latest: October 26th, 2026 · 2 weeks ago

  1. Liquor license issued

    Latest Regulatory

    Texas ABC issued a mixed-beverage license to El Gordo Cantina LLC for Datapoint Cantina & Cocina at the address.

  2. TABC application filed for the site

    Regulatory

    El Gordo Cantina LLC filed a new, non-renewal application for Datapoint Cantina & Cocina at 25211 U.S. Hwy. 281 N., listing the business as Datapoint Cantina & Cocina.

  3. State registers restaurant build-out

    Regulatory

    Texas TDLR logged a first-generation finish-out for a restaurant and commercial kitchen at 25211 U.S. Hwy. 281 N.

Scenarios

1

Datapoint Cantina & Cocina opens at 25211 Hwy 281

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Community Impact, which reported the chain's plan for the address

The build-out finishes and the full-bar restaurant starts serving customers. Lopez told Community Impact in March 2026 that the outlet needed about three more months, and a June 2026 listing carried 'Opening in June.' No opening has been confirmed since.

2

Site opens under the Taqueria Datapoint name, no separate bar

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Uncertainty from the naming gap between the permit and the chain's usual brand

The outlet opens as another Taqueria Datapoint rather than the distinct Datapoint Cantina & Cocina concept, possibly with the mixed-beverage license unused or subordinated to a simpler beer-and-wine menu.

3

License lapses or transfers without an opening

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: The routine risk for any multi-year restaurant build-out

Construction stalls, financing falls through, or the owners abandon the project. The mixed-beverage permit is later canceled, expires, or shifts to a different address or operator.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1978 to present

Taco Cabana (1978–present)

Taco Cabana began in San Antonio in 1978 as a taco stand at a converted gas station. It built a chain around serving beer and frozen margaritas alongside Tex-Mex, with 24-hour patio service.

Then

The formula spread across Texas and beyond, growing to hundreds of restaurants.

Now

It proved San Antonio diners would pair drinks with tacos, making bar service a standard part of the Tex-Mex chain model.

Why this matters now

Datapoint Cantina & Cocina's full-bar permit follows the playbook Taco Cabana helped normalize in the same market.

2012–2015

Starbucks Evenings (2012–2015)

Starbucks began testing beer and wine at stores in Seattle and Chicago in 2012 to fill the evening hours after coffee demand dropped.

Then

The test expanded to hundreds of stores in more than a dozen markets.

Now

By the late 2010s Starbucks had wound down the program, showing alcohol service is a format experiment rather than a guaranteed win.

Why this matters now

A liquor license lets a concept try that experiment; whether Datapoint's bar draws an evening crowd is unproven.

June–October 2016

Jack in the Box beer test (2016)

Jack in the Box added beer to the menu at two San Diego restaurants in June 2016 to test alcohol sales in a casual format.

Then

The chain pulled the beer a few months later, in October 2016, citing weak sales.

Now

It underscored how hard alcohol service can be to sustain in fast, casual restaurant formats.

Why this matters now

A bar permit does not equal demand; the north San Antonio site will need a real evening crowd to make the bet pay.

Sources

(5)
+1
Texas Open Data Portal Community Impact Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation BoozeReports Community Impact