AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin is a hub for music, tech -- and a proving ground for businesses, some of which have expanded to have a national reach. Here's a look at the history of some Austin businesses that have expanded beyond the capital city. Made in Texas: Viewers name the top Texas brands, businesses they love Poppi This week, PepsiCo announced it had bought the prebiotic soda brand for nearly $2 million. While the idea for the different take on soda started in Allison Ellsworth's Dallas kitchen in 2015 and was initially sold in farmer's markets, Poppi is headquartered in east Austin and available nationwide, according to its website. Waterloo Founded in Austin in 2017 with the goal of creating "better-tasting, better-for-you sparkling waters," according to its website, Waterloo is now available nationwide. It's headquarters is in east Austin. Just two miles away is the site of another venture called Waterloo -- a settlement on the banks of the Colorado River near what is now the Congress Avenue Bridge, according to the Texas State Historical Association. What was Austin called before it became ‘Austin’? Siete The Garza family (of seven) founded Siete in 2014 after developing grain-free Mexican-American food, prompted by one of their children's health challenges that required a change of diet. "As a Mexican-American family from South Texas, the tacos and fajitas that we used to enjoy on tortillas just didn’t taste the same on a lettuce leaf. So I began making grain free tortillas for my family, and they loved them," Veronica Garza recounted on the Siete website. "I knew we had something really special when my Grandma Campos told me that my tortillas tasted better than the homemade flour tortillas she’d made for decades!" The company, headquartered in South Austin, officially became part of PepsiCo in January of this year. Yeti Two Austin brothers developed the cooler brand "out of frustration" after they saw other coolers couldn't "last in the relentless Texas heat," according to its website. It has since expanded its offerings to other outdoor gear, and is a sponsor of Austin's Major League Soccer team, Austin FC. Whole Foods Market Whole Foods' original 10,500 square foot store, founded in 1980 off of North Lamar Boulevard, no longer exists. But the current North Lamar store in downtonw Austin is still its headquarters, even after Amazon bought the company for $13.7 billion in 2017. The first store started with a staff of 19, which its website noted "was quite large in comparison to the standard health food store of the time." Where was the original Whole Foods Market in Austin? Alamo Drafthouse Alamo Drafthouse began when two movie buffs opened up a screen in downtown Austin. While it initially started with "second run titles at discount rates," within its first year it expanded to hosting film premieres, according to its website. Its headquarters is in central Austin. Sony acquired Alamo Drafthouse and its dozens of U.S. locations in 2024. Alamo Drafthouse theaters home to massive collection of film artifacts Dell Michael Dell founded the company that would become Dell while he was studying at the University of Texas at Austin, eventually leaving to focus on the business, according to its website. The now multi-billion dollar company now has its headquarters in Round Rock. Chuy's Founded in 1982 on Barton Springs Road, Chuy's had "humble beginnings," for its "fun and funky Tex Mex restaurant," according to its website. "There was seating for about sixty, a women’s restroom the size of a broom closet and a men’s restroom that was, well, outside," the website said. It opened its first restaurant outside Texas in 2009 and was bought by Darden Restaurants for $605M in 2024. Its home office just south of the river off Toomey Road. Torchy's The now nationwide taco chain began first as a food truck in Austin (it still has a taco, filled with fried chicken and green chile, called "trailer park."). Torchy's headquarters is in east Austin. ...read more read less