Japanese-Style Coffee Shop Sa-Ten’s Airport Boulevard Location Is Closing

Sa-Tén Coffee and Eats announced it would be closing its location on Airport Boulevard earlier this year as it could no longer renew the lease. Its last day of operation is Saturday, May 27, but fans of the shop can at least find solace in the fact that the location at 916 Springdale, Building 3, Suite 101 at Canopy in East Austin will remain open.

Project Pollo acquired by National Chain

Side Chicks and all Project Pollo locations, except for the one in Rosewood, will be gone soon. In an Instagram post, owner Lucas Bradbury said that by Sunday, April 30 all the buildings, staff, and infrastructure would be turned over to an undisclosed national chain. In response to a comment asking for clarification on the matter, Bradbury wrote that “basically, they wanted everything we had built except for the vegan food.” As stated earlier, Bradbury did not say which national chain was behind the purchase, but one could guess what nationwide non-vegan chains might be interested in restaurant space, equipment, and employees prepared to sell fried chicken out of the gate.

The post, now with limited comments, is full of people very angry with Bradbury for “selling out” on account of him selling his vegan restaurant to a company that will likely have real chicken on its menu. There are also people wondering what to do with their gift cards with such short notice. Bradbury was recently on an episode of Shark Tank in which all of the sharks were weary of how quickly Project Pollo was scaling as a business.

Spirit Cooler Bill Gets Hearing in Texas House.

As the popularity of drinks like High Noon grows, so does the fight for them to be sold freely in Texas. On Tuesday, April 11, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) testified before the Texas House Licensing and Administration Committee. The hearing was to express support of House Bill 2200 which would allow ready-to-drink cocktails and seltzers made with distilled spirits, or “spirit coolers,” to be sold in grocery and convenience stores in Texas. Current Texas law does not allow spirits in any form to be sold in those locations no matter what the actual alcohol percentage is. Only beer, wine, and malt beverages can be purchased at your local 7-Eleven or H-E-B. The proposed bill would allow spirit coolers that have an alcohol content of 17 percent by volume and below to be sold in the same locations where all other alcoholic beverages are sold, not just bars, restaurants, and liquor stores.

In a press release, DISCUS noted that one of its lobbyists, Dale Szyndrowski, said in a testimony that “alcohol is alcohol,” and “it makes no difference if it is made from fermented sugar, malted barley, wine or grain spirits. It’s not the type of alcohol you drink, simply how much alcohol you drink.” A companion bill, SB 1288, has also been introduced to the Texas Senate.

New American restaurant coming to Southwest Austin

A new restaurant called the Local is coming to Southwest Austin. It will be located at 9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 120, in between JuiceLand and Oak Park Dental. The Local will focus on food like burgers, sandwiches, and brunch. The restaurant is slated to open sometime this summer or in early fall, but in the meantime, owners Nate and Tiff Wales are running a food truck called the Local Auxiliary at the Colton House Hotel at 2510 South Congress Ave.

De-stress at Lucky Lab Coffee Co.’s annual Party

Lucky Lab Coffee Co. is hosting its annual Stress Relief Party from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. The event is meant to usher in the spring and send off students at the University of Texas well wishes for finals week. According to a press release, this year’s celebration will include $1 cold brews, live music, a build-your-own flower bouquet truck, a puppy photo booth, and raffle prizes. Proceeds from the event will go to the Heart Of Texas Lab Rescue and tickets are available to purchase online for $5.