Austin British Cafe Full English Is Closing This Month

British cafe and tea spot Full English is closing in the Westgate neighborhood this month. Its last day of service will be on Sunday, July 19. Food truck Vegan Yacht is going to take over the 2000 Southern Oaks Drive address, turning it into its first physical restaurant, opening on Saturday, August 1.

Full English had to close because “it recently became clear that we could not afford to continue” during the novel coronavirus pandemic and dining restrictions, as co-owners Alice and Shadrach Smith explained in the Instagram post. Already the couple were struggling to stay afloat before the pandemic, as they explained to Eater via email. “Also, it didn’t make sense that the city shut down restaurants, but didn’t offer a grant program until five months later,” they added.

For now, Full English remains open for takeout and third-party deliveries (including Favor) until its closing date. It will also sell off items from the restaurant, such as tea pots, at some point. There are no plans to reopen in the future, but the Smiths are open to partnering with someone who is interested. The social media feeds will remain active, sharing British news, recipes, and cultural tidbits.

To help finance Vegan Yacht’s first brick-and-mortar, co-owners Mike and Danielle Woods launched a GoFundMe campaign. They have plans to expand the menu (baked goods, soft serve) with additional staffers and hours. They’re looking to raise $30,000. Currently, Vegan Yacht’s truck is found in the parking lot of Full English.

The couple opened Full English in 2010. The restaurant was known for its high tea services, British-style breakfasts, bangers, breakfast sandwiches (aka butties), fish and chips, and pastries. The Woods opened Vegan Yacht in 2010 as well, focusing on vegan fare such as its array of burritos, including the freeto made with tempeh chili, organic corn chips, vegan cheese; bowls with tempeh or Mexican soy curls; and more.

Update, July 7, 11:33 a.m. This article, originally published on July 7, has been updated to include comments from the Full English co-owners.

• Full English [Instagram]
• Vegan Yacht [Facebook]
• The Vegan Yacht brick and mortar coming soon! [GoFundMe]
• All Coverage of Full English [EATX]
• All Coverage of Vegan Yacht [EATX]