Local Soup and Smoothie Shop Is Opening in Central East Austin

Austin Soup Shop Expands
Austin mini-chain Soup Peddler, known for its, well, soups, smoothies, and juices, is opening a new location in Central East Austin at 1401 Rosewood Avenue. The address had previously been home to next-door neighbor East Side Pie’s market, the Side Spot Superette, which opened in May 2019 and closed earlier this January. The new Soup Peddler is aiming to open in late August with to-go and curbside pickup services. Its hours will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. This is the company’s seventh Austin location.

Cell-Based Barbecue?
Austin startup BioBQ is aiming to grow “cell-based barbecue,” as reported by Austin Inno, which means the company wants to create meat that is sourced from cells as opposed to live animals. Co-founder and CEO Katie Kam began the company in 2018, and started working with Janet Zoldan, an assistant professor of cellular and biomolecular engineering at University of Texas at Austin, in 2019. So far, they’ve been working on creating beef jerky and beef brisket. The company also applied for funding through National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research program, though it isn’t guaranteed it will receive the money.

Checking in With Taste of Ethiopia
Austin Chronicle checked in with Ethiopian restaurant Taste of Ethiopia owner Woinee Mariam. She noted that the restaurant was extremely busy in June after she almost couldn’t pay rent, as lists of Black-owned businesses, which includes her own, were being published and shared. She had opened the original location in Pflugerville in 2008, and expanded onto South Congress in 2016. Both locations are currently only open for takeout and delivery services.

Forthcoming New Downtown Bar
A new bar is taking over the former grounds of Mexican restaurant El Naranjo at 85 Rainey Street. Idle Hands is aiming to open sometime this summer, which presumably means this month. Expect a tropical aesthetic, a patio, and, according to its website, a live steel drum band performing during Sunday brunch service.

Austin Company Helps Restaurants and Bars Create Merch
Restaurant and bar merchandise has become a popular way of supporting these businesses during a time of social distancing, and clothing/design/screen printing shop Fine Southern Gentlemen has stepped up to help. As Austin Monthly reported, owner Justin Weems started the Austin Will Survive campaign, where businesses, restaurants, and bars could submit designs to the company, and it would create and sell the shirts at no charge for the businesses.. This includes Hotel Vegas and Kinda Tropical.

Frozen Açai Bowl Company
Austin smoothie and açaí bowl spot Blenders and Bowls is venturing out with a ready-to-eat frozen smoothie bowl company. Flavors will include the O.G. with açai, strawberry, banana, and apple juice; Magic Dragon with dragon fruit, pineapple, banana, and coconut water; the Sesher with açai, banana, almond, blueberries, cacao, and peanut butter; among others. Bowls, Inc. will debut in October 2020.