How Austin Restaurants Are Dealing With SXSW’s Cancellation Over Coronavirus Concerns

South by Southwest (SXSW), by far Austin’s biggest festival covering technology, films, music, and culture taking place every March, is canceled for the first time in 34 years because of the novel coronavirus outbreak (aka COVID-19) across the world. The impact of the cancellation on Austin will be tremendous, given that the festival typically generates millions of dollars for the local economy, which includes the city’s restaurants, bars, food trucks, and venues. With the loss of major revenue — buyouts canceled, catering gigs lost, no more reliable foot traffic, etc. — here is how Austin restaurants are reacting to the cancellation.