AUSTIN culinary experience
in this issue page 8 - the cherry on top page 14 - a sip of austin page 20 - putting austin on a plate page 26 - food trucks of austin page 32 - taste of austin
Table of C 6 - Meet the Editors 8 - The Cherry on Top 12 - Desserts in Austin 14 - A Sip of Austin 18 - Coffee Shop Personality Quiz 20 - Putting Austin on a Plate
24 - Have You Heard? 26 - Food Trucks of Austin 30 - Food Trucks Around Austin
Contents 32 - Taste of Austin 36 - What Food Would Suit You?
Image Courtesy of Nitya Shah
MEET THE
editors! DEDEEPYA
Dedeepya is a lover of art, reading, and delicious food. In her free time she creates art pieces, attempts many food endeavors, and swims for LASA. Dedeepya is really interested in local bakeries and ice cream shops, and hopes to use this magazine as a way to expand on that interest. When asked about her future career, Dedeepya said, “I will be rich, no objections”.
FLORA
Flora Stern, an avid fan of baking and crocheting. She loves quality time with her 2 dogs, Charles and Oliver. She is a highly talented individual who is carrying this group. She vehemently denies her immense talent, but in reality it is Flora’s way of humble bragging.
CHRISTIAN
Christian Bohmer is a high-school freshman attending LASA High School. He runs for fun (most of the time) and is on the LASA Cross Country and Track teams. Christian also does policy debate, which is the number one reason he has no social life. He has a lot of hobbies, none of which he has time for, including cooking, reading, and listening to all genres of music (not including country, it’s not a real genre).
LUKAS
Lukas Olavson is a 9th grader at LASA high school. In his free time he enjoys playing soccer, bike riding with his friends, watching Netflix, and spending time with his two dogs. Lukas is passionate about the food culture in Austin, and has decided to make his article about the best food trucks in the city. He says he has no clue which career he wants to pursue, but he knows he wants to be wealthy and able to travel a lot in the future.
ARYAN
Aryan loves playing guitar, jazz band, and saxophone. He attempts to play basketball in his free time, but being realistic, like Christian, he doesn’t have any free time. He is interested in fried chicken, and hopes to use his feature story as a fun way to connect with that love. Aryan’s favorite subject is geography, and he enjoys being a freshman at LASA, which is a rare quality for freshmen at LASA.
Enjoy the magazine!
P a s lat ep so e o ic r tm f a ur e c e. n h . t o oc f i ola ce t cr e s e a ou m ffle fla a vo cc r s om .P p ho a n to ied by b ul y a te n r io r
THE CHERRY ON TOP T
An inside look at the everyday challenges and routines of local Austin Bakeries! Written by Dedeepya Rudraraju
he molten chocolate scorching an eager tongue, awaiting the joy from a delicious Austin treat. This tends to be a common experience for Austin citizens due to the vast amount of dessert shops populating this growing city. As a thriving city full of sweet lovers, Austin is home to countless local bakeries with creative menus and diverse themes. The Austin dessert scene has emerged with a multitude of community
businesses, especially in the past decade. With over 1000 unique bakeries, local desserts have come to be a significant part of Austin’s appeal and culture. When asking various local bakery managers, many expressed their love for their job due to their passion for treats and the innumerable opportunities present in this growing city. “It’s just really nice to have a business where you’re doing something that is making people happy,” said
Dawn Hennessey, manager of Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop. “Every time I come in, there are different customers popping in and we get to see so many different cakes that are being made. It just doesn’t feel monotonous like other jobs do.” Managing a bakery is a dream job for countless. Alot of people believe that running a bakery simply consists of finding a location, selling some treats, and gaining immediate success. Despite the
common misconception that focusing on the classic chocolate revenue, fundraisers are also a this endeavor is exceedingly easy, chip cookies. “The key is to make great way to give back to the Austin challenges and obstacles have sure we have a good amount of staff community and help those in need. actually proved to be a constant while also keeping our labor costs “We really pride ourselves on our in dessert management. “There low enough that our operations support of local farmers and Texas are hiccups constantly,” said can continue,” said Hennessey. artisans and have raised $50,000 Anthony Sobotik, founder and “It’s just hard to keep extra people for local nonprofit organizations” co-owner of Lick Honest Ice around when we don’t have a lot said Sobotik. “These families have Cream. “But building a strong of extra hours on the regular.” owned and operated their farms team and persevering through One way that bakery owners can for generations and are some of the those challenges together lends overcome the difficulty of numbers kindest, hardest working people to an even greater sense of is through advertising. Gaining you will ever meet. The Austin accomplishment that’s shared by recognition in Austin is crucial for community was so welcoming to the entire team.” It’s well us when known that the supportive we first Austin community and moved shared passion for desserts here and makes it possible to flourish opened and succeed. Austin is up our described as a city with shops, various hotspots and a rising we want popularity for delicious to make treats. It truly is one of the sure best places to start a bakery. we are “Our biggest challenges always currently are hiring enough giving staff and working around back.” Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop, a thriving local bakery, sells treats to sweet the uncertainties in the supply chain,” said Sobotik. lovers in Austin, Texas. Photo By Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake. According While Austin contains an to popular overflowing population, staffing a successful business, whether it’s local bakery managers, some of the has actually proved to be difficult through ads or campaigns. Social best local non-profit organizations for a lot of new bakery owners due media accounts, connecting with are Austin Pets Alive, Ronald to the competition between the food bloggers, creating a clean McDonald House, Urban Roots, various bakeries in Austin. Finding website, and bringing samples to and the Central Texas Food Bank. the specific type of people that events are great ways to promote a Another hurdle many bakery would suit a particular bakeries business. “We’ve definitely tried to owners encounter is creating a aura in such a large city can be make sure that we do a lot to kind successful dessert menu. Many burdensome. Additionally, most promote ourselves and make sure owners struggle in deciding bakery owners are specific in that we stay relevant in the city as it whether to go for the classics or their hunt and prefer a long-term, continues to grow,” said Hennessey. unique flavors never tasted before. dedicated staff with workers who In reality, a mixture of both can are consistent and reliable. “Getting be described as ideal to reel in people to work for you can also customers. “Focusing on just a be quite challenging because you specific flavor or dessert has flaws,” want to really have that great said Hennessey. “Classics are a great environment that they’ll want A common approach, and one of way to start off a menu and play to stay in,” said Elisia Velasquez, the best, that many bakery owners it safe, but there’s nothing major owner and founder of Teddy utilize is fundraising. While they that’ll distinguish us from other V. Patisserie, a dessert business bring in more customers and places.” Popular dessert shops are
“This way, the staff will come to us.”
mainly known for a specific item on their menu or a special type of dessert. However, there’s always a chance that a customer will dislike this new dessert or flavor due to its uniqueness. Despite this, it’s still better to go with a unique flavor to separate a specific bakery from others. For example, local Austin bakery Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop has a menu consisting of various iconic Austin flavors. “We have 12
one of the many things that tends to differ from owner to owner. Most owner’s focus on managing and staffing rather than helping out in the kitchen themselves due to their jam-packed schedule. According to Dawn Hennessey, a typical morning in the life of a bakery manager consists of various activities that can include invoicing, dealing with catering inquiries, managing payrolls, and scheduling.
Local Bakeries accomodate Covid-19 regulations in effort to keep everyone safe through social distancing. Photo By Brechtbug.
different flavors with a lot of classic ones on the menu right now and we make dozens of those every day,” said Hennessey. “But we also follow the Austin style of taking a classic and making it weird. We love creating unique savory flavors that customers won’t find anywhere else.”Overall, many bakery owners have claimed that it’s essential to find some unique flavors/treats that’ll make customers come back for more. Each bakery will have a unique menu and theme, bringing different types of people together despite this over a shared joy of sweets. Additionally, every bakery will function a bit differently. The daily routine of different bakeries is
“It really depends on the day of the week, but a lot of times it’s just administrative things for most of what I do,” said Velasquez. “And then a lot of times if it’s like later in the week, I’ll spend time up at the front of the store, helping make boxes or box up orders and just kind of doing regular production. It’s just based on what needs to be done.” The dessert business life is a chaotic one, albeit a fun one. However, the biggest challenge so far has been the impact of the recent pandemic. Bakeries have encountered several difficulties in managing, but this one really takes the cake. The widespread effect of Covid-19 has forced
various bakery owners to adapt to the challenge of social distancing. Many opted for an online ordering system in hopes of staying afloat during the difficult times of 2020. While the measures and protocols have become less severe, the uncertainties in the supply chain and aftereffects still remain today. Many local businesses vyed to get their dessert products implemented into local grocery stores and sold things such as butter and eggs themselves in hopes of revenue. “While keeping our original menu, we also tried mixing up what we sell to fit with what’s going on in the world,” said Hennessey. It was a challenging time all over the world, but now the impact is gradually lessening as people attempt to go back to their normal lives. However, the changes made during the pandemic will remain for future generations in bakeries due to their practicality in the modern world today. The extra sanitary precautions and technology oriented techniques that the lockdown brought have shown not only to be advantageous for the future, but also makes managing a lot easier. The rampant spread of Covid-19 has proven the significance of sanitary measures and staying clean. A polished environment prevents the risk of food contamination which can be disastrous to a business’s image. “We follow all of the local and state health codes, especially because of the pandemic,” said Sobotik. “One way we do that is by sending swabs of our equipment and our products out to an independent lab for testing every week to ensure that they are free of any pathogens.” The type of environment created,
both physical and personal, is extremely important in welcoming and drawing in customers. Before, the future was uncertain and unknown for dessert businesses. Now, many managers aspire to expand throughout the husting city and gain more storefronts due to more public contact as the virus dwindles. Over the pandemic, the rate of migration is still rising even after making up more than a third of Austin’s population. Launching more than one storefront is challenging and takes a lot of resources. There’s always room for growth, but focusing on a specific location is a priority. The concept of quality over quantity is
extremely applicable to running a bakery. Whether it’s through mouth watering cookies, perfectly frosted cupcakes, or refreshing ice cream, all of these various businesses are just trying to make a positive impact on customers. At the end of the day, success is shown through the people that experienced joy through Austin treats, even if it was just a few. “I feel like mostly it’s just like a little special time for someone to just do some self care and indulge in something that they might not give themselves permission to have all the time,” said Hennessey. While it’s true that desserts aren’t the healthiest, the delight they bring to a
monotonous routine is undeniable. “We specialize in sharing joy with our cookies. One of the things that I love about them is I feel like they’re a real shared experience,” said Velasquez. “People are hardly ever hoarding cookies just for themselves. They’re always sharing them with other cookie monsters in their lives, like their best friends, sisters, mom, or dad.” And while people prefer just treating themselves, the bonds desserts can create are the heart of being a seller of desserts. The hardships of managing one of the many dessert shops in Austin is worth it from the love and happiness citizens face everyday as a customer.
A
DESSERTS IN In 2022, a survey among LASA students was conducted to find out what desserts were preferred the most in Austin. Using the information, a list for some of the best local Austin originated bakeries/dessert sellers was put together for tourists, austinites, and sweet lovers alike. Enjoy!
15% OF LASA STUDENTS PREFER CUPCAKES Two of the best Austin originated ice cream shops are Amy’s Ice Cream and Licks Honest Ice Cream!
56% OF LASA STUDENTS PREFER ICE CREAM
Many LASA students who preferred cupcakes said that it was because of the delicious frosting.
Austin Rudra a y p e e d e D S OURC
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A S A SU E: 2022 L
RV E Y
According to LASA student, “Cookies always make my day better!”
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Some of the must try cookies in Austin are from Tiffs Treats or Teddy V. Pâtisserie!
29% OF LASA STUDENTS PREFER COOKIES
Top view of some of the many drinks at Jo’s Coffee. Image courtesy of Alison Malborough.
A SIP OF AUSTIN A Look Into Some of Austin’s Local Coffee Shops By: Flora Stern
A
s you walk down the block, you have one thing on your mind: coffee. Well, your mind is going a mile a minute since you went to bed at 4 am, but the one thing that you can keep straight is that you desperately need coffee. Despite your ever-growing exhaustion and your extreme need for caffeine, you refuse to go to the coffee chain to your left. You’d much rather support a small, local coffee shop instead. You continue roaming down the street for what feels like an eternity until you finally arrive at a local Austin coffee shop. After your seemingly long and endless journey, you drink your coffee, but you peer out the window to see you only walked a block. At that moment, you are truly grateful that Austin is filled with many small coffee shops such as this one. Austin is packed with many amazing local coffee shops. Whether you are on South Congress, 6th Street, South Lamar, or anywhere else in Austin, there’s sure to be a nearby coffee shop just waiting
for you. Jo’s Coffee, which has locations throughout Austin, is one of these amazing local coffee shops. Known for their “i love you so much” mural, they have been established as an Austin staple. They truly embody the phrase, “Keep Austin Weird”. Coming to the scene in 1999, when the San Jose hotel opened, they have grown drastically to where they are today. They are now owned by the Bunkhouse hotel group, and five more hotels and many more Jo’s locations have joined. They have a large menu with quite a selection of foods and drinks to choose from. Their menu consists of well-known staples as well as seasonal drinks that rotate in and out. If that’s not enough to fill you up, they also have breakfast tacos which are perfect on the go. They exclusively use small, local roasters for their coffee.
As their demand has grown, they have had to find coffee roasters that can meet their demand. Though, they never stray from that principle and always find a way to bring you delicious, local coffee. Carolyn Garlock is the manager of the St. Edwards locations of Jo’s Coffee and the 2nd street location. She started out as a barista, but after some time, she was able to climb up the ladder to where she is today. Day-to-day she meets with the people from Bunkhouse, supports her staff, does event prep, helps with
scheduling, and does other general operating things. Garlock speaks highly of Jo’s and
during the summer, you can see the Congress Avenue bats. It’s perfect for working outside with a delicious cup of coffee or simply relaxing after a long, tiring day. The view is truly magical, especially in the evenings when the sun is setting and you get to look at all of the vibrant colors. Kenzie Bullock is the
Lake, we see a lot of active folks looking for quick, healthy drinks and bites. There is also a healthy appreciation of coffee here!” If you’re ever downtown and need some coffee, you should go check out Alta’s. Although, if downtown really isn’t your speed, another great, local-Austin coffee shop is Medici Roasting. Founded in 2006, they have many different locations all throughout Austin. They are certainly a coffee shop that has something for everyone.
Come to Jo’s - Carolyn Garlock was able to give lots of insight about Jo’s and how ir has grown. “Come to Jo’s” - Carolyn Garlock Another great Austin-local coffee shop that is definitely worth giving a visit is Alta’s Cafe. Located downtown, by the hike and bike trail and Lady Bird lake, people love to come to get a drink after a nice workout. There is no better feeling than drinking a delightful cup of coffee after going for a soothing morning walk, or eating some good pastries after an afternoon of kayaking. Alta’s has been a part of Austin since 2013 and has quite a nice selection of different foods and drinks to choose from. From their balcony, you have a gorgeous view of the kayakers on the lake and trail, and
general manager at Alta’s. She has been in the restaurant business for six years but joined Alta’s a little under a year ago. Bullock started out as the assistant manager and was able to work her way up to become the general manager. Day-to-day, she controls inventory, vendor relations, hiring, training, repair, and various other tasks. Bullock said, “As a cafe located on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail and Lady Bird
Iced coffee in front of foliage on the hike and bike trail. Image coourtesy of Flora Stern.
location. She has been working there for about a year and loves the friendly environment. Day-to-day she does things such as making coffee, working the register, helping out the customers, and anything else that needs to be done. Anders said that she would describe Medici’s atmosphere as “family-focused, homey, and cozy”. Anders also said that some of the atmospheres vary from location to location, and at the West Lynn location people in the neighborhood like to come to drink some coffee and work during the day. Iced cinnamon latte and iced tea from Caffe Medici on West Lynn. Image courtesy of Flora Stern.
They have a nice and pleasant indoor space to work as well as some comfortable outdoor seating options. On their menu, they have permanent drinks, such as their espresso, americano, and latte, as well as some rotating and seasonal drinks. Medici also changes some of its coffees and vendors every couple of months. In addition to their delicious coffee, you will also find a nice selection of baked goods, including their breakfast tacos, donuts, chocolate croissants, etc. Katherine Anders is a barista who works at the West Lynn
That’s just three of the countless number of coffee shops located in Austin. Austin is filled to the brim with dozens upon dozens of fantastic coffee shops. So, next time you wake up at four a.m. and are dramatically walking down the block, or you simply want a nice cup of coffee, be sure to check out the amazing local shops that this extraordinary city has to offer!
Which Coffee Shop Should You Try Next? By: Flora Stern
There are so many coffee shops in Austin. It’s even in the top 20 cities in the country for coffee shops. With all of those options, it can be hard to decide where you should go for your next cup of coffee. Take this quiz and find out which coffee shop you should go to next! Fact Credit: Austin American Statesman
1.
Which of the following best describes your aesthetic?
2. Which of the following best describes you?
a. Minimalistic and Calm
a. Sweet
b. Upbeat and Vintage
b. Cheerful
c. Cozy and Relaxed
c. Productive
d. Chill and Open
d. Calm
3. What do you like to do most at
4. What type of venue do you like best
coffee shops?
a. Talk and hangout with friends
for coffee shops? a. Very traditional
b. Interact with the Austin culture
b. Outdoor seating
c. Drink coffee and get work done
c. Cozy indoor and outdoor seating
d. Relax and drink some coffee
d. Indoors with outdoor seating
5. When you get your coffee, what do you like to eat on the side?
6. How important is it to you that the coffee shop hosts events?
a. Baked Goods
a. That part is less important to me
b. Breakfast Tacos
b. Very important
c. Desserts
c. Mildly important
d. Breakfast and Lunch Foods
d. Either way is fine
7. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? a. Seattle, Washington b. I’d stay in Austin c. Italy d. Portland, Oregon
8. Which of the following is your favorite color scheme? a. Black, White, and Brown b. Green and Red c. Browns, Tans, and White d. Blue, Dark Blue, and White
If you answered mostly A’s , you should check out:
If you answered mostly B’s , you should check out:
If you answered mostly C’s , you should check out:
If you answered mostly D’s , you should check out:
Summer Moon Coffee
Jo’s Coffee
Medici Roasting
Alta’s Cafe
putting
AUSTIN
on a plate
Wh at it t a ke s to b e k n ow n at a n at i on a l c u l i n ar y l e ve l : by c h r i s t i a n b o h m e r
I
n a city with thousands of restaurants, it can be impossible to stand out from the crowd. Uchi/Uchiko, Odd Duck, and other high end dining experiences across the city seek to change this. They want to elevate the experiences they offer and make a name, not just for themselves, but for the city of Austin. Since 2003, people across the state and nation have been drawn to Uchi and its sister restaurant Uchiko, both of which take a non-traditional stance on Japanese food. Chef Tyson Cole, a winner of the prestigious James Beard Award, first opened Uchi in a refurbished South Austin bungalow in 2003 and later unveiled Uchiko, which loosely translates to “offspring of Uchi”, in 2010. Since then Uchi has opened in Dallas, Denver, Houston, and Miami, along with an additional Uchiko location in Houston. When Uchi was first unveiled, as the word got out, the amazement grew. In the past, people had never associated Austin with the high-
end dining experience Uchi was offering. Even the type of food Uchi was offering seemed incredibly forgein and exciting. As Chris Whitman, the general manager at Uchiko, said, “Tyson created something special with Uchi, and there were a lot of talented people that wanted to learn and grow with Tyson.” This was precisely the reason Uchiko was created. Uchi, at the time, was just a single restaurant, a collection of the most talented people, and soon there were too many to be housed within a single restaurant. Whitman also said that,“He[Tyson] realized that to give these promising young chefs opportunities, he needed another restaurant.” Thus, Uchiko was created, just north of the original Uchi. Uchiko was meant to be something distinctly different, with bolder flavors and more colorful presentations. However, over the course of 12 years, it has started as one thing, but
has shifted into something else. Uchiko saw a significant amount of attention, a surprising amount for a sister restaurant that was already nationally recognized. Due to this increased popularity into what Uchiko was offering, Uchi shifted its offerings to closer align with the bolder foods and brighter flavors that were sought after. Overtime, this has caused the difference between the restaurants to be less profound, and more reminiscent of the atmospheres they offer. As Whitman states, “... as it evolved over the years, the distinction from Uchi isn’t really there anymore.” Another major difference between the two restaurants are their menus. They are in constant evolution, based
on collaborations between anyone at either restaurant. With seasonality in mind, they carefully craft menus based on collaborations between people from the front of house and back. One of the more unique aspects of Uchi/ Uchiko is that anyone working there can create dishes based off of flavors and ingredients they come across and are inspired by in their everyday lives. . “When something goes through the rigorous testing menu, it could be on the menu as soon as the next day”, said Whitman. This aims to ensure repeat customers always have a new, exciting experience to look forward to. An overarching goal of fine dining restaurants is to provide incredible food, but also a meaningful dining experience. When COVID-19 first hit the United States over two years ago, in March 2020, Hai Hospitality, the restaurant group that encompasses all of the Uchi/Uchiko locations knew they would have to adapt. With short notice, they enacted a new The food, service, curbside pickup system, keepand atmosphere ing them going of a restaurant when dining all work together rooms were to create the closed. public presence a What Hai Hospispatrestaurant has. lity probably could not have foreseen, was the positive reaction it
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modified from piece by Michael Tompsett
produced. However, as Chris Whit- ence a restaurant has. go with family to celebrate a speman made sure to note, “...now that cial milestone, and we had heard in person capacity is back to Another high end restaupositive things about Odd Duck 100%, the experience of rant located on South as an establishment, so we made sign outside Uchi, famous South guests in the restaurant Lamar, Odd Duck, has a a reservation”. People place a lot Austin location are the priority.” While it similar focus of emphasis on food, as they photo credit: is likely that curbside will on pre- should, but sometimes forget legdog continue to be part of the details that make eating out their business model, so enjoyable. it is obvious that Sometimes, two separate high end restaurestaurants will even rants prioritize collaborate on a shared the guests eatspace, bringing even ing inside the greater awareness restaurant. to the project. Kerry LanThis strategy can nin, a cussometimes help tomer at new restaurants Uchiko noted get on their that, “The feet quickly atmosphere felt and expand. relaxed, but soLoro, an Asian phisticated.” She smokehouse, also mentioned that is a collaborathe staff were attentive restaurant tive to small, meaningful by Aaron details, such as the amount senFranklin, of time between serving multiple tation. Head Chef dishes. “We ordered multiple cours- Christopher Warner, a customer at Franklin es which were served in an orderly coming from out of Austin, noted Barbesuccession”, said Lannin. This begs that, “The seating and interior felt que, an the crucial question, is the experivery polished, as if the restaurant internaence what makes high-end dining knew exactly what sort of design it tionally memorable, or is it just the food? was going for.” When asked reThe answer lies somewhere in the about why he chose Odd scottish salmon middle. The food, service, and Duck out of all the places and albacore tuna nigiri at Uchiko atmosphere of a restaurant all work in Austin, he explained photo credit: together to create the public presthat, “We decided to Christian Bohmer
nowned smokery, and Tyson Cole. Due to the high-profile nature behind both founders, Loro became an instant success with two new locations created in just four years. Overall, several strategies utilized by many different restaurants have had a profound impact on how Austin cuisine has been developed and recognized across the nation. Whether establishments are creating bolder flavors to entice customers, or
edamamee at Uchiko, lightly salted
photo credit: yi
building up the physical space they occupy, they want to make a name for themselves. Based on the perception of Austin being a culinary capital, they have achieved that, and the best is yet to come.
sushi roll at Uchi, with spider-soft shell crab
photo credit: kimberlykv
Have You Heard? Designed By: Christian Bohmer
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A Peek Into Food Truck Culture By Lukas Olavson
Introduction Austin is a city with a rich food culture, and every city with a rich food culture always has many food trucks. Food trucks play a massive role in the culinary climate of Austin, with some businesses having been in Austin for over fifty years. Austin has been the birthplace of some incredibly successful restaurants such as Torchy’s Tacos and Uchi. Some of Austin’s quality food trucks are a must try for tourists and locals alike. Heavily overshadowed by stereotypes about food truck cuisine not being tasty and Austin’s many other quality restaurants, many delicious food trucks are missed by the eyes of locals.
Some Pros and Cons From Current Owners There are some pros and cons of running a food truck, but I think the pros outweigh the cons. One pro is the versatility that you can’t get with a restaurant establishment. With a food truck you can freely move locations that might attract more business such as sporting events and festivals. Michael Franklin, owner of The Heart of Texas Smokehouse food truck says that he “moves to different parks almost every weekend. I mostly stay here in Austin, but every once in a while I will go down to Round Rock, Pflugerville, and San Antonio.” This next one can be a pro or con depending on your personality, but if you are a social person a food truck will be great for you. Owning a food truck
allows you to more directly interact with the community and meet new people. “Taking the time to ask your customers about themselves and learn about them is something that makes the business a lot more enjoyable,” says Jeff Blank, owner of Mighty Cone food truck.
Interested in Starting One? Here Are Some Tips From Current Owners.
Effects of COVID
Starting a food truck can be complicated, and it is a big risk to take. During an interview with Phoenix, the owner of Smokin Banh Mi, he said “The most important thing when preparing a food truck business is obviously money. You should have at least sixty thousand dollars set aside for your plan because there are a lot of initial expenses.” Location is extremely crucial for success with restaurants, and it is the same for food trucks. It is generally easier to get customers when you are a part of a food truck park rather than being a stand alone business. You need to have a well thought out plan and budget, as well as take time out to achieve all the necessary permits and licenses. A tip from Michael Franklin, owner of The Heart of Texas Smokehouse food truck, is that you cannot overstock. In the beginning when you probably don’t have a solid flow of customers you have to make sure to not overspend. One main way that owners overspend is overstocking on ingredients. You need to make sure that the food is popular enough so that you won’t have to throw out the ingredients that you don’t use due to them not being fresh anymore. Another thing that you need to do is buy the right truck. Believe it or not, new food truck prices can range anywhere from 50,000 and 250,000 dollars. You can also buy a used food truck, but you need to be careful because a used truck comes with a higher risk of expensive maintenance. After you figure out what type of food truck you want to buy or lease, you should go to a reputable truck dealer like Prestige Food Trucks, Cruising Kitchens, or FoodTrucks.net. Another tip that will benefit you is to make an account on social media platforms like instagram and twitter.
Covid-19 hit food trucks especially hard, even harder than restaurant establishments. An estimated 30-40 percent of food trucks across the U.S. have been permanently closed due to a severe decrease in profits. In 2020 when the lockdowns were put in place to prevent the spread of the virus, food trucks and street vendors obviously received no customers for a long time, and even after it was lifted, there were barely any customers because going outside was still very risky due to there not being a vaccine yet. “It’s been so long, but believe it or not we are just now starting to get a close to normal amount of customers, even after around half a year of vaccines being available.” Michael Franklin said.
“Starting my food truck was the best decision of my life. It really is my dream job and I couldn’t ask for anything better for my job” - Michael Franklin, owner of The Heart of Texas BBQ
Food Truck Parks in Austin By Lukas Olavson
1720 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704 Featuring Habibi, The Mighty Cone, Have a Taco, Cannone Gelato Italiano, Cannone Cucina Italiana, The Burger Truck, Coat & Thai, and more.
North West
No West
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1211 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 Featuring Artessano, Brazilian Boteco, Italian Casa Golosa, Venezuelan Pepitos 512, plus Tacos El Paisa and Mexican Antojitos.
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Pangea Lounge
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The Picnic
1
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The Buzz Mill
1505 Town Creek Dr, Austin, TX 78741 Featuring all-vegan Mission Street Burrito, JNL Barbecue, 1776 Cheesesteak Co., Plow Burger, and Plow Bao.
5000 Burnet
5000 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78756 Featuring Watzab Thai, Taco Sweets, T-Loc’s hot dogs, Texas Go Freezee shaved ice, Venezuelan Budare’s, Dawa Sushi, Judy’s Mediterranean, and Little Beast Slider Co.
South South West
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South Austin Trailer Park
1311 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704 Featuring Bananarchy, vegan Conscious Cravings, OMG! Oh My Goatness.
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Raniey Street Food Truck Lot
82 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701 Featuring Happy Lobster, Gebby’s BBQ, Mr. Sandwich, Wrigleyville South Dogs & Beef, and more.
orth North East
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East
South East
Thicket South Austin Food Park
South 1st Street, Austin, TX 78745 Featuring Jacque Belle Cajun Eats, Saté Texas, Shirley’s Trini Cuisine, Brooklyn Breakfast Company, Arti Pasta Italian Food, and more
Mueller Trailer Eats
4209 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78722 Featuring Hey Cupcake!, Conscious Cravings, The Stonehouse Woodfire Grill, and more
Taste of Aus About major Austin restaurant chains By Arihanth Nuka
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Pluckers Cheech and Chong
Austin has become a very large city, and has become an attraction for culinary enthusiasts. Just like the city, many Austin born restaurants became a large food chain and expanded very much. Some restaurants that did this would be Pluckers, Chuys, and Tacodeli. Pluckers was founded in 1991, when a couple UT students(Greenberg and Paul) were hungry for wings, but there weren’t many wing bars in Austin. Paul used totp work at an Atlanta wing restaurant, so he knew what makes good sauce. When the two opened up their restaurant in Austin, it was an instant hit as there were very few other places to go for wings in Austin. “We are known for our bone-in chicken wings” stated Josh, a pluckers manager. The bonein chicken wings became the restaurant’s most popular dish. The restaurant also has a very different atmosphere than other restaurants in austin.” Pluckers is a place to come hang out, watch sports and have a great time while dining in.” The friendly atmosphere of Pluckers makes it so that many sports fans can enjoy watching their favorite sports while eating the American food that they desire. Something new that Pluckers brought to Austin would be Wings. Austin hadn’t seen any large wings restaurants until Pluckers. Pluckers stayed afloat during covid due to their loyal customers and new techniques of serving food. Pluckers started serving curbside where cars could park to get their food delivered to their window. Since Pluckers was the first restaurant that many would think of when they thought of wings, many chose pluckers as their go to restaurant. “So in 1982, our owners, John Zapp and Mike Young opened up Chuy’s with the idea that it was going to be very similar to what they grew up with, with food in the valley.” said Ethan, Chuy’s manager. The idea that the pair had was to make a restaurant that served food that their family used to make. One owner came from New
Mexico and the other from a valley called Brownsville. The two already made two restaurants, and Chuy’s would be their third. So they bought an old gas station on Barton Springs and changed it to Chuy’s. It was a small nacho bar that grew in popularity when it offered a happy hour with free queso. Chuy’s eclectic art also added to many wanting to come back for the unique atmosphere presented there. Every Chuy’s has a dedicated Elvis shrine as well as many fishes that are made in Mexico by the same family. Every time Chuy’s opens a restaurant they order decorations from the same family in Mexico due to the family’s loyalty to the restaurant. Chuy’s shaped Austin in many ways. They were the first restaurant that introduced Tex-Mex in Austin. They were also the ones that brought green-chile fest to Austin. Chuy’s works with many farmChuy’s restaurant sign ers in Mexico every year to bring in fresh green chiles. The season when the green chilis are fresh is known as the Green Chile Fest. Chuy’s then freezes the chilis to keep them fresh year round. “You know, we work with the police department, the fire departments, area schools to be able to put on the parade every year. And it’s for Operation Blue Santa, which is just providing children that don’t have Christmas gifts…” said Ethan. Chuy’s helps many children in Austin by donating and providing them with gifts and working with places in Austin to host Blue Santa. How Chuy’s stayed popular throughout covid wasn’t “In 1982, our owners, John and Mike truly known to anyone, as they did opened up Chuy’s with the idea that nothing different. Ethan, chuy’s it was going to be very similar to what manager, believes that it was due to the customers’ loyalty as well as they grew up with, with food in the them staying open no matter what. valley” Chuy’s was the only restaurant that remained open through the snow. This touched many customers’ hearts as Chuy’s decided to stay open through that condition only because many ran out of food and they wanted to provide for people that were not able to get food from the stores. TacoDeli, founded in 1991, was a restaurant that made everything from scratch every day. The founder, Roberto, grew up and was brought up in New Mexico where he fell in love with
the flavors of taqueria. He later decided to bring his flavors to Austin as he loved the friendly environment here. “The cowboy is a seasoned to perfection tenderloin you would have to try it.” said Shuvelle. The cowboy is the most popular dish of Tacodeli. Its perfect seasoning made it an amazing menu item that customers loved. The restaurant gained popularity because of the homemade/from scratch feeling. The customers also loved the authenticity of the food which made the restaurant take off from there. Tacodeli has a kitchen that allows for smells to pass throughout the restaurant and many large windows that make the restaurant comfortable and open. Tacodeli stayed popular throughout Covid due to their specials and changes to the app. Tacodeli started an app where people could order food from them easily, which made a lot of customers come there, due to the easy ordering. There would also be weekly and monthly specials where if a certain amount you get a Tacodeli gift card. These large restaurant chains have given Austin a name for having many diverse restaurants and different cultures in Austin. to pass throughout the restaurant and many large windows that make the restaurant comfortable and open. Tacodeli stayed popular throughout Covid due to their specials and changes to the app. Tacodeli started an app where people could order food from them easily, which made a lot of customers come there, due to the easy ordering. There would also be weekly and monthly specials where if a certain amount you get a Tacodeli gift card. These large restaurant chains have given Austin a name for having many diverse restaurants and different cultures in Austin. to pass throughout the restaurant and many large windows that make the restaurant comfortable and open. Tacodeli stayed popular throughout Covid due to their specials and changes to the app. Tacodeli started an app where people could order food from them easily, which made a lot of customers come there, due to the easy ordering. There would also be weekly and monthly specials where if a certain amount you get a Tacodeli gift card.
Chuy’s Tacos Al Carbon
What Food Would Suit You? By Arihanth Nuka
P
luckers was founded in 1991 when Mark Greenberg and Dave Paul were on
their way back home and were hungry for wings. However, wing bars were few in Austin at the time. Because Paul used to work at an Atlanta wing restaurant, he knew what makes a terrific sauce. The Silver Spur’s annual Ultimate Chili Cook-Off put both of their concoctions to the test. They then pooled their resources and borrowed money to build a home on 23rd and Rio Grande. They ran out of food on opening day, and there are now 26 Pluckers outlets across the United States.
Chuy’s
was founded in 1982 by John Zapp and Mike Young in an old abandoned Texas Barbeque restaurant that had seating for around 60 people. The two owners envisioned a funky and lively Tex-Mex restaurant that delivered authentic and fresh food in a welcoming environment. The cuisines of New Mexico, the Rio Grande Valley, Espaola, Deep South Texas, and Austin are all represented on the Chuy’s menu. Chuy’s felt it was time to grow outside of Texas in the late 2000s, and the first location outside of Texas opened in Tennessee in 2009.
T
acodeli was founded in Austin in 1999, but the story starts in Mexico City,
where the founder, Roberto Espinosa, grew up and and experienced the flavors of the taqueria. Years later, he combined his taqueria experiences with the vibes of Austin to develop Tacodeli. Tacodeli has 11 locations in Texas and has been in business for almost 20 years. Tacodeli is noted for its high-quality ingredients and extensive taco menu, which includes more than 30 options.
35.7%
35.7% 28.6% 35.7% Pluckers 10 Piece Wings
of the students from our class chose Plucker’s Chicken Wings
Chuy’s Chicka Chika Boom Boom Enchilada
of the students from our class chose Chuy’s Enchiladas
Tacodeli The Cowboy
of the students from our class chose a Taco from Tacodeli
