Home Slice’s South Austin Location Closes for Now Because More Staffers Tested Positive for COVID-19

Home Slice Closes Another Location Because of COVID-19
Austin pizzeria Home Slice temporarily closed its South Congress restaurant because two staffers from that location have tested positive for COVID-19. The two employees, who were in contact during off-work hours, and haven’t been in the restaurant for approximately five to seven days before Tuesday, May 12, according to the Facebook post. The South Congress restaurant is closed as of yesterday through Sunday, May 17. The space will be deep cleaned during this time, and employees will still be paid.

This is right when Home Slice reopened its North Loop location, which had to close because an employee tested positive for the virus earlier this month. Both restaurants haven’t opened for any form of dine-in service and are sticking to takeout and delivery services.

An Austin Best New Chef
There’s an Austin name within Food & Wine’s latest best new chefs, announced yesterday: Tavel Bristol-Joseph, the executive pastry chef of New American restaurant Emmer & Rye, live-fire restaurant Hestia, tapas bar Kalimotxo, fast-casual spot Henbit, and Israeli food stand TLV. This is the first year that pastry chefs were included in the list.

Different Format for Austin Restaurants Week
Austin Restaurant Weeks, where local restaurants typically offered prix fixe menus to benefit the Central Texas Food Bank, is taking a different form this year. Called Feed It Forward, people will be able to make $5 donations to the Central Texas Food Bank when ordering takeout and delivery from participating restaurants. This includes food, drinks, and groceries from places like Kome, Dai Due, Nixta, and Colleen’s Kitchen. It started on Friday, May 8 and there is no end date. Tito’s is also matching the donations raised up to $10,000.

Another Distillery Producing Hand Sanitizer
Fledging distillery Barton & Fitz (from promotional branding product company Iconic Imprint) is now producing, selling, and shipping hand sanitizer through its website. It is donating ten percent of its sales to the Center of Disaster Philanthropy and the Central Texas Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (people can choose their preferred organization).