Longtime Dive Bar Hole In The Wall In Danger of Shuttering

On the heels of Lala’s reopening, the cherished campus dive bar and music venue Hole in the Wall might potentially close down next year due to a rent increase. Owner Will Tanner told Austin360 that he found out his landlord, Weitzman Group/Cencor Realty Services, was courting chain restaurants for the Guadalupe building.

While Tanner would like to try to raise money for rent, the group didn’t disclose how much the hike would be. He said, "I emailed my staff and said it doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to go forward," but the closure isn’t set in stone. He might look for a new location if he can find something appropriate. The dive bar’s ten-year lease ends on January 30, 2016. A UT professor started a petition to urge the city to landmark the bar. There is no word on what would happen to Paul Qui’s ramen-obsessed East Side King branch within the bar, which opened in 2012.

Hole in the Wall opened in 1974 and soon became a crucial spot for live music, hosting acts like Townes Van Zandt, Fastball, and Spoon. Tanner, who also co-owns Stay Gold, took over the space in 2008.

Eater reached out to Hole in the Wall and East Side King for further comment. Watch this space for updates.

Update, September 14, 1:30 p.m.: There is no comment on what would happen to East Side King if Hole in the Wall were to shut down. Scott Freid, partner of Weitzman Group/Cencor Realty, spoke to The Statesman about the lease, citing that Tanner hadn't been maintaining the building and that the group isn't actively looking for new tenants.