A coffee truck in Dale, a wine bar in Bastrop and a winery in Smithville all opened in 2026, and each was started by a U.S. Army veteran.
Three Bastrop County businesses that opened this year were each launched by a U.S. Army veteran, Amanda Cutshall reported in Community Impact on 9 November.
Jorge Jimenez, a former Army specialist with the 4th Infantry Division, opened Jaguar Brew Coffee in April. The veteran- and Latino-owned coffee truck serves espresso drinks, cold brew, matcha and pastries in Dale, in west Bastrop County. Jimenez told Community Impact the move from the military to owning a business “has been quite the journey.”
John Wayne Formica, a former Army specialist with the 82nd Airborne Division, opened Pluto’s Wine Bar on Main Street in Bastrop in January, with his family’s support. Formica is classically trained in French cuisine. The bar pours wine by the glass or bottle and runs a seasonal menu, tastings and themed events.
Lance Bondy, a retired Army captain who served with the 24th Military Intelligence Battalion, spent about three years turning a 73-acre property in Smithville into Frontier Cellars before opening in March. The winery makes its wines only from Texas-grown grapes. Two of them won medals at the 2026 Finger Lakes International Wine and Spirits Competition.
Community Impact followed on 10 November with a list of resources for Bastrop County veterans, which its editors note is not comprehensive. Two entries offer job help. American Legion Post 533 lists employment assistance among its services, and VFW Post 6115 lists job placement assistance. The Bastrop County Veterans Service Office helps veterans and their families apply for benefits, with appointment-based services in Bastrop, Elgin and Smithville.
Why it matters in the Eastern Crescent
Dale, Bastrop and Smithville are all in Bastrop County. Three owners went from Army service to running a business in the same county in the same year, in coffee, wine and hospitality. The coverage does not say how the businesses were financed or whether the owners used a veteran small-business program to start, and CEEI has not asked them. The resource list covers the other side of the same question: the job help already in the county.
Reported by Amanda Cutshall, Community Impact, 9 and 10 November 2026. Summary and commentary by CEEI. CEEI is not affiliated with Jaguar Brew Coffee, Pluto’s Wine Bar, Frontier Cellars or Community Impact. Photo of Main Street in downtown Bastrop by Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.