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Thread of local businesses that don't survive the coronavirus


CooterBrown

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  • 2 weeks later...

^

that's a tough one.  When the most successful restaurant group in Austin can't make a space work financially, that's a dagger to the owners.  Good news is that footprint isn't as big as you'd think it is.  But the price is worse than you think it is.  I think it goes the way of a flagship spot for a co-working space.  

But then again, a fucking Domino's pizza is flourishing at Guadalupe & 5th, so maybe a fucking Applebee's at 2nd & Congress.  

In other strange news, the standalone pad site in my neighborhood that used to be a Mr. Gatti's has been bought and re-zoned by Den Property Group.  Curious as fuck as to what this thing is gonna be.  It's literally between a Shell Gas Station and a place that advertises in their barred windows "We Buy Used Gold" and has a whopping total of 6 parking spaces.  This is an absolute must-see.  

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^
that's a tough one.  When the most successful restaurant group in Austin can't make a space work financially, that's a dagger to the owners.  Good news is that footprint isn't as big as you'd think it is.  But the price is worse than you think it is.  I think it goes the way of a flagship spot for a co-working space.  
But then again, a fucking Domino's pizza is flourishing at Guadalupe & 5th, so maybe a fucking Applebee's at 2nd & Congress.  
In other strange news, the standalone pad site in my neighborhood that used to be a Mr. Gatti's has been bought and re-zoned by Den Property Group.  Curious as fuck as to what this thing is gonna be.  It's literally between a Shell Gas Station and a place that advertises in their barred windows "We Buy Used Gold" and has a whopping total of 6 parking spaces.  This is an absolute must-see.  


What does den group own?

If we shut down again lots of locals will go under and property owners will beg chains to fill the spaces. We may be heading that way for a few years.
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On 10/12/2020 at 7:14 PM, Bozo_Casanova said:

The Alamo at Mueller is fantastic and I used to walk over there 4-6 times a month. The neighborhood is in an uproar about this, and talking about fundraisers. 
The landlords are between a rock and a hard place. They want Alamo to stay, but they are obliged to their lenders to try to collect the rent. It's a bad situation.  

The neighbors could all get together and ... I don't know ... buy some tickets or something.  Maybe some food.  Just a thought.

Some folks today have more money than normal because they aren't spending what they usually spend at the Alamo.  Just pretend-spend a bit and the locals could stay afloat.

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Honestly quite surprised they hung on this long.  

Drove thru Hancock Center for old time's sake on the way to campus this morning.  HEB, Twin, and a couple others going strong.  Old Sears Automotive being turned into a Firestone (no matter what Covid-19 did, people need car repairs, maybe more than ever since folks likely holding onto vehicles longer).  But the rest of that thing, not just the old flagship Sears, is just dying.  Not only empty storefronts, but defaulted businesses with shit still inside, the whole property just looks unkempt, then you gotta APD watching the testing center over in the NE pad site area.  It was never the Arboretum or Domain, but the whole space really looks fucking rough.  Even the usual parade of hot co-eds was non-existent, presumably because of the holiday week/decreased in-person attendance at UT.  All that said, the Commodore Perry across the street really turned out nice...look forward to checking it out more once pandemic is over.  

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On 11/18/2020 at 10:21 AM, Updawg said:


I always thought it was a church or something converted into a trudys. But apparently the trudys guy lives right near it and built it that way on purpose

Always confused me that they built half the restaurant to look and smell like a nursing home cafeteria with absolutely no character at all, and the "outside" half of the restaurant with all the nice lighting would never have the doors open, even on nice days.

I used to love me some Trudy's, but not enough to overcome the horrible ambiance of that place.  And the times I went, it was really inconsistent.  I've heard it's hard to get any sort of kitchen talent out in the boonies.  Hopefully whatever the concept is that the Uchi guys have will be good enough to overcome that.

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On 11/24/2020 at 1:56 PM, Lobo said:

Honestly quite surprised they hung on this long.  

Drove thru Hancock Center for old time's sake on the way to campus this morning.  HEB, Twin, and a couple others going strong.  Old Sears Automotive being turned into a Firestone (no matter what Covid-19 did, people need car repairs, maybe more than ever since folks likely holding onto vehicles longer).  But the rest of that thing, not just the old flagship Sears, is just dying.  Not only empty storefronts, but defaulted businesses with shit still inside, the whole property just looks unkempt, then you gotta APD watching the testing center over in the NE pad site area.  It was never the Arboretum or Domain, but the whole space really looks fucking rough.  Even the usual parade of hot co-eds was non-existent, presumably because of the holiday week/decreased in-person attendance at UT.  All that said, the Commodore Perry across the street really turned out nice...look forward to checking it out more once pandemic is over.  

This is my grocery store and maybe you just came at an odd time cause that whole place (aside from Sears) is usually hoppin. Including the coeds. 

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That’s awesome.  I noticed a big work crew there the other day and worried they were getting set to strip out the inside.  Definitely hitting it up next week for lunch.  

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On 12/3/2020 at 6:48 PM, Native Horn said:

Hops & Grain brewing announced they are closing their tap room.  They will now focus on distribution.  That's one of the first tap rooms I visited in Austin, so kinda sad.  It's good though that we'll still be able to buy their beer.

Seems like it'd be pretty easy for them to open it back up after the pandemic should they choose, no? A lot of the breweries have their tap rooms down right now and are just doing curbside. 

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On 11/25/2020 at 10:35 PM, Biff Tannen said:

This is my grocery store and maybe you just came at an odd time cause that whole place (aside from Sears) is usually hoppin. Including the coeds. 

went there on Monday.  Had to grab a few snacks and packaged lunch since I was gonna be on campus all day.  Should have been maybe a 5 minute trip inside.  However, apparently an impromptu yoga pant competition had been declared.  I probably spent 25 minutes, and walked nearly a mile roaming around the store checking out the contestants.  Holy shit.  Rivals my HEB for sure.  Hope I didn't get Covid-19 doing that.  

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Fabi + Rosi, the intimate West Austin European restaurant with a heavy German focus, is closing. The restaurant will remain open through next week, according to its social media accounts, which means its last day of service in Tarrytown on 509 Hearn Street will be on Saturday, December 19, with takeout and curbside services.

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4 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

Fabi + Rosi, the intimate West Austin European restaurant with a heavy German focus, is closing. The restaurant will remain open through next week, according to its social media accounts, which means its last day of service in Tarrytown on 509 Hearn Street will be on Saturday, December 19, with takeout and curbside services.

Damn, that place was good.

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  • 3 weeks later...
8 hours ago, Michael Knight said:

 

Mother's Cafe really hurts more than it should. 

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Not a local business, but the Subway in my neighborhood finally closed down.  You can imagine how distraught I was.  

However, good news is with a generous TI package, there's a Fratelli's pizza going in there.  Not quite local, but Texas-based with a solid Austin presence.  I've had their food before at the 15th street location.  Solid offerings.  And the Poke House near there is also ahead of schedule and due to open up in a matter of weeks.  

But yeah, an already shitty area for restaurants has been especially brutal the last few months.  

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On 12/31/2020 at 10:43 AM, Michael Knight said:

The pic of Magnolia hit me in the gut. My all-nighter location of choice in college. 

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21 hours ago, Lobo said:

Not a local business, but the Subway in my neighborhood finally closed down.  You can imagine how distraught I was.  

However, good news is with a generous TI package, there's a Fratelli's pizza going in there.  Not quite local, but Texas-based with a solid Austin presence.  I've had their food before at the 15th street location.  Solid offerings.  And the Poke House near there is also ahead of schedule and due to open up in a matter of weeks.  

But yeah, an already shitty area for restaurants has been especially brutal the last few months.  

Neighbor? The Fratellis looks like it is going on pretty much next door to Austin’s Pizza?

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42 minutes ago, LebongJames said:

Neighbor? The Fratellis looks like it is going on pretty much next door to Austin’s Pizza?

Yeah, not quite next door but pretty damn close.  I assume they'll be almost exclusively takeout/delivery...even after Covid.  There's a tiny footprint for a handful of tables, but Austin's Pizza's schtick is also the kid-friendly/dine-outside areas.  Plus different pricing/ingredients.  But who knows anything about anything?  I guess it really is gonna be a What-a-Burger at that old tacobell site.  

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Yeah, not quite next door but pretty damn close.  I assume they'll be almost exclusively takeout/delivery...even after Covid.  There's a tiny footprint for a handful of tables, but Austin's Pizza's schtick is also the kid-friendly/dine-outside areas.  Plus different pricing/ingredients.  But who knows anything about anything?  I guess it really is gonna be a What-a-Burger at that old tacobell site.  

Fratellis pizza laps that shitty Austin’s pizza. Those fuckers screw up my god damn order every single fucking time. It’s gotten to the point that I have to go in there for carry out to check everything for accuracy.

Now. If we can just replace Stein mart with a beer hall....

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12 hours ago, Gardner Barnes said:


Fratellis pizza laps that shitty Austin’s pizza. Those fuckers screw up my god damn order every single fucking time. It’s gotten to the point that I have to go in there for carry out to check everything for accuracy.

Now. If we can just replace Stein mart with a beer hall....
 

That would be incredible. Also the old Jos A Banks is a large space that could be a good spot for something like that.

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1 hour ago, LebongJames said:

That would be incredible. Also the old Jos A Banks is a large space that could be a good spot for something like that.

I think it was Blacklab Bob on here that hinted there was a plan to turn that spot into a bar.  But it's back on the market with a lower TI package.  As is the former Biderman's down the block.  There is a tasting room for a boutique hill country winery going in near Breed & Co.  That's about as best as we'll do in 2021.  Stein Mart either holds empty for a few years waiting for a grocer (waiting to hear from our other thread rep to chime in on this), or goes to EISD as an athletics property.  Nobody else can pay that nut.  

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