Homegrown Austin by LASA Ezine

Homegrown Aust in Ezine Fall 2020

Tabl e Of Cont ents 6

Letter Fr om the Editor s

The Live Music Capitol of the Wor ld By Isabel Ueber

Top 5 Live Music Venues By Gideon Witchel

Top 5 Music Venues in Downtown Austin By Jaynie Lee

Built In Austin By Yash Date

4 | Homegrown Austin

Timeline of Austin's Top Star tups By Yash Date

The Hidden Wor ld of Tech Repair By Gideon Witchel

Wher e To Get BBQ in Downtown Austin By Isabel Ueber

COVID Contr ol By Jaynie Lee

Homegrown Austin | 5

Let t er f romt he Editors Dear Readers,

Welcome to our magazine! We are a group of students at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy. This semester, in the class Ezine, or Electronic Magazine, we were tasked with creating our own, original electronic magazine. Over the course of this class we have learned a multitude of important skills, from copyright rules to photography techniques. We were all passionate about different things all over Austin, from the great startups and technological advancements that have come from the city to the hole-in-the-wall restaurants that are so delicious yet totally unknown. From the variety of interests, we decided to theme the magazine on businesses and organizations that were founded and grown in Austin. We ended up expanding this into the idea of Homegrown Austin, in which we explored businesses created in Austin - specifically the technology, food, and music industries. This led to a variety of interesting discoveries that we wrote about here; hopefully you find it as interesting as we did.

Thank you for choosing to read our magazine! We hope you enjoy it!

6 | Homegrown Austin

About t he Editors Hello, my name is Isabel Ueber. I'm a freshman at Liberal Arts Science Academy. I've been living in Austin for about eight years, and I love "keep Austin weird." Living in such an accepting and happy place is so amazing. I also love Austin's culture, its live music and delicious food. I play piano at Orpheus Academy of Music, and I have played for nine years. I row crew at Austin Rowing Club where I love working out with my friends. I also love reading, photography and hiking. Thanks for reading!

Hi! I am Ben Rose. Like every other student in Ezine, I am a freshman at Liberal Arts and Science Academy. I like reading and playing games, as well as drawing and trying out many different types of art. I have lived in Austin for my whole life. My favorite parts of Austin are the people and communities, as well as the artistic endeavors by people all over the city. I have played the piano for about nine years as well. I hope you like our magazine, and thanks for reading!

Hi! My name is Jaynie Lee, and I am a freshman at Liberal Arts and Science Academy! I like photography and I have also been playing piano for about eleven years. I was born and grew up in Austin, and the thing I like most about this city is the diversity and mixed culture! I really enjoyed working with my teammates on this magazine, and I learned a lot about what it takes to produce a magazine. I hope that you enjoy Homegrown Austin as much as we do, and thank you for reading!

Hello! I am Gideon Witchel, and I am a freshman at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas. I've lived in Austin my whole life, and love all of the different parts of it. I enjoy computers, whether it be coding or playing games or anything else, as well as reading, petting my cats, soldering, and playing piano. Through this class I learned a lot about photography, styling, journalism and journalistic writing. I hope you enjoy reading the magazine as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Hello! My name is Yash Date and I am a freshman at Liberal Arts and Science Academy. I have lived in Austin since I was three and love everything about it. My favorite place in Austin is either Town Lake or Zilker Park. In my free time I play basketball for my school, am a member of the future business leaders of America club and I play video games. During the creation of this magazine I have learned about what it takes to start a small business trough the interviews I conducted. I hope you enjoy our magazine! Homegrown Austin | 7

?People don?t live in Austin to wor k, they wor k to live ther e.? - Rober t Rodr iguez, f ilmmaker and scr eenwr iter 8 | Homegrown Austin

Photo courtesy of Anthony Quintano

Homegrown Austin | 9

The Live Music Capital of t he Worl d The impor tance of live music to Austin, and one of its biggest f ueler s, Austin City Limits music f estival. By: Isabel Ueber

ou jump to the beat of the blasting music, sweating and out of breath, but intoxicatingly happy. Your favorite artist is singing on stage and you're surrounded by your friends and family. You can feel the bass thumping in your chest and the music ringing in your ears. You?re experiencing the rush of live music in Austin? the live music capital of the world.

Austin's biggest industry, live music, is fueled by big events like Austin City Limits music festival? more commonly known as ACL. ACL is one of the most important and highly visited events in Austin. With more than 70,000 people attending daily, it is the heart of Austin's most thriving industry: live music. This story will cover the importance of live music to Austin, how ACL has grown this industry and things that might 10 | Homegrown Austin

be getting in the way of that. The Impor tance of Live Music in Austin Live music is extremely important in Austin. It is arguably the biggest thing that attracts tourists, businesses and therefore money. Danielle Trevino is an expert on such matters. As vice president of marketing and communications at the Austin Chamber of Commerce, she is in the know about tourism in Austin, its economics and most importantly, its biggest industries.

Live music is extremely important to Austin's economy and attracts business as well. "I think [live music] it's one of the main things that attracts people to Austin," Trevino said. Tourism brings in a lot of money to an economy, however business growth is also important. "When recruiting businesses to relocate or expand to Austin, Austin's quality of life, including it?s live music industry, is a big attraction," Trevino said.

Trevino partakes in an initiative called Opportunity Austin which "In 2018, the professional & attracts people and businesses to business services industry was Austin to help grow the city's the largest contributor to the economy. This initiative brings in Austin MSA's GDP," Trevino said. jobs, money and grows the Live "The leisure & hospitality industry Music industry. made up 4.4% of the MSA's "Businesses from around the GDP."

2019 ACL music festival in Zilker Park. Over 70,000 people attend ACL each day. Photo courtesy of Charles Reagan Hackleman.

region invest actual money into this so we can staff and bend that into going to out of state markets, to talk to businesses owners and convince them to relocate their businesses to the Austin region, or expand their operations to Austin," Trevino said. "And that initiative has helped create more than 465,000 jobs [in Austin] since 2004." Opportunity Austin truly shows how important live music is to Austin, especially when growing its economy and creating jobs. Live music has a huge impact on Autins's economy, but it's also important to the city's culture. Austin is the live music capital of the world, so it's a big part of living in Austin and being an Austinite. Alexander Ballard has been a

sound engineer in Austin for over 4 years and is deeply immersed in Austin. Since then, all the in Austin's live music scene. Industry has done is grow. "Well live music is the culture of "Yes, I've grown incredibly, but Austin, or at least it has been that's because I'm young and for most of my life," Ballard said. willing to take on any gig I can," "In my opinion it is, and it Ballard said. "I've done nothing always should be a part of our but grow since I started in the culture." industry." Economics aside, Live Music is Since becoming a sound engineer the heart of Austin's culture. One in 2016, Ballard has spent his of Austin's mottos? Keep Austin nights at various bars, music Weird? shows Austin's accepting venues and anywhere that has a culture and carefree lifestyle. stage, watching himself and the music industry grow rapidly. But Why is the Live Music Scene where is this growth coming gr owing? from? Austin's culture and lifestyle dates back to the 1800's, when live music began in German beer gardens? outdoor gathering places where Austinites enjoyed beer and the earliest live music

"ACL brings in lots of musicians," Ballard said. ACL has been a part of Austin's music history for nearly 50 years. It started as a TV show, and in Homegrown Austin | 11

2002 it became a festival as well. The TV show aired for the first time on January 3, 1976, and still runs today. Since its 2 day festival weekend in 2002, it has since grown to a six-day festival which hosts famous musicians that come to play from all over the world. "So obviously the ACL Music Festival is important because we get two times a year, really, in Austin, where we get big name acts and large stuff like that," Ballard said. "And it's when South by Southwest happens and when ACL happens." In 2019, ACL featured acts from artists like Billie Eilish, Childish Gambina, Lizzo, and more. Not only does it bring in artists, but it brings tourists and jobs, and therefore money. "ACL usually

has 70,000 people attend each day," Trevino said. While Austin has over 200 music venues, and over 1,900 bands and musicians, ACL is still one of the main sources of growth for the live music industry. It brings in tourists, famous artists, and a lot of income. "Things like South By and ACL attract international audiences here," Trevino said. Not only does ACL bring in Tourists from other states, but from all over the world. "[In 2019] ACL brought in about 291 million to the local economy, and created more than 3,000 jobs," Trevino said. The ACL music festival alone is one of Austin's biggest sources

Black Pistol Fire member, Kevin McKeown, with the guitar, jumps into the crowd to meet fans at ACL in 2019. The rock duo started in Canada in 2011, and now operates from Austin only. Photo courtesy of Chad Wadsworth.

12 | Homegrown Austin

of income. However, Austin?s live music industry does not grow without any obstacles. What Has Stunted the Gr owth of Live Music in Austin? Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, many industries have faced a big decline in business. The hospitality industry took the biggest hit. "The businesses we noticed were affected the most by Covid-19 were those in the hospitality industry," Trevino said. The hospitality industry includes live music, which also experienced a huge decline. "We had over 60% of live music venues this summer say that if things kind of continued to go the way they were, if they weren't

"Well, live music is the culture of Austin." --

Alexander Ballard

getting business, not able to have large scale events like they used to," Trevino said, "60% of those live music venues said that they would shut down in four months." Without venues to create jobs, musicians, sound engineers and other members of bands had no place to perform and make money. "Well I was completely unemployed there for a while," Ballard said. "It was just completely shut down on both sides of my industry? the music side and the corporate side of audio." On top of music venues being deserted, the biggest income generators in Austin were canceled: South By Southwest and ACL.

Debbie, is her nickname downtown," Ballard said. "She would go to my venue, the Rustic Tap, and other venues all over and then sit there with a sound meter and try to get the Austin police on us all the time." With things like this going on at venues all over town, live music is taking a big hit. "It's mainly because money is more important than music," Ballard said. To most musicians, music is about art and culture, not necessarily money. But on the corporate side of things, whichever industry is making the most money is the industry which is more important.. The Live Music Capital of the Wor ld Live music provides Austin with a thriving economy, bustling streets, and rich culture. As one of the biggest events that fuels live music in Austin, ACL provides entertainment for tourists, as well as long time citizens. When visiting Austin, people see it's sense of community, and strong culture with an even stronger connection to the beautiful music Austin has been playing for decades.

Popular band, Asleep at the Wheel, performs at ACL in 2019. Members include Ray Benson, Front, Katie Shore, middle left, Dennis Ludicker, middle right, and Connor Forsyth, back. Photo courtesy of Chad Wadsworth.

Fans enjoy a show at ACL in 2019. Photo courtesy of Greg Noire.

"That's a huge strike to the economy," Trevino said. Another thing that is starting to stunt growth of Austin's live music industry is people are starting to push it out. "It's kind of getting pushed out and it is a problem with the major real estate," Ballard said, "in the areas downtown especially." While live music has been Austin's biggest industry for decades now, other industries like real estate are beginning to blossom, and they don't want to share the spotlight. "For instance, we have Decimal

Homegrown Austin | 13

Top 5 Live Music Venues Austin is well known f or its live music venues, but ther e ar e a lot of them. Her e ar e some of the best. ByGideon Witchel

1 Austin City Limits

"Since 2002, the ACL Music Festival hosts over 130 artists and 225,000 patrons every year at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas." - ACL Organizers

South by Southwest

"ACL Music Festival is an awesome experience! I go every year with my sister-in-laws and we have an absolute BLAST! Always great music. Nice time of the year to be in Austin as well!" - misopiso88, TripAdvisor

"From legendary performers and to the next wave of musical talent, the SXSW Music Festival draws artists, industry professionals, and music lovers from around the world to make professional and personal connections, elevate their careers, and celebrate the magic of live music." - SXSW Organizers "I really like going to this one because they have different musicians/bands lined up for 3 days straight & there are lots of vendors onsite that are giving away free goodies." - Rebecca R, Yelp

"It is the largest music festival in the state of Texas and absolutely one of the best in the entire country. ... They have great music, food truck food, VIP areas Galore, and a craft beer area with tons of great football when you're taking a break." MichaelAusTx, TripAdvisor More information can be found at

"If you have a chance to experience SXSW - I totally recommend it! I will continue to embrace it as long as we have it in our city." - Amanda S, Yelp

aclfestival.com More information can be found at sxsw.com/festivals/music 14 | Homegrown Austin

Sources: Austin City Limits Music Festival, Tripadvisor, Charles Hackleman (photo)

Sources: SXSW, Adam Kissick (photo), Yelp

The Long Center

Elephant Room "Underground jazz bar with nightly live music, full bar, plus more than 20 draft beers & wines by the glass." - Elephant Room "Fantastic place. Amazing music. We saw the AMAZING band.. The Paper Moon Shiners during happy hour. Stayed until closing. Second band was also geat. Awesome staff . Delicious cocktails. Just one of the best nights ever. I'm from Houston but will definitely be going back to Austin just for this place." - Lorna Fox, Google Reviews

4 The Continental Club "The granddaddy of live music venues, the Continental Club has enjoyed a coast-to-coast and worldwide reputation as the premiere club for live music in Austin since 1955 and in Houston since 2000." - The Continental Club

"It's got the best live jazz in Austin and the smooth atmosphere can't be beat. I love their Thursday night happy hour, but anytime is a good time to stop in. It's the best addition to any date, even if you're not a jazz fan." - Mary Beth Rodriguez, Google Reviews

"The Long Center is Austin's center stage, but we're also Austin's Front Row. Every day we bear witness to the city's creativity, soul, and diversity. We're proud to say that we're a product of our environment, and even prouder to say that we're cultivators of it. We have the best view of the city, so we see the Austin community clearly. That's how we're able to present the performances, music, movies, hangouts, festivals, and countless other interests that unite, delight, and inspire us all. We're not just putting Austin culture on display. We're extending a firsthand, front-row invitation to help shape it." - The Long Center I've never seen a show I didn't love at this venue. ... The Austin symphony does fantastic work. You should make an effort to see them perform if you had not yet had the pleasure." - Dmitri J, Yelp

"This is simply one of the greatest clubs in the country. With its rich tradition and great reputation for always having the best music, the Continental Club is a hot spot for anyone who digs seeing great bands in an intimate atmosphere. As far as musicians are concerned, there's no better place to play... or go." - CitySearch.com

"Love this beautiful hall with the amazing acoustics - both great for the opera, broadway shows, or even magic shows. There really isn't a terrible seat." Andrew C, Yelp

More information can be found at elephantroom.com

More information can be found at thelongcenter.org

Sources: Elephant Room, Google Reviews, Cesar Hernandez (photo)

More information can be found at

Sources: The Continental Club, AP (photo)

continentalclub.com

Sources: The Long Center (information and photo), Yelp Homegrown Austin | 15

TOP 5 MUSIC VENUES IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN A GUIDE ON WHERE TO FIND THE BEST LIVE MUSIC

lupe

ByJaynieLee

Gua da

Firehouse Lounge 605 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701

NL ama r Bl vd

r sa Ce

Firehouse Lounge can be accessed through a "secret bookshelf" inside the Firehouse Hostel. The music in this dimly lit venue is "cool and not too overpowering." This venue is a great place for those looking for a chill place with live music.

Ch av ez St

Information courtesy of Yelp

W6 th S t

ZILKER

TRAVIS HEIGHTS

1st St

W 16 | Homegrown Austin

BOULDIN CREEK

de rsi ve Ri st Ea

oom The Elephant R , Austin, TX 315 Congress Ave 78701 oom is an The Elephant Rzz bar with live underground ja s describe The er music. Custom as "dark, moody, Elephant Room the same time." and casual all ats been a popular This location ha ns since 1991. spot for Jazz fa tesy of Yelp Information cour

Olt or

fS t

de rsi ve Ri st Ea Dr Historic Scoot Inn 1308 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78702 The Historic Scoot Inn is a unique location with a rustic outdoor area, cozy interior, and 2 bars. The outdoor area even has a stage and open dance floor. Many customers noted the excellent sound quality and environment as their favorite parts about the Historic Scoot Inn. Information courtesy of Yelp

CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN

The Contin ental Club 1315 S Cong TX 78704 ress Ave, Austin, This well-k Congress cnown South of many gelub hosts concerts jazz, and b nres: rock, country, floor and c lues. With a dance a great plaolorful lighting, it's live music ince to experience the Downto Austin. wn Information Continental courtesy of The Club

Homegrown Austin | 17

ter ents Cen v E l ia c e Sp Erwin Jr. X 78701 Frank C. Austin, T t, S r e iv R ents 1701 Red pecial Evy S r. J in rw for man k C. EE n7athused Since 1977, this The Fran an are Center is types of eveSntts. entertainment to f different as provided live ple, and some o venue h n 1.7 million peoormed here. more thaartists have perf ice s Box Off a x the top e T f o sy on courte Informati EC esa r C hav ez St lvd g Jr B in K r he tin Lut E Mar

Built In ATX What it takes to have a company in Silicon Hills ByYashDate

Yash Date (Right) listens to Ryan Engle (Left) as he explains the challenges of running a company in Austin. Ryan Engle is the founder and CEO of golf scope. Photo provided by Mirnalini Kulkarninli Date 18 | Homegrown Austin

Starting a business is a dream

enough money, either by raising money or by putting in your own for many people. You get to be money or by finding people that your own boss, do what you love are willing to work for equity. and have the chance to make a You have to make sure you have lot of money while at it. Getting to enough money to build that this point takes a lot of hard product that you think people work, and you have to be willing to take a significant risk. Taking small first steps is one of the best options for aspiring entrepreneurs. Now all you have to do is build from the ground up.

For people who have patience and are dedicated to their business, Engle says, "The rewards are worth it ."

Austin is one of the prime locations to launch a startup company. Its unique combination of a diverse community, a low cost of living compared to other major cities and lots of wealthy people willing to invest makes it a dreamlike place for entrepreneurs to lay down their companies roots. On top of all that, startups here don't have the same intense competition they would face in Silicon Valley with other major companies. Austin's tech sector, are going to want and then get coined as Silicon Hills, is indeed the product out there and then on the rise. market it and all of those things." What is it like star ting a business? Ryan Engle is the CEO and founder of Golfscope. This Austin based startup is taking over the virtual reality and augmented reality business. "Startups are stressful," Engle said. "There's a lot to figure out on the business side of things. Hiring people, managing all the paperwork, incorporating your business, and setting up health insurance. All the things that every business has to do just to survive and just to check all the boxes." Businesses have to meet many requirements issued by the government before they can officially start. "Then you have to find a product that people want to buy and make sure that you have

Companies won?t even turn a profit for the first couple of months because every dollar raised or made is being sucked back into the business. This alone can turn many people away from startups. For people who have patience and are dedicated to their business, Engle says, "the rewards are worth it." Kush Singh is the CEO and founder of Hitch, an Austin based company that is one of the first in the inter-city ride-sharing space. They have routes that go between many Texas cities. "We didn't have any capital, so we couldn't get any drivers on board. We couldn't afford it on track, and we couldn't afford to subsidize any rides. That brought me to doing all the driving myself. I was

renting a car from an older mentor. That led to me doing thousands of miles of trips myself all around Texas. That's how it started." Many founders of successful businesses have stories, similar to Singh's, about the intense amounts of manual labor to get the ball rolling. "People started taking rides and seeing me more frequently. That's how I learned a whole lot about the marketplace. That's the first step, getting to understand the industry. Then as we started to grow, I found a technical co-founder and that was super important. We were able to put together the first product, and do a launch." Understanding the industry and market place is key for growth. It provides you more streamlined insights on how you can perfect your product. "My second semester at the University of Texas, I met some investors and other founders who were serial entrepreneurs, who then joined the team. After that, our product and our team go actually raise capital and make this thing from an idea into an actual business where we're building products with drivers." Investors are very

Graphic provided by Loops Homegrown Austin | 19

important to startups as they provide opportunities and outside capital that help these young companies elevate themselves to the next level. How did you guys come up with a unique idea to star t your company and execute it? "We started building with our dissatisfaction with the existing options to travel between cities," Singh said. "I used to live in Dallas, taking the Megabus and Greyhound. It always felt as if that was an experience from more than a decade ago. At the time, that was the only way that I could get between cities," Singh said. Dissatisfaction with the system in place is often the key idea behind many of today modern inventions and corporations. "I noticed at the time that there are a number of cars with empty seats going between cities every single day. I learned that's actually the most common way people travel between cities." Despite there already being ride-sharing apps in place, Singh realized that there was one major void in the range offered by them. They were missing out on the intercity travel range. He decided to create a service that connected passengers headed to another city with drivers who are already headed that way. He wanted to capitalize on those empty seats he had learned about. That was how Hitch was born. 20 | Homegrown Austin

Engle, on the other hand, created his company out of some of his greatest passions. He has been playing golf since the age of 11 and has always had interest in augmented and virtual reality. One day at the golf course, he was missing some easy putts. Right there, he had the idea of making an app to read the contours of the green to figure out where his putts would go, and then he would know where to putt to sink the hole.

Adaptability is another key thing for startups. If one idea falls flat, you have to be ready to bounce back quickly or face losing profit. What makes Austin such a per f ect place to launch a star t-up

"Austin just has such a great diverse community. It just feels very warm. The tech scene as well. In the last twelve years, it's "I took a week off of work grown significantly. It's just great to have a city that's still relatively and then started working on a small. It's got a lot of potential prototype to see if it was even technically possible. After a week, and has a low cost of living compared to other major cities I got a prototype working. It and still allows you to find really worked well enough that I talented people to work with," thought it was possible. Eventually, I decided it was time Engle said. "I think the biggest thing for me is the vibe of Austin. to try it and develop this app. I found a designer to contract with The people that live in Austin are very friendly, accepting and not me. He and I went to town and as judgmental." basically launched it, as a one-man team with only contract Like Engle, many labor." Entrepreneurs have praised these same traits of the city. Mostly, its Startups can be a big openness to new ideas. gamble. Founders often have to take extended time off or even quit their jobs in hopes that their idea will turn to gold. "That got some downloads. That got me to commit to hiring a team and trying to grow that product, but I think what I discovered was AR's a difficult space and asking someone to pull their phone out on the golf course is tough. We had to pivot into the VR space. And then once the [Oculus] Quest came out, I thought that was going to be a pretty amazing product, and there would be an opportunity to do something there."

The Official Logo of Golfscope. This was the main logo used to promote their business during their initial launch. Photo provided by Golf Scope

One unique connection Singh has is to the University of Texas at Austin. "I was introduced to this class called Startup Lab, run by the founder of a sort of an incubator in a town called Capital Factory," Singh said. "That's where things, I think, really started to take off and help, where there were a ton of university alums that turned into our first investors, including the founder of CarMax, our biggest angel investor to date. And the connection really was he went to UT, and I went to UT, and my brother was in the same start-up group as him. That connection really led to talking points that don't exist outside or if I hadn't if I had no connection with the actual university."

Kush Singh (Right) and Tanuj Girish (Left) sit together. They are both the main co- founders of Hitch. Photo provided by Hitch

to study under high ranking executives. Their extensive alumni network is also beneficial to these students. It can provide many connections and opportunities that aren't there for Ranked within the top 40 every year by US World and News everyone. Report, UT provides unique opportunities to students looking "You always have some to start their own companies, from kind of learning experience," the startup lab class to internship Singh said. "These people want opportunities that allow students to help out, and especially alumni

want to help young students who are just starting something new with no expectation of anything in return. I got a lot of free advice and got to be part of that ecosystem, sort of the catalyst for Hitch's early growth. We love working with the business majors and have many interns that sort of come through. We hire people from computer science schools as well." Conclusion

The University of Texas at Austin Campus Photo provided by Hip Wallpaper

Austin is one of the best cities in the world to start a business. It has all the golden factors for entrepreneurs ranging from a world-class university to a plethora of talented workers. It also has a unique atmosphere with people who are open to diverse and new ideas. As time goes on, more big-name companies will have sprouted from this city and be rooted in the Silicon Hills. Austin is the future of the startup world. Homegrown Austin | 21

Living in t he Sil icon Hil l s A timeline of some of the biggest star tups to come out of the 512

1996 Silicon Labs is one of the premier manufactures of semi-conductors in the world. They sell to some of the top tech companies in the world. They hold 1770 patents.

1984

1998

Dell was founded by UT drop out Michael Dell. It eventually grew into one of the worlds leading personal computer companies. It is still based in Austin.

Retro Studio is a gaming studio and a subsidiary of Nintendo. They are best known for developing Metroid Prime.

22 | Homegrown Austin

Sour ces Info Courtesy of Globe News Network, Popsugar, Wikipedia, Encylopedia Britanica, Photos by Bazaarvoice, Retro Studios, Dell, RetailMeNot, Indeed

2005 Bazaarvoice is a software company focused on bringing consumer and retailer closer. They provide services like review forums to 5,700 brands.

2004

2006

Indeed is the highest trafficked free job finding site in the United States. It was founded and co-headquartered in both Stamford and Austin.

RetailMeNot is a company that helps consumers save money. The app/browser extension finds and applies coupons and promo codes to purchases.

Homegrown Austin | 23

The Hidden Worl d of Tech Repair A deeper look into the 3r d par ty technology r epair stor es that f ew people know about ByGideon Witchel

An iPhone partially through the repair process, with different parts and tools on the desk. Photo courtesy of The Austin Cell Phone. 24 | Homegrown Austin

three, four, five, six days straight," Tracy said. "And then sure enough, hours before he was scheduled to arrive back from his vacation, and I knew for a fact that he had papers due and other little mounds of homework to be done immediately upon his arrival, suddenly, his computer wouldn't start up anymore. Clearly something I had caused, although I didn't know what at the time."

Whitney Tracy, the owner and founder of Happy Mac, standing outside of his store. Photo courtesy of Whitney Tracy.

Your heart drops as your phone slips from your grasp, flailing hands failing to catch it. A terrible crunch fills your ears as it hits the ground, bounces and lands just out of reach. Your jaw clenches as you turn it over, only to be overwhelmed by disappointment at an unusable cracked screen. You have no idea what to do, as the cost you see on the manufacturer's website totals hundreds of dollars. This moment, dreaded by owners of all sorts of technology, has a solution that very few people know about: unofficial repair shops. These 3rd party stores, open all the time around the world, fill a unique niche: cheaper and faster repairs, but without official approval from the companies that originally sold you your device. Whitney Tracy, the owner and founder of Happy Mac, has been repairing devices since the 1990s. He found the idea in college when he accidentally broke his friend's computer. "I stayed at home and played games on his computer for

Through the frantic research and quick attempts at fixing the computer, Tracy was intrigued by the application icons that existed in a hidden folder that ran the computer's system software. "The amount of effort that went into simply creating icons for this whole system that your average user would quite literally never see just fascinated me," Tracy said. "I don't know why.

?Computers and tablets and phones and whatnot are about the most personal devices anybody owns these days. And you don't want to give them up to anybody that claims [to know what they?re doing].?

Hector, the repair tech and manager at The Austin Cell Phone, in his store. Photo courtesy of The Austin Cell Phone.

And so I was interested in knowing what all of these things were for, what they did, what they represented." Tracy graduated from college and got a business degree, but hated it. He eventually landed at Apple as front line tech support. That didn't last long. "[It was] frankly soul-crushing," Tracy said. "You take the same calls over and over again, you're being judged by how quickly you can get the person off the phone so you can take another call." He then moved to 3rd party Mac repair. The 1st party is the person or organization that gave the customer their product. For Mac products, which are the things Tracy deals with, that is Apple. The 3rd party is a person or organization that is not the 1st party or the customer; they interact with the customer to augment the experience provided by the 1st party. For Tracy, that is repairing broken devices. "Liquid spills have become a large portion [of our work]," Tracy said. "Component failure due to no good reasons ... a lot of physical stuff, especially with the notebooks though. Liquid, drops, things like that result in physical damage that just has to Homegrown Austin | 25

be replaced."

removing it.

When a device is harmed, "Most of the [software] Tracy will look at and try to figure problems come from, especially out what is wrong. unknowingly, malware and adware and things like this," "When somebody's got a Tracy said. problem, you've got two basic aspects of any personal computer: Phones are similar but the physical hardware, that have some different quirks. device, and then the software Hector Mercado is the manager that's running inside it. And and repairman at The Austin Cell usually the problem is isolated to Phone. He got into cell phone one or the other," Tracy said. repair about ten years ago. Once it is isolated to hardware or software, a repair can be made.

reader on the display, or anything, all those little components have to be transferred into the new screen without breaking them." Another common issue for phones is batteries. "A lot of people that come in with their iPhones, with say the sixes, [and] sevens, they feel like their phones are slowing down, their battery doesn't hold as long," Mercado said. "So they feel like their phone has reached its point where it's just not as it was whenever they purchased it. But the majority of time is just a battery [replacement] that will fix the slowness of the phone."

"The easiest [problem] that every iPhone user will have is the issue where they cant charge their phone, or [they] "You eliminate as many have to wiggle the cord for the variables as you can until there's phone to charge," Mercado said. nothing left, and that must be the "Nine [times] out of ten it's going While these repairs can problem," Tracy said. "Okay, is it to be pocket lint that's packed happen at 3rd party repair shops, the processor or the memory into the charge port." a lot of 1st party suppliers are chips? Well, let's change out the now offering repair services. The memory chips because that's There are also some price difference between the two super easy and try again. If the misunderstandings with phone can be extreme, which leaves a problem still exists it must be the repair. lot of customers wondering what processor or whatever else. It's a the difference is between the "A lot of customers feel process of elimination in some services of 1st party and 3rd party like we just glue the screen into cases." repair shops. the frame and that's it, but it's Hardware, the physical more than that," Mercado said. "We're quicker," Mercado part of the machine, is normally "[For] every phone you have to said. "What Apple takes for about fixed via replacement. Software, transfer every small component a week and a half, for us it takes the code running on the machine, that is in the front. So if your about 40 minutes." has to be fixed by finding the phone has a selfie camera, or a problematic program and home button, or a fingerprint However, even though the 3rd party options offer faster, cheaper service, people still use them far less. "I think it's always going to be based off of the brand," Mercado said. "I mean, if you have an issue with your Apple phone, of course, you're going to go to the Apple Store." As it is becoming increasingly evident that the on-brand course of action is less useful for the customer, companies are putting anti-repair measures in place. Water damage indicators, like this one will, turn red if they come into contact with water. This can be helpful for repairs becuase it makes it instantly clear that the problem is most likely water damage. Photo courtesy of Hack Correlation. 26 | Homegrown Austin

"Now on anything that's iPhone XS and up, if you do replace the glass, you'll get a message on the front that says that the screen is not a genuine Apple part," Mercado said. "And

that's it, it just lets you know that it's an aftermarket part installed into your phone. Even if it's a brand new off another iPhone and you put it into another iPhone, it'll always pop up that message that says that the phone needs to be serviced by Apple. The big difference between the 3rd party repair shops and the 1st party ones are their goals. "You don't get to be the world's largest corporation in history by repairing the devices that you sold six years ago," Tracy said. "You get that way by selling new devices all the time. So we're there to try to fix the problem you've presented with us for starters. So we have a different philosophy to begin with, right off the bat." Also, there is a lack of overhead for the smaller repair shops. "I don't have lawyers and accountants and salespeople on staff, which of course limits me to some degree, but also that's major expenses that I don't incur," Tracy said. While the details of repair are interesting, it is important to understand what you should do with your devices. "When we're dealing with data, private information that's trapped inside so many of these devices, the first thing you gotta ask yourself is what can I do to ensure the integrity of my personal data," Tracy said. A good first step for protecting your device is backing up your data every once and a while to an external hard drive or the cloud. As for the actual repairs, there is little to no difference between 1st party and 3rd party. They just follow different paths to the same goal, and will occasionally accept or deny different types of repair. Also, a 3rd party cannot do warranty work, so if your device is under warranty you can probably get it

Software repair can be research heavy with ever y problem having a farily unique solution. Computer repair forums like these can be invaluable resource for those repairs. Screenshots of Bleeping Computer, Technibble, and PC Repair Forums. Courtesy of Gideon Witchel.

fixed by the 1st party for free.

You can also call a repair shop to just see what they have If you have a problem to offer. "Check Yelp reviews, and with your device, it is important see what other people's to understand your options. You experiences have been with the can leave the issue alone as long business that you're about to take as it is not a cracked screen. your device to," Tracy said. "See if you can fix it on your own," Tracy said. "Google 'iMac black screen, fan running'. See what comes up. ... There's lots of quick and easy fixes that can be done if you just look."

?You don't get to be the world's largest corporation in histor y by repairing the devices that you sold six years ago. You get that way by selling new devices all the time.?

Of course you can also go to the 1st party repair place and know you're going to get a functioning device, but it will take a long time and be much more expensive, and you're not going to be supporting businesses that are an integral part of your community. Whitney Tracy's business can be found by looking up 'Happy Mac', and Hector Mercado's can be found by looking up 'The Austin Cell Phone'. They are both extremely helpful and can help you assess and fix your Mac or phone with total transparency. For any device that you have broken, please consider supporting your local repair shops, as they are an incredible resource for everyone and are not as well known as the big companies that made your device. Homegrown Austin | 27

Where to get BBQin downtown Aust in 5 BBQ places to tr y when visiting downtown Austin and a little bit about them. By: Isabel Ueber

Coopers Old Time Pit Barbecue Being one of Austins historic barbecue restaurants, Coopers opened in 1953, and honored to be "the best of the best." Go to coopers for delicious food, a beautiful patio, and rich barbecue history. Information provided by Coopers Barbecue website.

Terry Black's Barbecue Opening November 19 of 2019, Terry Black's is one of Austin's newest restaurants. Eating some of Terry Black's delicious barbecue might not be the worst way to support a new business! Information provided by Terry Black's Barbecue website and The Dallas Morning News.

28 | Homegrown Austin

1 2

Coopers Old Time Pit Barbecue 217 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 Terry Black's Barbecue

Franklin Barbecue

Rollin Smoke Barbecue 1501 E. 6th St. Austin, TX 78702

900 E 11th St. Austin, TX 78702

1003 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX, 78704

Kerlin Barbecue

2207 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702

Franklin Barbecue One of Austin's most famous barbecue restaurants, Franklin Barbecue was started in 2009 in a trailer, and has sold out of brisket every day since. The lines may be long, but it's worth the wait! Information provided by Franklin Barbecue Website.

Rollin Smoke Barbecue If you're looking for a meaty late night snack, Rollin Smoke Barbecue is the place to be! Opening in 2011, they are known for staying open through the late hours of the night to serve their customers delicious barbecue. Information provided by Rollin Smoke Barbecue website.

Kerlin Barbecue It may just be a food truck, but its definitely worth a try! Opening in 2013, Kerlin Barbecue is know for their mouthwatering brisket kolache. Information provided by Kerlin Barbecue website and "Eater Austin."

Homegrown Austin | 29

COVID CONTROL How local r estaur ants have been r unning dur ing a global pandemic ByJaynieLee

As you drive around the once bustling city of Austin, Texas, something seems off. Streets are mostly empty, and everyone is wearing masks, standing many feet away from each other. Lights are dimmed, restaurants are empty and closed signs hang on the door. As COVID hit the United States in January 2020, local businesses were one of the many that took the biggest hit. At first, most restaurants were forced to close and only use online delivery services. In Texas, restaurants began opening in stages as mandated

by Governor Greg Abbott. As of November 2020, restaurants in Texas are allowed to operate up to 75% capacity. Chang Lee has been working in the restaurant and food industry for more than 10 years, and currently owns Tsukimi Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar. He said that one of the most difficult parts about running a restaurant during a global pandemic was hiring staff. "Although lack of customers is a problem right now, finding servers has been even more challenging because many servers are not able to or are afraid to work," Lee said. With the staff

shortage at hand, another concern was about what to do if a server or host/hostess caught COVID. "In case a customer spreads COVID to one of us, one of our staff members or workers, this virus will spread to everyone, which is one of my biggest worries.

"Even if there are less customers and the business does not do as well as before, my biggest priority is running the restaurant in a safe way." Paying for hospital fees, contacting customers who may have interacted with the sick staff member and sanitizing the whole restaurant would be another scenario that is very burdening," Lee said.

Chirashi Bowl 30 | Homegrown Austin

As a server at Tsukimi All-You-Can-Eat Sushi, David Rocha says that he has the same worries.

David Rocha sanitizes a table after customers leave in Tsukimi?s dining room. Texas has many state- mandated rules that restaurants must follow including thorough sanitizing of tables, chairs, and shared items such as soy sauce bottles. Photos by Mi- Ae Lee

"The hardest part about working during COVID is risking my health and those I interact with. My biggest concern is about customers who are unwilling to cooperate and put others in danger," Rocha said. In order to keep both staff and customers safe, Texas has many mandated rules that Tsukimi has implemented. These regulations include wearing a mask, checking temperatures of customers, having customers use hand sanitizer upon entry and having customers fill out a form with contact information. "One of the biggest

changes was that we cannot accept customers up to 100% capacity. At first, we could only accept up to 50% capacity, and now it is up to 75% capacity, however we do not know when we will be able to accept up to 100% capacity. Second, we cannot accept any customers who are not wearing masks. We

also have customers fill out a sign in sheet with contact information upon entry, and have them use hand sanitizer," Lee said. With a Texas statewide mandated mask requirement in place, both staff

Chicken Teriyaki Homegrown Austin | 31

members and customers alike must wear masks inside the restaurant. "It means that everyone has to be much more careful, because working without masks raises many more issues. Physically, it is very exhausting, frustrating and hot to work with a mask on for the whole day and it is very inconvenient while working, but there is no other option, and it is necessary to

stay safe and healthy," Lee said. Rocha said that he must wear a mask, sanitize before interacting with a table and set up new tables that have freshly cleaned table settings. He said that his normal work day during a global pandemic involved lots of sanitizing. After he self-checks his temperature, he drives to work, washes his

hands, uses hand sanitizer, sets up, waits tables, sanitizes in between tables, cleans up, sanitizes and finally closes for the day. Leah Thomas is a customer at Tsukimi who has been ordering meals through online food delivery services once COVID hit. "We really like Postmates, they have been really the most reliable out of

The Bonsai Roll is a fresh roll containing tuna, salmon, yellowtail, cucumber, avocado, kaiware, and red vinegar. Tsukimi?s menu features many different types of rolls such as fresh rolls, fried rolls, tempura rolls, baked rolls, and no- rice rolls. Photo by Jaynie Lee

32 | Homegrown Austin

the services we use. They are really quick, they have a good system in place, they notify you right away and then they call the business right after you submit your order. It has worked out very smoothly, they have a great system in place," Thomas said. "They even have a tamper-free protection sticker that they put on which is nice, especially during COVID. It kind of eases your mind a little bit, knowing that they take precautions, so it has worked out pretty well. They also leave everything at the door and then the app will notify you when your food has arrived." From a customer's perspective, she said that she appreciated the various precautionary procedures and that they helped her feel safer. "I like the drop off at the door, because if you cannot run to the door right away or if you are not really wanting to socialize or talk with people, your food is right there," Thomas said. "I think that is definitely something that they should keep, even after this pandemic is over." Not only did COVID affect business and sanitation procedures, but access to specific items was impacted too. Lee said that the hand soap that was used at the restaurant before was suddenly unavailable, so new soap had to be found. He also said that it was difficult to find sanitary supplies that fit with the restaurant?s needs because surfaces, tables and items were all being constantly sanitized. Lee hopes to be able to reopen the restaurant up to full capacity and provide dine in services to all customers in the future. "I feel that we are

Tsukimi has many signs on the front door including policies, a QR code to the online menu, dine in hours, and a hiring sign. Photo by Mi- Ae Lee

fortunate to survive through these pandemic challenges, and that all staff members have stayed healthy during this time. We are grateful to have consistent support from our customers and neighbors, and I

hope that we will soon have the regular business conditions so that we can provide lunch time dine in services and open up to 100% capacity," Lee said.

Buta Yaki Don

Homegrown Austin | 33