Three Austin Restaurant Closures to Know

SOUTH LAMAR — It looks like Arista Rosso, the market-slash-restaurant from the people behind coffee shop mini-chain Barley Bean, is no longer. A staffer from restaurant’s home, mixed-use development Lamar Union, confirmed the shutter, and, while the website is still active, calls to the restaurant went unanswered.

When Artista opened in August 2018, the marketplace offered products like cheese, wine, beer, coffee, tea, etc. whereas the restaurant aspect operated under the “everything but the kitchen sink” method: there were Italian small plates, tacos, sandwiches, crepes, cannolis, etc., etc. Co-owner Mohit Mehra and chef Jennifer Coffman opened another restaurant within Lamar Union in February: the Connection Pizza + Bar, in the former Vox Table space, which remains open. (1100 South Lamar Boulevard)

DOWNTOWN — After the death of Moonfire Lounge owner Ian R. Weightman on June 17, the downtown cocktail bar closed several days later. Because the passing and shutter were sudden, there is a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for the now-unemployed bar staff. (310 Colorado Street)

ALLANDALE — Gluten-free chicken and waffle restaurant Wild Chix & Waffles is still closed as of late April. The reason for the seemingly temporary shutter is because the restaurant wanted “to improve the quality of our menu,” as noted in its last Facebook post on April 29. According to Yelp, it is aiming to reopen in December.

This isn’t the first time the Burnet Road restaurant closed for changes. It was originally known as coffee shop and waffle bar the Factory when it opened in October 2016. It added the Wild Chix aspect to the Factory space in October 2017. The Factory portion was completely nixed in September 2018, and then Wild Chix temporarily closed in mid-November 2018 in order to become a completely gluten-free restaurant in December 2018. (7714 Burnet Road)

• All Austin Restaurant Closings [EATX]