Southwestern Restaurant Chain Z’Tejas Is Closing Original Austin Location

After 33 years, Austin-founded restaurant chain Z’Tejas is closing its original location in Clarksville permanently, as reported by Austin Business Journal (ABJ). The restaurant at 1110 West Sixth Street will close in March 2023.

Owner Randy Cohen told the publication that the closure is because the building is so old that the cost of repairs is prohibitively more than any other location. “[Y]ou’re spending all your time putting Band-Aids on something when I don’t own a property — it’s not cost-effective to do the things you want to do,” he said.

ABJ notes that restaurateur Larry McGuire of sprawling company McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality owns the land, which means it’s likely that the group will turn the space into a new restaurant, as per its modus operandi (see: nearby Sweetish Hill into Swedish Hill, Cafe Josie into Pecan Square Cafe, etc.).

The original Z’ Tejas opened in 1989 with chef Jack Gilmore, now of Jack Allen’s Kitchen, as the head chef. The chain just opened another restaurant in Avery Ranch to replace to the location that closed in the Arboretum, is opening a new location in Kyle, and has two other locations in Phoenix. Cohen told ABJ he hopes to open another downtown location.

Update 8/15: This article has been updated to reflect that Z’Tejas will close in March 2023.