Beer Bar Flying Saucer Austin Is Closing

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, the craft beer bar in the Triangle, is closing its Austin location. Its last day will be on New Year’s Day, Monday, January 1. However, co-owner Shannon Wynne is looking for a new Austin location for Flying.

“The landscape of the restaurant industry is changing rapidly across the nation,” co-owner Shannon Wynne said in a statement. “And, unfortunately, the Texas beer industry was introduced to topsy-turvy legislation which has harmed our Austin Saucer significantly, as well as hundreds of retailers across the state.” Financially, it didn’t make sense to operate the location anymore.

Eater reached out to Wynne, and he clarified that he was referring to the fact that breweries can now sell its own beer.

Beerknurds, the name for Flying Saucer’s U.F.O. Club members, who are in the running to receive plates commemorating their 200th beer at the bar, will be able to pick those up on Saturday, January 6, as well as have one last beer.

Flying noted that its employees will be able to transfer to another Flying Saucer location if they should so choose to.

Flying Saucer opened the Austin bar ten years ago. The original location debuted in Fort Worth in 1995, and grew with 16 bars across the country, with six other locations in Texas.

This article has been updated to clarify the type of legislation Wynne mentioned.

• All Coverage of Flying Saucer Austin [EATX]