Inside ATX
Ezine
Fall 2021
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Table Of Contents 06.
Letter From the editors By the Team
From Sketch to Sold
08.
By Scarlett Neulander
12.
We all scream for ice crea By Scarlett Neulander
THE Heart of Austin Theater By Lu Segura
18.
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14.
Austin Arts and History By Lu Segura
Music and Memories
20.
By Iris Martinez Perez
24.
Evolution of Music In Austi By Iris Martines Perez
Quarantine Differences By Taylar Edgerton
30.
26.
Best places to visit in austin By Taylar Edgerton
Meet Austin’s restaurants By Ryan Reddy
36.
32.
Local Restaurants of Austin By Ryan Reddy
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L e t t e r Fr o m the Editors
Dear Readers, Over the semester, we have created a magazine for all of the people wanting to know all the “inside” spots in Austin. This has been made possible through the culmination of our similar interests and hard work. While making this magazine there were hard times but also many fun and amazing times. None of us had ever worked in Indesign, Photoshop or Illustrator before and the skills that we learned making the magazine will be with us forever. We also had to learn to work together, not only as a group, but with others in our class. From shaing computers to sharing food, cooperation was a key part to our success. The creation of Inside ATX was a process of finding inspiration and bring it into life in these amazine spreads. From Local shops in austin to live music venues, we have used that inspiration to drive home the ideas and things we want to share. We hope that within these pages you will learn something new about Austin and find the energy to really look at our city and all of the amazing things it has. So turn the page and immerse yourself in the culture of Austin. Sincerely, Lu, Taylar, Iris, Scarlett, and Ryan Inside ATX | 6
Lu Segura is a freshman at LASA. In their free time, Lu is a part of winterguard and spends their freetime drawing. Lu was also in the Fall play, Cinderella Waltz, and ejoys watching local theater.
Taylar Edgerton is a freshman at Lasa. She is a thrill seeker and loves exploring new places in Austin. Taylar loves shoes, especially her crocs! She is on the LASA Basketball team.
Iris Martinez Perez is a freshman at LASA. She is always munching on new snacks in class and laughs a lot. Although she is suffering from a knee injury, she always has a smile on in class.
Scarlett Neulander is a freshman at LASA. Her hobbies include playing tennis, listening to Machine Gun Kelly, and drawing. She loves hanging out with her sister and is constantly acting clutzy.
Ryan Reddy is a freshman at LASA. In his freetime Ryan enjoys playing videogames, practicing violin, and spending time with friends. Ryan is also a member of the LASA tennis team. Inside ATX | 7
FROM SKETCH TO SOLD
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View of shops on South Congress. Image courtesy VisitSOCO
What it’s like to run a small business and how to support them. By: Scarlett Neulander
As you step off the bustling street and into the store, you feel the cool rush of AC and the smell of an old building. Your senses are overwhelmed with color and music. The walls are covered with art and posters. Shelves are filled with stickers, pins and jewelry and clothing racks are full of t-shirts and tote bags. As you look around, you realize that everything is inspired by Austin and that everything was made by local artists. This is what it truly means to be a local business owner.
came together in opening Tesoros Trading Company.” Erin Knipp, a wedding florist and owner of Rosehip Flora, realized she liked being an entrepreneur much later in life.
“When I was in graduate school, studying conflict analysis and resolution, I got a part-time job at a flower shop [while completing] my degree. All I wanted to do after that was work with flowers. However, I couldn’t live in the DC area working part-time at a flower Local business in Austin has been shop, monetarily or realistically,” around for forever. On streets like Knipp said. “ [When I] moved back south congress, local businesses to Austin after graduating, what line the street and tons of people became more realistic for me was, walk up and ‘oh, my friends down. Many of are starting to the shops on get married, south congress and I know “Young people can are local shops some things help local businesses about flowers; I and have been there for years, by visiting them and will help them and many of out with their spreading the word their wares wedding.’ And are made and about the diversity in it was like this sourced from weird, organic products that exist in process” local makers and producers. Austin.” Lizelle Many business Villapando, owners have owner of been dreaming of having their own Parts and Labour, also realized store since they were young. her passion for business later in life and had a similar “organic” “I have always been interested in process. history, anthropology and culture. As a teenager, my parents would “The idea came from the other two just drop me off at museums by founders of the store, and myself,” myself, and pick me up after a Villapando said. “We started out few hours,” Jonathan Williams, making, designing and producing the owner of Tesoros, a local clothes. And then my former boss, Austin boutique, said. “I was also who owned a vintage store, saw entrepreneurial as a kid; buying that we were doing pretty well and selling things was one of my and that we were selling pretty hobbies. All of these interests regularly and she had the idea of,
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said. “We like to find the artisans and visit them in their homes to see how they make the items. We also go to trade shows within the United States where other handmade things are sold.” Williams travels a lot for work and, unfortunately, COVID has affected the schedule for travelling and the availability of artists. “We have not left the country since October of 2019, so international travel is non-existent at this point. We are lucky that we can communicate with artisans via email, texting and WhatsApp,” Williams said.“We had to close the store for a few months in the beginning of the pandemic, but [we] opened with many precautions until things got better. We still require masks inside the store.” COVID has also impacted how artists get their pay and how the stores have had to change their procedures. Many artists have also been struggling with maintaining their workload and staying on top deadlines. “Once the world shut down for a couple of months, [some artists] told the store that we could hold their payout for six months, so everyone’s really guarding the nest. I decided that I should keep Photo of the outside of Tesoros located on South Congress. Photo by Kisla Jimenez, co-owner Photo of the outside of Tesoros, located on the space for them in return that I’ve known for a long time, 92 of Tesoros. South Congress. Photo by Kisla Jimenez, for them being so nice to try to right now. Watching them evolve co-owner of Tesoros. protect the store so we could as artists is really fun.” ‘What if there was a space that was just only handmade stuff?’ And Some of the artists that are we pursued this, only locally made featured in Parts and Labour “Sharing on social goods here. It blew up instantly.” have been at the store since it first opened 18 years ago. Most of media, I think just After having her work discovered, Villapano’s artists have reached doing a little bit of Villapando embraced the out to her first or have been found handmade aesthetic and created a in art showcases or studio tours. homework on where perfect place for local artists. She Unlike Villapando, Williams, owner to shop, what the built her store from the ground of Tesoros, finds most of his wares up, and tons of artists are featured in Latin America. sourcing is, you in the store, located on South know?” Congress. “We travel to several countries, mainly to Mexico, Central “I really love the makers. They’re anD South America to source survive,” Villapando said. “ Some really kind people,” Villapando handmade products,” Williams of the makers ended up becoming said “This is almost 100 people
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stay-at-home teachers for 18 months, they had to really set aside their craft and just focus on their family. And then, some people busted up.” Knipp had a similar experience with getting products for floral arrangements. “Getting the flowers that you want right now is really hard because of COVID, a lot of these big farms have lost a lot of farmers, either because of illness or death.” Knipp said. “A lot of these farms have had to cut back on personnel because people weren’t getting married and they weren’t able to sell as many flowers as they had been previously. They quit growing as much as they used to.” Some other challenges that business owners have faced include 9/11 and the BLM protests that happened this past summer. “We have been very lucky in Austin,” Williams said. “Initially, keeping the store stocked was a challenge, but we are ordering more efficiently now. Big national events have affected the business throughout the years but we have weathered them. 9/11 and the techbubble, for example.”
Photo of a display inside of Parts and labour. Photo courtesy YELP
Villapando also was worried about the protests that took place during the summer destroying her store. “I either thought the store was going to close or it was going to get destroyed in a protest,” Villapando said. “I definitely remember that vividly. And I [thought], ‘Okay, if that’s what’s gonna happen, that’s my path, I guess. What am I gonna do? Protect? Be the human shield for the store?” Supporting local business and artists is really important, especially during times like these. Villapando and Williams both agree that sharing on social media, spreading the word and being conscientious of where you shop are really important to support local businesses. “Sharing on social media, I think just doing a little bit of homework on where to shop, what the sourcing is, you know?” Villapando said.
Handmade pottery and tapestries found in Tesoros. Photo by Kisla Jimenez, co-owner of Tesoros.
“Young people can help local businesses by visiting them and spreading the word about the
diversity in products that exist in Austin,” Williams said. Villapando and Williams both shared some of their favorite places to see local art and local businesses. “I really like Whole Earth, Thomas Graphics, Taqueria Anyeli just to name a few,” Williams said. “Canopy, the East Austin studio tour [and] going to the Mueller market on Saturday,” Villapando said. “There’s Austin Art Garage [and] Goosy Gallery. You’ll always end up meeting somebody who knows somebody.” As you leave the store and are hit by the summer heat, you realise all the effort that was put into what you bought. So much planning and thought was put into the production of every ware in the store and it’s hard not to admire the work that was put into it. You think about how important local businesses are to the community and you remember that where you shop is crucial in maintaining the atmosphere that local businesses bring.
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I Scream, you scream, we all scream for...
ICE CREAM
It gets so hot in the summer that ice cream is essential to cool down Here are some great local ice cream shops to keep you cool in summer
Lick Honest Ice Cream Lick Honest Ice Cream is an amazing ice cream shop made with local dairy and Texas inspired flavors. Between supporting local farmers and donating to nonprofits, they are a dream come true. According to their website, their flavors are all made “honestly” and with the “purest ingredients”. Their flavors are all based on foods you can find in Texas. I love “Texas sheet cake” which is a delectable chocolate and pecan flavor.
Image curtesy of Culturemap
Amy’s Ice Cream Amy’s Ice Cream is an Austin classic. With their funky flavors and awesome vibe, Amy’s is a must for ice cream lovers. They have great flavors and their crush-ins are delicious and sometimes you can even see the serves do tricks with the ice cream. One of their most popular flavors is Mexican vanilla and it is a super sweet take on vanilla ice cream. There is nothing else like Amy’s.
Image curtesy of Amy’s icecream
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Holla Mode Thai Style Ice Cream
Holla Mode is fairly new in Austin, but has quickly become very popular. With their unique flavors and chill environment, Holla Mode is perfect after going to Barton Springs or Zilker park. Their rolled ice cream is super fun to eat and it’s also fun to watch them make the ice cream. My favorite is eskimo kiss because it is fruity and sweet but my sister likes the banana nutella flavor of the Bhumi bowl, named after the Thai king
Dolce Neve Gelato Dolce Neve is operated by three amazing Italian foodies. Their love of gelato has culminated into this yummy dessert shop. If you’re not in the mood for gelato, you can also get one of their many homemade popsicles or ice cream sandwiches. They also have affogato and you can get custom cakes. I recommend the salted caramel gelato for a classic sweet treat.
Image curtesy of Lowcarbyum
Image curtesy of Doordash
Jim Jim’s Water Ice Jim Jim’s is a locally owned and operated frozen dessert shop. They have been selling their famous water-ice for more than 25 years! Now that’s local! Although they are most known for their waterice, which is like a very fine snow cone, they also have ice cream and soft serve. Their strawberry lemonade flavor is one of the most popular flavors because of its refreshing flavor that is perfect for summer. Image curtesy of Jim Jim’s
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The Heart of Austin Theater
Lu Segura
Projects of Passion Keep People Coming Back Despite Their Day Jobs
T
he thick heat kicks up off the pavement as soon as you climb out of your car. You’ve got your blanket in hand, friends at your side, and joy in your heart. Fluorescent lights cast over the hill in front of you. You hear the murmurs of anticipation through the crowd, the lights die down and you hear a few “shushes.” The buzz of suspense radiates while you wait for what happens next. The annual Zilker Hillside Production is kicking off, as it does every year, and you can’t wait to find your cozy spot on the grass to enjoy it. Maybe you’ll even see a few familiar faces on stage. There’s Issac Arrieta, who often makes your drinks at Matt’s El Rancho, and Scott Shipman, who you’ve seen perform for the last 10 years. As the last of the Texas sun finally fades, it is replaced by the comforting lights of the open amphitheater Austin has been home to for half a century. The music begins and your favorite part of the summer commences. Austin isn’t Los Angeles or New York. Our arts scenes are geared more towards the “weird” than the “esteemed”. Yet, the theater community thrives. Folks like Issac Arrieta, Kendra Christel, Scott Shipman and Stephanie
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Chavez, make sure that is the case. While New York and Los Angeles tout the world’s best actors and companies, Austin finds itself thriving on the backs of folks who create out of passion. In Austin, creative artists must also have day jobs in order to support themselves. Art falls under the umbrella of hobbies rather than a career to many in the big city. One might think this would lead to the decline of the art community, but against all odds, people continue to choose to keep it thriving. Between the efforts of places like Zilker Hillside Theater, Creative Action and Georgetown Palace, creating performance art becomes just as sacred as making a living in a city where both are increasingly difficult. While a handful of people, like Chavez, are employed in artsrelated careers, many actors, techs, designers, and other creative professionals find themselves doing office work or holding service industry jobs. The community as a whole remains somewhat small but, tight-knit. The shows reflect a certain degree of intimacy that stems from that. When folks are taking off work to put on shows, each one must be special.
“
It’s loving and supportive.” Says Arrietta, long-time Austin actor, who also bartends at Matt’s El Rancho on South Lamar said. Isaac is a trained actor, who started in the arts when he was four, takes time off to rehearse and perform. He says a show
Issac Arrietas most recent headshot.
has to be worth it for him to miss his lucrative weekend shifts, but so far, he hasn’t had to turn down any opportunities. I get calls all the time from people I’ve worked with, especially as a male, saying, hey I’ve got this part that needs to be filled, and can I help.” Arrieta said.
“
While working in New York, Arrieta would often spend the first half of his day in auditions, rehearsals, or performances. The night was reserved for
work.
“
In New York, being a bartender and server was kind of ideal.” Arrieta said. “I’d wake up...and do that part... then at night I could go and do bartending, and that was a very lucrative thing to do in the arts.” However, in Austin, he said a more traditional office job is commonplace. Auditions and shows almost always occur during his work hours. This leaves many theater professionals with few choices. They can either continue to find the balance or choose to seek other opportunities. Christel, for example, plans to leave Austin for Atlanta. Christel holds a master’s in screenwriting and owns Shades of Talent, a BIPOC theater company whose focus is to “encourage and promote the awareness, participation, and casting of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in local theater”. While she says one of Austin’s strengths is its selection of shows, she also explains how she has outgrown the Austin theater options. The strong community has supported her up to this point. She took home a best actor award for her work as the lead in Sister Act at the Georgetown Palace, but still contends with a glaring lack of representation. “It is about who you know, but sometimes you don’t know everybody, you know?” When starting Shades of Talent, she felt they had to prove that Black artists would attract audiences and money. She echoes a need for flexibility,
explaining that in Austin, opportunities must be taken when they’re given. Those opportunities may not always be what you think. The projects that folks choose to spend their time on are as weird as Austin. This is to be expected when most of the people fueling Austin’s theater scene are doing so in their hobby hours. In addition to shows the whole city has come to expect, like the annual summer musical at Zilker, Austin is also a great place to find a number of experimental or specialty shows.
“
The conventional theater is not the only thing that people want to see.” Said Christel. Her first show with Shades
of Talent, an all-Black cast production called “Celebrations of Color”, debuted under pandemic conditions yet sold out two shows.
“
...Yes, Austin is definitely home to a lot of experimental theater.” Christel said. “And I think that’s amazing. And then also, I think the community in Austin is, is definitely different than any place I’ve ever worked at before...even though it is a huge city, it does have a very small theatre community. [It’s] always nice. I don’t think I’ve ever done a show twice, or I didn’t know somebody or someone in the production team or the acting team” Arrieta sharing his thoughts on the special theatre community, said. Zilker Hillside’s Sherk the Musical 2019 Credit- Zilker Hillside Theater
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Stephanie Chavez teaching a class for young kids Credit- Creative Action
Scott Shipman’s most recent headshot. Credit- Shipman
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Sister Act at Georgetown Palace Photo credit- Andy Sharp
S
hipman explained this as an organic reflection of the Austin theater community’s lifelong friendships. And it isn’t just the shows that reflect those connections and enthusiasm.
“
...I had mentioned earlier that Zilker theater tend [to sort] of [become my home] company...all of my strongest, deepest friendships have come from that particular company.” Shipman said. Even with starting in a range of places and being in different spots in their career, they have all been affected by one thingCOVID. When asked how COVID has affected their careers they all had a similar response.
“
It’s on the back burner for quite a while. “Arrieta said. “I think the last show I did was a little over two years ago...it’s hurt
a lot of people’s careers in the arts, unfortunately.”
“
I had multiple shows that canceled last year”. Shipman said.
“
it’s been a struggle, it’s slowed things down tremendously...I dare say I’m at a practice [period], I really need to figure out how to audition again. So it’s kind of sorta like started from square one.” Christel said .
“
[A] whole part of our team had to be furloughed in the pandemic for a while. [Because] school was shut down for so long… So that has been a challenge. Because [before] the pandemic, we were engaging with so many young people, [on] the daily [every] day after school, [there’s] 10 or 11 schools with kids that are doing creative acts. [And] for so many months that [was more] like a year, [we] tried some virtual stuff, but that was
really [hard to] put together,” Chavez said . One significant thing that was affected by COVID was the Zilker Summer Musical. That show has a deep role in the lives of the individuals I talked to. When COVID started in 2020 and heightened in July, the production had to be shut down for the first time since the company started in 1959. The 2021 production was also canceled. It was disappointing and shocking for many to see a tradition be put on hold for such a long time.
N
ow that it’s becoming safer and there are better precautions, Zilker has announced that the musical will be back for summer 2022! You can go see Little Shop of Horrors at the Zilker Hillside Theater from July 9th through August 14th, with accessibility nights on July 31st and August 6th.
“
The conventional theater is not the only thing that people want to see,” - Kendra Christel.
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Austin Arts and History Community Favorites Founded in 1984, this fine arts museums mission is to highlight and educate people on the culture of the Latinx culture. After moving locations to Downtown in 1988 they have been able to reach more audiences and cater to 75,000+ vistors every year. Mexic-Arte Museum (Photo by John Anderson)
The 106 year old theatre, designed by John Eberson, has been home to many monumental shows including those of Dolly Parton, Harry Houdini, Katharine Hepburn, and Anna Pavlova. The theatre was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Paramount Theatre (Photo Courtesy of Paramount)
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Neill-Cochran House
Austin Arts District
Interstate 35
The Comtemporary Austin- Jones Center
Colorado
History Center
Capitol
Trinity
Lavaca
Guadalupe
West Ave.
Govenors Mansion
5th St
TX History Museum
San Jacinto
Rio Grande
MLK Blvd.
15th St.
12th St.
Lamar
Bass Concert Hall
Blanton Museum
Old Bakery AMOA Downtown Paramount Theatre
6th St.
4th St.
Mexic-Arte Museum
2nd St.
3rd St. Cesar Chavez Inside ATX | 19
Music and Memories
Expereiences of workinng at a music store in Austin before and during the pandemic. By: Iris Martinez
Manufacture of instruments at Westbank String Shop Photo By: Iris Martinez
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Music is everywhere in Austin. You hear it on the radio, hear it at school from the orchestra and band; You might even play an instrument yourself. For all these musicians in Texas to thrive, they get help from their local music shops, which will provide them with anything they need to continue on their musical journey. Austin has been known as the Live Music Capital of the world for a while now. A few wellliked musicians that you hear on the radio were born in Austin or came to Austin to further their experience in music. More than 2,000 musicians in Austin have a passion for music. For these musicians to thrive even further than they already have, they need help from their local music shops that provide instruments and accessories for their instruments. Many music stores in Austin would love to help anyone interested in playing an instrument. They would love to support the new kids or adults who want to head towards the musical pathway by getting them started with instruments, supplies, and even private lessons. Each music shop has had its own experience during COVID-19. Each experience was different. Luckily, during COVID, many people started finding a new interest in music and would start getting interested in playing an instrument. After a short while, music stores got back up on their feet and continued their business.
Once COVID-19 came
around in 2019, one of the first things most businesses including, music shops, had to do was close down a while and lay off a few staff. Depending on the music shop, they might have been closed down for a few weeks to months due to
the increase in COVID cases. It also depends on the music shop whether they had to fire staff or not. The owner of Westbank String Shop, Todd Sloan, said, “I was able to close for two months during the first shutdown, still
keeping my entire staff 100%”. He then further explained that as a small music shop, many staff was not necessary, to begin with, but just because he did not lose any workers did not mean closing down was not as much of an impact. A while after the closedown, Westbank String Shop started experiencing business loss. “We lost 60% of our rent-own business through kids that quit or did not start. To us, that was a significant financial blow”, said Sloan. Once Westbank String Shop was able to open up again, things did not exactly go back to the way they were. They had to change their hours and the way they managed their inventory. Like Westbank String Shop, South Austin Music shop had to close its doors too. “ We were asked to close our doors to keep from spreading the virus, which is a real challenge, because in a small business, if you do not have customer traffic, then you do not have cash flow,” said Bill Welker, owner of South Austin Music Shop. Another option for them was to sell instruments and accessories online, which helped them a lot. Unlike Sloan and Bill, Clint Strait, the owner of Strait Music Company, did have to lay off employees. “Like everybody, it affected us bad early on because we had to close and we had to, lay off a bunch of our employees,” Strait says. “But then it slowly came back. We were able to get everybody back on staff”. During the closedown, it would be understandable for
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these music shop owners to start reminiscing what their music shop was like before the pandemic. During the first quarantine, stores had to make quick adjustments to keep the
environment safe for everyone. Because of this, they could not see as many customers or coworkers, and they missed having people walk in and ask for help.
Different violin bow sizes. Photo By: Iris Martinez
Sloan, for example, while talking about his father teaching him how to play the cello, said, “That is what I love best, working with kids. I get to create the same moment that my
father created with me when I was in third grade”. He wanted to make playing an instrument exceptional to the kids getting started. And he managed to do just that. But, when quarantine began, he could not see kids as often and give them a similar experience. Others missed having their staff back with them. “One of the best things is just having the close-knit community, actually caring for each other and being a part of a good business and also being in the music industry. We are doing good things,” said Strait while talking about his family business. And like most, Bill loved customer interaction the most. “My best experiences all involve customer interaction. It is something that we have to be friendly to everybody. Everybody is different. Everybody has a story. But we are friendly to everybody.” said Bill, “ It is effortless to be nice and friendly. It is almost more work not to be, so we are just inviting. We make sure everybody, all kinds of customers feel at home and welcome here”. Once quarantine started and he could not allow people inside the shop, the interactions lessened. Although this pandemic was a rough situation to music stores, “ Making it through this pandemic. Just getting to the other side and knowing that we are still healthy as a company and doing good. I’d say that was a pretty unique experience.” said Strait. “ There were a lot of days
where remember no one this place when knew what was you do get ready to going to go on, but we Violas don’t bounce buy, you are going to remain confident, and Photo By: Iris Martinez want to come back”. we remain diligent. Although every And as a group, we music shop is got through it together, and I different; in some kind of way think that was an important they all had similar experiences. experience”. If you play an instrument; or plan on starting anytime soon, To continue this journey always remember you have during the pandemic, Westbank your music stores to help you. String shop is giving “One violin Starting to play an instrument at a time. One a string at a time. is like starting a story that Just keep taking care of people does not end until you put that the way we take care of people.” instrument down and never says Sloan. touch it again. Music stores are Just like all the other there to help you continue this music stores, South Austin story of yours that, in hopes, will Music Shop will have people “... be neverending along with the come in here, and have a good passion for music in your heart. experience. You might not buy You might not think it, but music anything. But, you are going to stores are grateful to all the
Evolution of Music in Austin Music Trends in Austin Over the Years! By: Iris Martinez
Hip Hop originated from New York and made its way to Austin, the live music capital of the world.
Some of the most popular hip hop artists in the 1900’s where Biggie, 2pac, Angry Ice cube, Lauryn Hill and the Fugees.
1900 One of the most popular music trends in the 1900’s in Austin was hip hop along with teen pop and dance pop.
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Although hip hop was still popular in the 2000’s Alternative Rock started making it’s way up.
2000 Some of the most popular band groups of alternative rock where The Killers, Artic Monkeys, Green Day, The strokes and Bilink-128.
Some popular rappers since 2010 are Drake, Post Malone, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Eminem. In the 2010’s trap music and all kinds of rap began to become mainstream.
2020
In the begining of the 2020 R& B and hip hop started to be mainstreamed.
2010
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Quarantine differences By: Taylar Edgerton
Peter Pan Mini-Golf
Out of the downtown Austin streets, packed with hidden gems that make Austin weird and unique, one that stands out: Peter Pan Mini Golf. I recently interviewed the owner/manager of the Peter Pan Mini Golf course, Margret Dismukes.
Before quarantine
Clifford Dismukes, brother of Jake Dismukes, built and operated the Peter Pan Mini-Golf course with help from his brothers Gleen and Jake - formerly known as the Dismukes Brothers. Together they created and started the course in 1946. Margret Dismukes Massad is the daughter of Jake Dismukes, who is one of the three brothers that founded the course in the early years of the company. Jake took over the business
Peter Pan statue Mini Golf by the entrance of the course. Photos Taken By Katherine Malm.
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after his brother’s passing, and then over time, the course was passed down to Margaret, according to AustinMonthly. “[The course] is a part of the “Keep Austin Weird scene… that is why we have made a conscious decision to not change or modify things,” Dismukes said. “We keep it very old school. We don’t have anything mechanical. It’s just plain old, old school mini-golf.” The management throughout the years has kept the same mindset for the course. They wish to keep everything the same from the gigantic sculptures, which Jack created as a hobby, on the mini-golf course to the way they bill their customers. “We also really [work] to keep the prices really low. It’s super affordable… So it’s not super expensive to come out with your family.”
Peter Pan Mini Golf is a place not only for tourists but also for the austinites that want to have some old-school fun. They have 72 years of experience in customer service and have been recognized as a local trademark and tradition since 1946, according to USA Today.
During quarantine
Unfortunately, Austin has lost many of our hidden gems due to COVID-19. Thankfully, Peter Pan Mini Golf is loved by many Austinites and the company was able to withstand COVID-19. “We lost six weeks with the shutdown in 2020 and that was some of our really busiest times including spring break,” Dismukes said “But because it’s outside, and people can naturally spread out, we have rebounded much quicker than a lot of other [companies.] Outside is where people feel comfortable.” The course is easy, available, outside, and affordable.
This was what everyone was looking for during the pandemic. Families wanted to get out of the house but still be safe. “A lot of people liked having their birthday parties out here because it’s outside, we’re not breathing each other’s air inside all day,” Dismukes said. During COVID-19 families struggled to find a place to host parties, anniversaries, or even receptions, and Peter Pan Mini-Golf course was the place for that. Because of the mask requirements and social distancing in place for Austin, many indoor businesses lost a lot of revenue. Outdoor entertainment like Peter Pan Mini Golf gained new customers and returning customers.
After quarantine
“We just intend to run it as long as we can… we’ve just want to continue as long as we can, and envision this will keep it going and pass it down to the next generation,” Dismukes said. The rabbit, The Turtule, and The Dinosour statues, on the Peter Pan Mini Golf course. Photos Taken By Mike Dismukes.
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Just like the management before her, she intends to keep the business running. They have no intent on changing the way they run the business either. They wish to keep the course in the family. They do not want to close down the business, and it seems like what they are doing is working. Austin loves old-school business because they remind people of their childhoods. Peter Pan Mini Golf is one of the very few businesses that have been around for a really long time, especially after COVID-19. “We have four owners, and four family members that own part of the business,” Dismukes said “If the next generation wasn’t able to physically take on, a family plan would be in place to keep it in the family, even if we had to hire management. We don’t have any interest in selling it or anything like that.”
“I’ve learned that you can make a difference in somebody’s day, and or have a lasting impact by simply providing good service and making people happy.”
The Dismukes family know that it might get hard in the future and they are prepared for it. They will be prepared for any challenges in the future that might affect the company. Peter Pan Mini Golf is not only a family business but it is one of Austin’s favorite businesses.
Blazer Tag
Joe Michael is the general manager of Blazer Tag. Blazer Tag is one of the very few places to play laser tag in Austin. Entertainment can mean
many different things, but blazer tag is the type of entertainment that releases endorphins.
Before quarantine
“This is a job where people can come to a place like a laser tag to kind of escape from reality, even if it’s just temporary,” Michael said. “I’ve learned that you can make a difference in somebody’s day, and or have a lasting impact by simply providing good service and making people happy.” Blazer Tag is a place to meet new people and have fun. Many come to Blazer Tag to not only have fun but also to have new experiences. Before COVID-19 people came to Blazer Tag for not only special occasions but also for those days where you just need something fun to do. Blazer Tag provides great service and a good time for everyone, making it a great place for big events or small groups.
During quarantine
Managers had to get creative to get customers back, but especially managers of companies like Blazer Tag and other just indoor activities. For companies that are inside, they also needed to revamp their companies to get the amount of customers their numbers back to where they were before. “ We opened back up on June 5 of 2020,” Michael said “Right when we opened, it was so slow, we were kind of worried. But [we] reinvented our business structure because people didn’t want to go out.” Some companies were successful and others got numbers even higher than before, but unfortunately, other companies were not as successful and have ended up losing their business. “The one thing that is the most challenging is, nobody’s ever had to deal with this before,” Michael said “Nobody was alive when there was a previous pandemic… so there’s really no right or wrong way to do this.” COVID-19 has been challenging for everyone, everyone has gone
through all of the same regulations as everyone else. Some people have had different experiences with the virus that have really scared them, making it even harder for them to leave the house.
After quarantine
“We’re geared to more than just kids because the average person that
Sourcing Lines for Feature Article: Image 1: The Peter Pan statue Mini Golf by the entrance of the course. Photos Taken By Katherine Malm. Image 2: The rabbit, The Turtule, and The Dinosour statues, on the Peter Pan Mini Golf course. Photos Taken By Mike Dismukes. Image 3: arcade car racing games. Photo courtesy of Joe Michael
comes here, they come here because they have a little brother, a sister, a mom, and a dad,” Michael said “So we have something for everybody here. I think we contribute a fair amount of good to our demographic here. So if anybody mentions any family entertainment, I’m pretty sure we’ll be in that conversation one way or another.” People are ready to get out and have fun now that many people have taken the vaccine.
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Best places to visit in Austin For guaranteed family fun. By- Taylar Edgerton
ARCADE
Arcades
Some of the best arcades can be found at Pinballz, Main event and Dave N busters. These places are a clean and safe space for everyone. There are great arecadeas all around Austin. in most places witharcareds there is alwasys a good restruant in the building serving hot pizza, cold lemonade, and when your lucky great BBQ.
MINI GOLF
GOLF
Image credit- Taylar Edgerton Inside ATX | 30
Peter Pan Mini Golf is one of the best places for mini golf in Austin. The Peter Pan Mini Golf course is located in the heart of Austin. They believe in doing things the old-school way. They started to take credit cards just a couple of months ago. Peter Pan Mini Golf is a family owned business and they have no interest in getting new management. Margret Massad and her husband, Juilo Massad, now own the company after her father, who built and managed to course with help from his family. They are built solely on having a good time with your family at an affordable price.
There are a lot of good places to go roller skating in Austin, but the best place to go skate, is at Playland Skate Center. Playland is a great place to go with your friends or family on bitrthdays, special occassions or just a boring weekend. Playland is family oriented fun.
LAZER TAG
ROLLER SKATING
Main Event Lazer tag is a great place for work events, holidays or just weekend with your friends. Its always a good time at Main Event. Lazer tag is the best for family outings but for people who aren’t into that kind of stuff they have a great arcade. The staff stakes extra precautions to make sure everything is safe for the players, making it a safe enveriment for everyone! Main event is a big party of Austin’s entertainment. Inside ATX | 31
Meet Austin’s Restaurants By ryan Reddy
You feel the cool air as the door swings open. The sound of people laughing and chatting fills the air, the clanging of metal pots and pans; the boiling, roasting and searing of all the aromatic food surrounds you, and flooding your view are the faces of people you’ve never seen before. Then you start to notice those among the crowd who you have Inside ATX | 32
known for your entire life, and it all starts to come back to you. Austin is home to numerous local restaurants that help make the unique city what it is today. Those who manage and own these restaurants all come from unique backgrounds. They all share knowledge of the benefits of being a local restaurant, but that it doesn’t come
without its pitfalls. Paul Counter, the general manager of Matt’s El Rancho, started working at a young age. He didn’t initially go into the restaurant industry as a long-term career. “I started in the restaurant business when I was 15 as a summer job, and I did well,” Counter said. “So I stayed in it, became a manager of a restaurant when I was still in high school.” Hard work and dedication leads to success in the world of local restaurants, and if you put in the
hard work, you will be rewarded. “I did 20 years at Darden restaurants, which is a company that owns Olive Garden and many other restaurant concepts, and before that, I worked at Chili’s,” Counter said. Experience is a very important factor in the restaurant industry if you are going to be a manager of a restaurant, and it can also help when managing the restaurant itself. On the other hand, Matt Cisneros, one of the co-owners of Cisco’s Restaurant Bakery and Bar, had a different start to his career in the
restaurant industry. “I was a business major in college, and knew that eventually it would work itself out,” Cisneros said. “And, day-to-day I’ve got a different company, but was fortunate enough to figure it out over the course of a handful of years… At that point, I was definitely willing to just figure out whatever I had to do to make it work.” Matt always wanted to be a part of the restaurant his grandfather founded but didn’t have a chance until later in his life, and by then he already had a business. Both Cisernos and Counter
People drinking at Cisco’s Photo Courtesy of Matt Cisneros
have a lot of experience in managing and running a restaurant. They both know the struggles and benefits of managing a restaurant. “If you’re unemployed, and you have to work your 40 hours then you go home, but if you’re the owner, or the general manager, it’s a whole different ball game,” Counter said. “It’s 24/7, 365…everyone else is off on the weekends and holidays, visiting with a family having a great time, restaurant people are at Inside ATX | 33
work because it’s when we’re busy.” Being in the restaurant industry is a big commitment if you are going to be the general manager or the owner of a restaurant, and you are going to have to be willing to make an enormous sacrifice, especially if you have family and children to care for. This demotivates many people from being in these higher job positions, but being the general manager or owner in a local restaurant doesn’t come without its upsides. “The benefit of being a local restaurant owner is that you get to see people Window view of Cisco’s Photo courtesy of Matt Cisneros
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come back to something that they really love and it’s less of a transaction, like it might be in a more chain corporate restaurant,” Cisneros said. “We love seeing the same people. We love hearing the stories. [Cisco’s Restaurant] really just encapsulates what the city was forever ago, a place of inclusion and a place for people to gather over good food and good memories.” Being a part of a restaurant that was founded over 70 years ago and being able to stick to the same ideals as when it was founded, even in these ever changing times, is something to be proud of as Cisneros
states. The community is what really matters as a local restaurant, and it’s not just the community outside of the restaurant, but inside it as well. When questioned about how it was to work with the employees, Cisneros has many things to say. “It’s super familial, and it’s something that was super valuable to us. And we don’t look at it like you’re our employee, we look at it like you’re our partner, you’re our brother, sister, aunt, whoever,” Cisneros said. “So it’s of most importance to us that our employees come first, we want to listen to them, we want to help them however we can. So that’s
Person squeezes lime into Topo Chico at Cisco’s Photo courtesy of Matt Cisneros
very valuable to us. We don’t look at it as transactional as much as… What’s best for everybody? Ultimately, it’s family first.” Compared to a corporate chain, the overall feeling inside of a local restaurant is more relaxed and more “familial” as Cisneros puts it. Some of the employees have been working at the restaurant for decades, and they all have close ties with one another. With all of this in mind, you may ask why these restaurants don’t expand, and there are reasons. “I hope we’re not working on any expansion, although we could easily, we’re just focused on this
one restaurant and making sure that it’s here for a long time,” Counter said. What matters for most of these local restaurant owners and managers is that the restaurant stays around for as long as possible while keeping its authenticity. These restaurants mean a lot to the people that run them as well as to those who work there, and it’s a big part of their lives that would be devastating to lose. “[Losing the restaurant] would be sad; it would be a forever sadness no doubt. It’s something that’s super close to my heart and I’m very proud of,” Cisneros said. “This is something that my
grandfather started and I’m continuing but in addition to that, to know that it would make the city a little less historic... a simple word sad, but I don’t think it’s going to happen we’re not going to let it happen… So that’s not an option in our opinion.” These owners are willing to do almost anything to make sure that their businesses stay around for as long as possible, and even through tough times they pushed to make sure they could survive. The feel in the buildings of these local restaurants is completely different from what you might get anywhere else and it is a culmination of years of tradition and care. Inside ATX | 35
Local Restaurants of Austin By: Ryan Reddy
Local resturants in downtown austin, from P.Terry’s Burgers to Uchi’s Sushi P.Terry’s Burger Stand Kathy and Patrick Terry founded P.Terry’s in Austin as a burger stand in 2005. Initially beginning due to Patrick’s drean to open a classic brger stand, it has since grown into a popular fast-food restuarant chain serving burgers and shakes.
Uchi Austin Uchi is a Austin-based Japanese resturant founded by Tyson Cole in 2003. Tyson Cole has been nominated for many awards due to his skills as a chef, and Uchi is no exception to his culinary talent.From sushi to steak, it features a wide range of choies on its menu.
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Torchy’s Tacos Founded in 2006 by Mike Rypka, Torchy’s Tacos has quickly expanded into a fan favorite local Austin chain serving a variety of tacos, chips and dips.
Veracruz All Natural Reyna and Maritza Vasquez started the restaurant in 2008 as a simple place to get tacos with spit-grilled meats or vegetable alternatives, as well as juice and coffee, and it has stayed that way as a small local Austin restaurant.
Originally founded by Terry Black as a meat market in central Texas 89 years ago. Terry Black’s barbeque has grown a lot since then and has gone through four generations of pit masters serving sausages, beef and more.
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START THE TREND! Support the local buisinesses who support the area where you live, work and play.
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