Zarahs Meat Market in Mcallen, TX

Zarahs Meat Market in Mcallen is undertaking a new kitchen area addition to its existing building at 4811 N Ware Rd. The project, registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) in November 2026, adds 616 sq ft to the structure. Felipe Guerrero serves as the registered accessibility specialist for this privately funded development. The estimated cost for the work is $110,000, resulting in a cost per square foot of $179.

Project Scope and Timeline

Zarah Investments is the owner and developer of record for this addition. The filing indicates that construction is scheduled to begin in December 2026. Plan review is pending at this stage, and the project completion is targeted for May 2027. The TDLR status remains listed as Project Registered, confirming that the necessary accessibility plans have been submitted and accepted for this type of work.

Cost and Size Context

The 616 sq ft addition represents a modest footprint for an additions to existing building project in Hidalgo County. When compared to 411 similar TDLR-registered filings in the county, the median estimated cost is $290,000, with the middle half ranging from $150,000 to $1,200,000. This project's estimated cost is below the county median for its type, placing it in the bottom quarter of similar filings. However, the $179 per sq ft figure is above the county median of $99 per sq ft.

The scheduled build window of 151 days is close to the county median of 159 days for this category of work. The median size for these projects in Hidalgo County is 5,021 sq ft, making Zarahs Meat Market addition significantly smaller than the typical project in this classification. The project is located on private land for private use, with funding provided entirely by private sources.

Hidalgo County unemployment rate (FRED, September 2026): 5.6 percent, lower than a year earlier. The ZIP code 78504 area has a population of about 61,816, with a median household income of $77,627. Housing in the area is mostly owner-occupied, with 21,417 housing units and a median owner-occupied home value of $203,900 according to U.S. Census ACS 2023 five-year estimates.