Austin's 16 Most Anticipated Openings, Spring 2015

Austin has two major restaurant opening seasons: fall and South by Southwest. Spring also ushers patio madness, a major driver of a huge swath of Austin dining. Add in the endless permitting delays incurred by many an anticipated fall opening, and 2015 is shaping up to be an exciting winter and spring. Read on for the biggest new openings on the horizon.

Launderette

Location: 2115 Holly St.
Chefs: Laura Sawicki and Rene Ortiz
Projected Opening: February 2015

The long-anticipated neighborhood cafe from lauded chefs Laura Sawicki and Rene Ortiz is finally gearing up to launch. The first stage in a multi-project transformation of a laundromat and gas station complex, Launderette will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and will offer "a variety of seasonal and classic foods in a stylish yet comfortable setting on the East side." Next up will be transforming the adjacent convenience store into a grocery and Szechuan take-out restaurant called Angry Bear. Laura Sawicki tells Eater those projects will launch in Fall 2015 or Winter 2016.

[All Launderette Coverage ]

Photo: Meghan McCarron

Apis

Location: 23526 Hwy 71 West, Spicewood
Chef: Taylor Hall
Projected Opening: Early 2015

A longtime catering and Supper Underground chef will open Austin's first restaurant and apiary in the hill country early this year. Honey produced on the grounds will be incorporated into the dishes, and they'll eventually sell their own honey as well. Don't worry: the bees won't be anywhere near the restaurant.

[All Apis Coverage]

Photo: Apis/Official

Mongers Market And Kitchen

Location: 2401 E. Cesar Chavez
Players: Roberto San Miguel, Shane Stark
Projected Opening: February 2015

Combination purveyors and restaurants are shaping up to be even bigger in 2015 than they were over the past few years (Salt & Time, Dai Due, Hillside Farmacy, Epicerie, etc). Longtime Gulf seafood supplier Roberto San Miguel teamed up with former Kenichi chef Shane Stark to serve a simple menu of fresh seafood and offer fish for sale.

[All Mongers Coverage]

Photos: Mongers/Official

Chi'Lantro

Location: 1509 S. Lamar
Players: Jae Kim
Projected Opening: January 2015

This kimchi-fry-slinging food truck empire will pull a quick switcheroo in the former A-OK Chinese space and go brick and mortar. They're also planning a tiny take-out window on Congress downtown.

Wu Chow

Location: 500 W.5th Street
Players: C.K. Chin, Mat Clouser, Callie Speer
Projected Opening: Early Spring 2015

Another long-anticipated project, the Swift's Attic team aims to bring hip and modern Chinese cooking to a city starved for options, especially downtown. Expect dim sum, soup dumplings, and lots of Wu Tang puns.

[All Wu Chow Coverage]

Photo: Wu Chow/Facebook

Ramen Tatsu-Ya South

Location: 1234 South Lamar
Players: Tatsu Aikawa, Tako Matsumoto, Shion Aikawa, Chiai Matsumoto
Projected Opening: Early 2015

Austin's most cultishly loved ramen shop is finally opening a second location. By the looks of their plywood, it should be dropping soon.

[All Ramen Tatsu-Ya Coverage]

Photo: Patrick Michels/EATX

Sala And Betty

Location: 5201 Airport
Chefs: Theresa Wilson
Projected Opening: January 2015

Former Aquarelle chef Theresa Wilson will open a family-friendly restaurant focused on serving locally-sourced food. The restaurant will open in stages, rolling out their drive thru window for take out, and then adding lunch and dinner over the next few weeks.

[All Sala And Betty Coverage]

Photo: Sala And Betty/Facebook

Counter 3.Five.VII

Location: 315 Congress Suite 100
Players: Eric Earthman, Lawrence Kocurek
Projected Opening: Winter/Spring 2015

This tiny restaurant below Swift's Attic will focus on bridging the gap between diners and chefs. They'll serve, as their complicated name suggests, three, five, and seven course tasting menus, with a unique style of service and layout designed to showcase the chefs' talents.

[All Counter 3.Five.VII Coverage]

Photo: Counter 3.Five.VII/Facebook

Small Victory

Location: 108 E. 7th
Players: Josh Loving, Brian Stubbs
Projected Opening: Early 2015

Longtime cocktail veteran and ice expert Josh Loving partnered with industry pro Brian Stubbs to open the city's most anticipated bar of 2015. The tiny 800 square foot space previously housed Mike's Pub, and if renovations proceed smoothly, Loving expects to open this winter. In addition to cocktails, Small Victory will have a serious focus on sherry, wine, and bar snacks.

[All Small Victory Coverage]

Vox Table

Location: Lamar Union
Players: Joe Anguiano, Vincent Manguino
Projected Opening: February 2015

One of the first restaurants to open in Lamar Union, Vox Table will serve small plates with Spanish and French influences. Expect a serious cocktail menu, too.

[All Vox Table Coverage]

Photo: Vox Table/Facebook

Prelog's

Location: Nueces & W. 3rd
Chefs: Florian Prelog 
Projected Opening: February 2015

Florian Prelog fell in love with Austin and left a successful career in Austria to open his restaurant downtown. The European-style restaurant will provide a Continental service style designed to foster interactions between chefs and customers.

[All Prelog's Coverage]

Photo: Meghan McCarron

Italic

Location: 6th and Colorado
Players: Andrew Curren, Craig Collins
Projected Opening: March 2015

The rapidly expanding ELM Group will open their first Italian restaurant in the historic Starr Building later this year. The restaurant will serve pizzas, pasta, and a 100% Italian wine list in a space inspired by the Starr Building's midcentury modern architecture.

[All Italic Coverage]

Rendering courtesy of Italic

Al Fico

Location:1700 E. 2nd
Players: Jeff Courington
Projected Opening: Spring 2015

This very long-in-the-works project from the owner of Vino Vino is finally gearing up to open (hopefully). The Italian restaurant will feature "Osteria-inspired" cooking, Roman-style wood fired pizza, and unusual Italian wines.

[All Al Fico Coverage]

Photo: Al Fico

Shake Shack

Location: Lamar Union & The Domain
Players: Union Square Hospitality Group, Danny Meyer
Projected Opening: Mid 2015

Austin has had a long wait for the stuff of next-generation fast food burger dreams. According to Shake Shack's Austin reps, both their Lamar Union and Domain locations are now slated for "mid-2015," definitely after SXSW. Perhaps that means the festival will feature another roving Shack truck this year?

[All Shake Shack Austin Coverage]

Via 313

Location: 6705 U.S. 290, Oak Hill
Players: Brandon Hunt, Zane Hunt
Projected Opening: "Shooting for" April 2015

Brothers and Detroit pizza geniuses Brandon and Zane Hunt have won hearts and stomachs across Austin with their two trailers. Their first restaurant in Oak Hill will continue to feature their iconic square-shaped pies, as well as new-to-Austin bar pies. They'll offer appetizers, salads, desserts, and booze, as well as a rotating selection of other pizza styles. Zane Hunt says, "We just want to strive to be a great neighborhood gathering place for pizza lovers of all ages.

[All Via 313 Coverage]

Photo: Via 313/Official

Lonesome Dove Austin

Location: 419 Colorado
Players: Tim Love 
Projected Opening: Spring 2015

Fort Worth chef and Austin Food & Wine Festival grill sergeant Tim Love will open a branch of his Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in downtown Austin. The Fort Worth original is a major tourist draw heavy on the wild game and rattlesnake-rabbit sausage.

[All Lonesome Dove Coverage]

Photo: Lonesome Dove in Fort Worth. Malcolm Mayhew/EDFW

Summer Preview

• Second Bar and Kitchen veteran Jason Stude is IN as executive chef of the massive Seaholm meat palace Boiler Nine Bar And Grill. The projected opening of that project from La Corsha Hospitality and David Bull is June 1, 2015.
• Juniper, a new Italian project on Cesar Chavez from Uchi veteran Nicholas Yanes, is slated for late spring or early summer.
• CANTINE, the new FINO/ASTI hybrid from Lisa and Emmett Fox, is still slated for Lamar Union, but the timing is difficult to predict, according to Lisa Fox.
• The ELM Group's next restaurant project, casual New American Irene's, should open in mid-summer.
• Shawn Cirkiel's Spanish restaurant Bullfight is also slated for late spring/summer on Airport.