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.
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March 16, 2020
SXSW-Adjacent Food and Drink Events That Are Still Happening in Austin
Concerts with drinks, a vegan/vegetarian food festival with online cooking demos, and two panels
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March 13, 2020
Austin Restaurants Offering Specials on Food and Drink Intended for SXSW
Plentiful cookies and soju so far
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March 13, 2020
How Austin Is Supporting the Local Service Industry After SXSW’s Cancellation
Crowdfunding campaigns and bar events
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March 11, 2020
Here’s a List of Austin Venues Affected by SXSW’s Cancellation
Restaurants, bars, hotels, and the such that are without planned events, dinners, etc. that were scheduled during the ten-day festival
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March 6, 2020
SXSW Is Canceled Because of Coronavirus, and Austin Restaurants Are Bracing for Impact
The city of Austin has finally decided to cancel SXSW. Restaurant owners and service workers are just beginning to tally up the cost.
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March 6, 2020
Two-Michelin-Starred Nordic Restaurant SXSW Pop-Up Is Canceled Because of Novel Coronavirus Concerns
Kadeau will open a temporary lakeside grilling restaurant