Austin is getting a new doughnut and diner food truck with the debut of Republic Donuts and Republic Diner at 2427 Webberville Road starting sometime in early November. Mornings will be focused on doughnuts, while evenings will switch over to the diner menu.
Update, November 26: Both Republic Donuts and Republic Diner are now open.
Owner Paul Sedillo has always been interested in doughnuts. “We want to elevate the doughnut game in Austin,” he told Eater. “We do not want the doughnuts to sit past an hour, as it will lose the magic of that freshly made bite.”
Various doughnut flavors will include pecan pie and peach cake. Plus there will be boozy options, like bourbon vanilla glaze, a five-spice one with whiskey-marinated apples and boozy butterscotch. The small morning menu will change every week.
Republic Donuts won’t use pre-made mix, syrups, or glazes. Sedillo is working with Miche Bread’s Sandeep Gyawali on recipes for doughnuts made with mesquite flour.
Republic Donuts have already tested out its sweets already with pop-ups at Kitty Cohen’s and Southern Heights Brewing. Currently, Republic’s doughnuts are on the menu over at Nickel City’s The Simpsons-themed cocktail menu.
Then, Republic Diner will feature a diner-style menu. The signature burger comes with one-fourth pound of beef griddled with white onions, plus American cheese and dill pickles, all within a potato roll from Martin’s. Then there will be pimento cheese sandwiches, a variety of melts from mushroom to tuna, Frito pie, chicken fried steak sandwiches, twice-fried tater tots, French toast, eggplant parms, and more. The truck will also serve up weekend breakfast with egg and sausage sandwiches, plus those doughnuts.
Sedillo, who opened Houston fast-casual fried chicken and champagne restaurant the Chicken Ranch in 2014, is teaming up with chef James Durham, who has been a sous chef at Austin restaurants like Bufalina, Salt & Time, and Max’s Wine Dive.
Republic Donuts’ hours will be from 7 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Sunday. Republic Diner’s dinner hours will be from 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesday and Thursday; 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday; 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday; and then from 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday. Weekend breakfast is served from 7 a.m. to noon.
- Republic Donuts [Instagram]
- Republic Diner [Instagram]