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East Austin bar Craftsman is now closed as of today, Wednesday, August 14, according to a notice on its front door on 2000 East Cesar Chavez Street in the Holly neighborhood. Owner Brandon Testa confirmed the shutter to Eater because of increasing property taxes and the number of offers he has received for the bar.
While Testa sold Craftsman as a business, he kept ownership of the address. He’s leasing the space to new operators who will open an as-of-yet unnamed project, which presumably include some sort of bar aspect at the very least.
Testa opened the bar in an actual converted 1920s bungalow house in April 2015, maintaining the structure’s wraparound porch and back patio. The bar featured an outdoor tiki bar in the backyard. He previously worked for downtown bar Speakeasy.
Food truck-wise, the bar had been home to Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ’s now-shuttered taco truck Violet Taco, Hawaiian-inspired truck Alley Cat from Mongers chef Shane Stark (now found next door at Stay Gold), and more recently, Boteco Espeteria from Brazilian truck Boteco.
- All Coverage of Craftsman [EATX]
