Uchi and Franklin’s Asian Smokehouse Loro Is Hiring

— Loro, the Asian smokehouse from Uchi/chef Tyson Cole and pitmaster Aaron Franklin is now hiring. The restaurant is looking for front and back of house staffers, including cooks, butchers, meat cutters, servers, bartenders, and more. There is an online application process or interested people can visit the restaurant. Loro is projected to open in late March.

— Pluckers Wing Bar opens a new restaurant out in Oak Hill starting on Monday, February 5. It will be found on 7101 West Highway 71, Suite E19. The menu will be the same as the others: an array of chicken wings and sauces, plus other items like fried pickles and fully loaded burgers. This is the Austin restaurant’s seventh location.

— Austin Java is opening up its Dripping Springs cafe on Thursday, February 1 out on 3799 East Highway 290. While the Austin mini-chain closed down its original location off North Lamar Boulevard last fall, this expansion is one of four planned for Austin Java, including out on Manchaca Road, near the airport, and on East Riverside.

— Two out-of-town chefs are coming to Austin to cook for brunch festival Breakfast Bash for No Kid Hungry on Saturday, February 17. Nashville’s Ryan Poli from Catbird is partnering with the event’s co-chair Amanda Rockman of New Waterloo (who just recently beat Bobby Flay on his television show) and chef Timon Balloo of Sugarcane (with locations in Las Vegas, New York, and Miami) is working with co-chair Bryce Gilmore. General tickets are $85, whereas VIP tickets are $125, and the event runs from noon to 4 p.m. at the Fair Market.

— Designers Chris McCray and Grace Hall shared their favorite restaurant decor details that the team has worked on like Picnik’s lights and the funky wall of kitschy items at Kemuri. The pair also revealed working on established restaurants opening new restaurants.