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ezine spring 2022
Table of contents 6
Meet the Editors
8
Whats the Deal With Delivery
The new vs the old
14 4 |Austin Ajar
12
Austin Businesses in the Pandemic
Why Austin is Good For small businesses
20 Starting a business
26 Beginnings in austin
32 Ten small businesses To visit
18
Cooking Up A Small Business
24 Businesses That Keep Austin Weird
30 gentrification in austin
36 Austin Ajar | 5
meet the editors
Dear reader, This magazine provides an unparalleled view into the small business scene in Austin. Our stories cover the effects of delivery apps, COVID-19, and gentrification of local small businesses. We will also look at new and old small businesses, businesses that keep Austin weird, and what makes our city a good place to run a business. We hope you enjoy this riveting window into the exciting world of Austin’s businesses.
Piyali Bhattacharya My name is Piyali Bhattacharya. I will be creating an article about how to create a small business with an inside view on how others run their small business. I enjoy playing basketball and the violin. Once I graduate high school, I will pursue a career in computer science. Something interesting about me is that I have a collection of retractable spoons.
Edwin Colchado Romero Hey, I’m Edwin Colchado Romero. I’m writing about small businesses in Austin that keep the city weird. I enjoy playing soccer and guitar in my free time. I would like to go into plumbing after I graduate high school. I have a 9-year-old younger brother and a 17-year-old older brother.
6 |Austin Ajar
Ramon Escamilla Hi, my name is Ramon Escamilla. I would like to write about food delivery apps. I have a couple of favorite hobbies including wrestling as I am able to keep active and I get to play around with my friends. After I graduate, I would love to join the military as I get free college for the low cost of risking my life. I have three dogs and their names are Stan, Justin Josiah and Robert.
Brooke Lyons Hi, I’m Brooke Lyons. I’m writing an article about gentrification and its effects on small businesses, and I’m also doing an ASF about popular small businesses to visit in Austin. I like knitting, drawing, reading, and anything else that involves creating things. Some fun facts about me are that I have a twin sister, and I have a lot of pets including two rats.
Justin Wickelgren My name is Justin Wickelgren. For my feature story, I’m writing an article about the effects the pandemic has had on small businesses. Some of my hobbies include reading, because I can learn new things, and playing video games because they are fun. After I graduate high school, I want to go to college. Something interesting about me is that I have an older sibling.
Austin Ajar | 7
Whats the deal with delivery A view into delivery apps and how they work with austins local business By Ramon Escamilla Being a restaurant in Austin is quite a difficult task. Austin is a big city with a rapidly growing economy and metropolitan area. You might need some assistance with delivery.
Restaurants have mixed opinions about these services; some say it’s a good thing to have, while others think it promotes a culture of laziness.
Austin is a major city with a growing economy and restaurant sector. Many Austin business owners have opted to roll with delivery apps, such as Morris Pittle, owner of Jew Boy Burgers, an Austin burger restaurant, or Xiomara (who didn’t provide their last name), manager of Casa Chapala, a Mexican-style restaurant. These apps provide a steady form of income and help provide exposure. These apps are not as efficient as you may think, so some businesses opt to not use them. Delivery apps provide useful services but also have some downsides.
“I think it has created a culture of open, put this bluntly, placation, maybe I don’t want to say lazy, but I think people have gotten used to having stuff brought to them, and they no longer make the effort to go out,” Pittle said.
Being a major city of the United States, Austin is cluttered and traffic has become worse over the years. Takeout services have been on the rise during the past few years, seeing growth and popularity over time and the COVID-19 pandemic. 8 |Austin Ajar
Most delivery apps’ business models rely heavily on contract labor and having employees without set hours in a workday. “Obviously, the drivers are contract labor,” Pittle said. “Several of them just didn’t pay attention to that directive. The drivers are very rude and very impatient. There’s a loss of gratuity there when the drivers come because they don’t tip, which is a big part of my business model. Gratuity helps with my labor costs which are high.” Pittle said that drivers from these companies are rude and impatient
and don’t help small businesses because they don’t tip. The loss of tips is causing him a loss since labor costs are his highest expense, which means he is forced to raise prices. Keeping the customer happy is the priority, and rude and impatient drivers that don’t respect the business affect the quality and price of the product you are trying to sell. Delivery services also often have high fees, which cause problems for these small businesses. These fees are forcing businesses to up their prices and raise the cost of an otherwise affordable burger. Now businesses have to raise the price of their burger to reach a profit. Yet still, the business suffers because the customers don’t like higher prices and may not want to come back because of the inflation in price. “Specifically, it’s that percentage that really ties me up; they want a percentage off the top of each quarter,” Pittle said. “It’s upon me. Let’s say I sell a $10 burger. For that $10 Burger, I have to now pay them
Graphic of major delivery apps DoorDash to left upper middle Uber eats top right Instacart Middle left Favor, center goPuff, middle left postmates, Bottom left BAM, bottom center Grub hub bottom right Chow now. Photo courtessy of Doordash, Uber eats, Instacart, GoPuff,Favor,BAM,Chownow and Postmates.
Austin Ajar | 9
Image of the side of the building of JewBoy burgers.This restaurant is owned by Morris Pittle Located at 5111 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751.Photo courtesy of Dave eats Blog. $3. I could either upcharge the customer, which many people do, but then I’m dealing with people that say, Well, an affordable $10 Burger just became a $13 Burger, plus the money they have to pay the delivery charge. Next thing you know, for something you could come out and pay 10 bucks for, you’re paying 16, 17 bucks plus a tip. And what that does is that just devalues the value of reception. And I don’t want to do that.” Pittle has experienced these delivery services sometimes changing your menu or putting items that you are no longer offering on it. 10 |Austin Ajar
“A lot of them will request [to add] us, or they’ll put us on there without having a connection with us,” Pittle said. “But they’re putting old menus up there.” A major part of his business, the fan-favorite burger of the month, is being changed without his permission because these services are trying to gain more business under their belts. “Some delivery apps are putting businesses that don’t request to be on their roster,” Pittle said. “Menus are being reverted to an old version. We do a burger of the month and
we change it every month. Well, a lot of them are putting old menus there. People are trying to order a burger of the month that we no longer make. It’s very frustrating.” Not all businesses dislike delivery services; they are used by some businesses. They helped tremendously through the pandemic and also provided major aid to certain restaurants. These apps provide tablets for the restaurant to receive an order that is easily findable and convenient for the business. “When we get the orders, they are populated into the tablets they give
us,” Xiomara said. “Then they fax over the orders and print out the orders. So it’s easy to hand them over to my kitchen staff so that their orders come out.” Delivery apps have been helping businesses since their first arrival in Austin, but their popularity skyrocketed with the COVID-19 pandemic. “They’ve just been an extra avenue of income, especially during COVID,” Xiomara said. “When COVID originally started, we leaned on those apps immensely. It just really helped us maintain a level of profit and help keep our doors open. Not only that, it’s just another avenue of income.”
looking for the best prices, not falling for one-time deals, and thinking of the long term. “I would recommend them to shop around, see which company has the most competitive prices, see the best deal that you can get for your business,” Xiomara said.
“Do your research, do your homework, understand your margins, understand the customer experience. Think about this stuff before you sign on with anybody. Define yourself before you allow somebody else to define you,” Pittle said.
Pittle says to keep your morals, think of your margins, don’t jump the gun for the first offer you get, define who you are, and define what your business is.
Elvis Homemade Tamales, a familyowned Tamales shop operated by Elvia Salas, takes orders through Whatsapp and advertises with guerrilla marketing, a marketing
Businesses leaned on the support of these delivery apps for revenue and to maintain profit, benefiting these small businesses. These services helped businesses stay in business and continue serving the public. These apps have provided aid in hard times, but they also hide some shady practices by adding businesses to their rosters that have not signed on with them. Certain apps also charge large fees that can hurt the perception of the business since they either have to conform to the price and accept a loss or raise their prices and suffer the customer’s judgment. Overall, with Austin being an upand-coming major city, Delivery will be here to stay and support small and big businesses. Some Austin business owners have advice for businesses that want to work with delivery apps. Xiomara suggests shopping around,
Picture of Casa chapala inside.This is the restaurant managed by Xiomara Its Located at 9041 Research Blvd #100, Austin, TX 78758. Photo courtesy by Zomato
strategy based on surprising and unique interactions, but not through delivery apps. “I recommend to all those small businesses who want to open the doors to deliveries is to not be afraid,” Salas said. “I know that the idea of delivering can be a little frightening, to be honest. But just not being scared and getting out of their comfort zone. That’s the most important thing.”
Delivery is something that could help you grow your business. Decide if you choose to go with a company, you would have to deal with the rates and if you are going to do it yourself. Salas said that if you are not organized, you will lose track of orders. Keep in mind your margins and your values before making a choice on how you will deliver your product. Austin Ajar | 11
VS
The new ThE Old
Comparing Austin newest and oldest Businesses By Ramon Escamilla
Scholz Garten Scholz Garten
Name: Scholz Garten Opened: 1866 Location: 1607 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin ,TX 78701 Style: Pub Building Design: A calssical Germanic style design AveragePrice for a meal: $11.18 Awards: 85 on beer advocate, It was recognized as “A gathering place for Texans of discernment,taste,culture erudition,epitomizing of the finnest tradition of magnificent German heritage in our state” By the state of Texas Legislature 12 |Austin Ajar
Sources and information from Gayot, Scholz Garten, Odd Duck and Beer Advocate .
ODD DUCK
Name: Odd Duck Opened: 2009 Location: 1201 S Lamar Blvd, Austin ,TX 78704 Style: An upscale eatery Building Design: A modern rectangular design Average Price:for a meal: $18.73 Awards: Top 10 Austin restaurants by Gayot, Top 10 Austin brunch resturants
Austin Ajar | 13
Austin businesses in the pandemic
The pandemic has had a profound impact on Austin’s small businesses, and they had to adapt to challenges they’ve never before faced. by Justin Wickelgren The front entrance of local Mexican restaurant and bakery Joe’s Bakery in the evening. Photo courtesy of Regina Estrada, Joe’s Bakery. 14 |Austin Ajar
You’ve been hearing about the novel coronavirus and cases and lockdowns in far off countries, but so far your business is running as usual. Suddenly, cases begin popping up in the United States, and it becomes clear that a lockdown is coming. You’ll have to totally shut down your business for at least some time, and in all your decades of experience running a business, you’ve never handled something like this. How do you respond? With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing for over two years, almost all small businesses in Austin have been affected and forced to adapt in different ways. Many have had to grapple with lost revenue amid a massive drop in sales, hiring and retaining staff in one of the tigest labor markets for decades, maintaining safe conditions for both customers and staff during massive surges in cases, and sourcing the products they need to run their business through
widespread supply chain issues. Throughout the pandemic, businesses have had to contend with conflicting messaging from the municipal and state levels about what COVID-19 precautions they can or should implement. One business grappling with this is local shop Parts & Labour, owned and operated by Lizelle Villapando, who said they haven’t required masks for months but they still ask for them, and people rarely maintain physical distancing. “Right now, we have masks being requested for the customers but not no masks no entry,” Villapando said. “I’d say 50 to 70% of the customers come in wearing masks unsolicited. Social distancing doesn’t really happen in here anymore.” Regina Estrada, owner and general manager of Joe’s Bakery, an Austin bakery and Mexican restaurant, said they have required masks
Lizelle Villapando, owner of Parts & Labour, a local shop. Photo courtesy of Lizelle Villapando, Parts & Labour. since the start of the pandemic, but have faced more customer resistance to the policy recently. “We were just kind of rolling with the information that was provided to us,” Estrada said. “From when [COVID-19] started, we did start implementing masks, first with our employees and our customers, [and] we stuck with it. I will say over the last couple of weeks, with the COVID fatigue, it’s been a little bit more challenging.” Estrada also talked about how they receive many negative comments about the policy from indignant customers. It is difficult to deal with these comments when many customers are expressing them, they said. “Today, we had somebody call, and she was complaining, and she made it a point to identify herself as a food blogger,” Estrada said. “She didn’t see the relevance in asking for customers to wear a mask when they’re walking inside the restaurant [because] once they were at the table, they didn’t have to wear them. It’s just dealing with those types of comments.”
The storefront of Parts & Labour from across the street. Photo courtesy of Lizelle Villapando, Parts & Labour.
Estrada said they do try to
Austin Ajar | 15
maintain social distancing, and to do so they had to remove several tables and bar stools when they reopened their dining room. “When we did reopen our dining room, I took out about eight to 10 tables, and I took about eight bar stools,” Estrada said. “If you take out eight tables, maybe three of them were two-seaters, and then the rest of them are four-seaters, that really takes away [from] the amount of people that you can serve at one time.” The problem with removing tables is that people will sit at tables long after they finish eating and tip very little, which limits how many customers can be served, so it hurts revenue. “You have to turn your tables and then you have individuals that are monopolizing your table, and they’re just sitting down and talking and you’re not moving your table that impacts your bottom line,” Estrada said. “They’re sitting there monopolizing the table, and they only leave a $5 tip. Well, they could have turned that table two times in the hour and a half.” Despite their struggles with in-person dining, Estrada says that they have
had success with curbside pickup. They have faced some frustrations from customers when they change things, and employees have had to learn how to handle a whole new type of order. “One of the things that has come out of COVID is that people really like curbside. It has been challenging, and it does make work a little harder,” Estrada said. “It has been a learning curve for our employees; it has been a learning curve for our customers. There’s been some frustration: every time you come, you’re changing it? We’re not changing things because we want to, we’re changing things because we have to. We’re doing what we can with the information that we’re provided.” While many traditional small businesses like restaurants and shops have faced adverse effects from the pandemic, Megan Ramon, operations manager at Hello World Studio, an Austin company offering classes in computer science for K-12 students, said they didn’t face much difficulty with the transition to online classes. “We had our classes with students working on the computer after school,” Ramon said. “When
Sabina Bharwani, founder and CEO of Hello World Studio. Photo courtesty of Hello World Studio. 16 |Austin Ajar
we had to go to online classes, what was great was Austin ISD sent home all of their students with a computer. So they were able to still access our platform online. And all we had to do was create Zoom calls, and get everybody connected that way.” Ramon also said that the switch to online classes has benefited them in some respects because now they can offer services internationally, instead of just in Austin, reaching a global audience. “In some ways, it’s increased the demand because we can now service students internationally,” Ramon said. “We’ve had students from Brazil and Chile request to join our classes, students from Canada, all over the United States try to join our classes. It’s been great because we’re able to offer that since our classes are now virtual.” The government programs have helped alleviate some of the challenges that small businesses have faced in the pandemic. Estrada said that the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans were a good idea and helped some businesses, including their own, but the paperwork was too difficult for busy small business owners to wade through.. “We were fortunate enough to be able to apply and get PPP assistance, but it wasn’t easy; it’s a lot of paperwork,” Estrada said. “If you’re a small business owner, and you are losing waitstaff because they’re out with COVID, and you’re having to be on the floor, or you’re having to do whatever to help run your business on a day to day operations, you don’t have the 3, 6, 9, 12 hours or the time that it takes to put these applications in.”
Villapando said that their business benefited from the PPP aid, but they did know of businesses abusing it, big businesses getting small business loans, and small businesses not getting as much as they needed. “We benefited from the Payroll Protection Program. It was the only thing that kept the business from going bankrupt, so it did help us survive it,” Villapando said. “I’ve heard of a business in town who took the loan, and then abandoned their company and didn’t pay the staff. I’ve heard about big businesses somehow getting the small business loans to pay back.
I’ve heard small businesses not getting enough money to really endure the pandemic shelter in place times.” Estrada and Villapando both said that everyone can help support small businesses and the best way to do it is to make an effort to choose small businesses over the large corporations that might be cheaper or more convenient. “Spend their money [at small businesses],” Villapando said. “Make extra effort to know what small businesses are in their community or spend money there.”
“I think what people can really do is take the time to make a conscious effort to visit local businesses,” Estrada said. “Respect [that] every business is doing their best to keep their doors open. Just to respect what they asked, hey, they asked you to wear masks, just wear masks. It’s not because they want to, but they’re just trying to protect their business.” Austin’s small businesses have faced numerous difficult challenges throughout the pandemic, but their ability to adapt and the support from local customers have allowed them to prevail.
The family that owns Joe’s Bakery: Rose Estrada (mother), Paula Estrada (grandmother), Regina Estrada. Photo courtesy of Regina Estrada, Joe’s Bakery. Austin Ajar | 17
why for
austin
is good
small businesses
How Austin creates an exceptionally good environment to start and run a small business By Justin Wickelgren
Texas is ranked highly in business tax climate, a measure of how favorable state taxes are to businesses, according to the Tax Foundation. This map shows US states by business tax climate.
10.0 7.5 5.0 2.5 0.0
18 |Austin Ajar
Austin (highlighted in the graph below) has the fourth highest proportion of its residents in their prime working years (between the ages of 25 and 54) of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, according to LendingTree (top 30 shown only). 60% 50% 40%
Austin (highlighted in the graph below) is in the top quarter of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in new small business survival rate, according to LendingTree (top half shown only). 100% 80% 60%
30% 20% 10% 0%
40% 20% 0%
Texas has the fifth highest rate of new entrepreneurs in the United States at 410 new entrepreneurs per 100,000 people per month, according to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
0.47% Texas 0.39% 0.32% 0.25% 0.17%
Austin Ajar | 19
Cooking Up A Small Business Learn about business owners’ experiences that led to their success. By Piyali Bhattacharya
Wax Myrtle’s, an indoor and outdoor pool-adjacent bar and restaurant, opens on Valentine’s day. Photo by Jackie Lee Young, staff photographer. 20 |Austin Ajar
Ding! A customer walks into the store. They are immediately enveloped in an aromatic, piquant, almost mouthwatering smell. The chef hat shifts slightly on your head as you greet the customer, ready to take their order. You take a deep breath and smile. Since the birth of Austin, restaurant owners have made their businesses through hardships. Those hardships shouldn’t discourage potential business owners from creating a business. Many big life decisions, successes, failures, and more come with pursuing this dream.
Be Adaptable Most of the time, an ideal business plan doesn’t work out. In order to combat these obstacles, owners must be flexible and prepare to adapt to their particular situations. Marco Silvestrini, the owner of Dolce Neve Gelato, explained why he expanded to Houston instead of his original city, Austin. “There were a couple of reasons,” Silvestrini said. “One was the timing of construction. We signed the lease of our second Austin location at the beginning of 2016 but that was a new development so we knew it would have taken a while before we could actually open the second location.” In the meantime, a friend of Silvestrini’s that owns a coffee shop in Houston told them that
there was an opportunity at a strip center. It was opening one of its coffee shops, so they decided to sign the lease for that property a couple of months later. “Since the other property was ready sooner than the Austin property, that’s why we opened in Houston sooner than when we were able to open the second Austin location,” Silvestrini said. Silvestrini chose another location due to added opportunities.
Be Unique A business has to stand out from the crowd so owners can rise above the competition and succeed. Silvestrini explains how his shop is different from other restaurants in Austin. “It’s the way we approach the gelato business,” Silvestrini said. “We don’t use any premade ingredients. We’re really focused on the quality of the ingredients,” Silvestrini said. “We have a clean approach to how we make gelato so you’re not going to find any weird stabilizers.” The gelato shop tries hard to make the list of ingredients as short as possible so that the customer can taste the quality of the flavors without having different elements that tend to mask the authenticity of the flavor. They do traditional flavors that a customer could find in an Italian gelato shop.
They like to be more creative and play with the flavors. “When we make flavors, we are never going to go overboard,” Silvestrini said.
“We always try to make flavors that we know we are going to enjoy.” “We don’t like to make flavor just for the sake of doing a publicity stunt,” Silvestrini said. Silvestrini was trained in Italy and worked in one of the top five gelato shops in Italy. He, along with his team, won one of the most prestigious gelatomaking competitions in Italy just before they opened. “I don’t think that any of the other gelato shops that are in town can actually do that,” Silvestrini said. “If I think of the competition we have right now in Kepler-like franchises of gelato shops from out of town which use pre-made mixes. I think that there is another one that is kind of in a hybrid gelato shop bar. So the focus on the gelato component is not as laser-focus on gelato as we are.” Being different builds loyalty among your present customers and facilitates referrals on a regular basis, and it attracts new customers to your business. Austin Ajar | 21
Be Passionate A business that works implies that you will devote more time and effort to your task. You will naturally want to work more if you enjoy what you’re doing.
really need to stay laser-focused on your business because you’re going to have to work 80-90 hours a week and you can’t really work 80-90 hours a week if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing.”
she was not happy with. So, she started her cooking business.
Be Persistent Persistence is key. At first, a business may not have many customers. Mustafa Shumoosi, a manager at the food truck Texas Shawarma, explains:
“Like any food truck, you will struggle at the beginning because no one knows you,” Shumoosi said. “No one knows what kind of food you serve or the quality of the food you serve. In the beginning, [the owner] struggled for a little bit more than six months where he barely got any customers, maybe five or six a day, which is barely enough for him TX Shawarma, a local Mediterranean food truck, has its grand opening in to pay rent for the truck Austin. Photo by Kristen L., staff photographer. and to buy products and food.” Devi Jayakumar runs a cooking Someone who gives up at the business at home in Austin. first sight of hardship is certain The majority of food trucks are to fail. Caring about what you in a better position or location “Cooking is my passion,” do is also vital since it breeds downtown, where there are Jayakumar said. “I had a long unstoppable perseverance. more bars and nightclubs. break after work, I used to be Silvestrini’s take on passion However, residents in the area an HR person. After that, I had relates to the upcoming of his are regular customers. Word a long break. And I didn’t want business. spreads from person to person, to start back. I don’t want to “If you’re opening a business, and that is how the food truck go into my career because I’ll it comes with a lot of sacrifices became popular. be starting as a new person, so if you don’t like what you’re a beginner in that field,” doing it’s going to be an “They would have really great Jayakumar said. extremely hard time for you,” customers and lots of numbers Silvestrini said. “Especially from them because most Jayakumar wanted to start at the beginning when more people go there, especially on money is going to come out than something she was passionate weekends. They would like about instead of working a job what is going to come in you to get something with a big 22 |Austin Ajar
amount because the Shawarma and food like big amounts of chicken, lamb, beef, and the majority of our customers were from the neighborhood,” Shumoosi said. Shumoosi discusses his experiences with different food apps. Along with the owner, he had to persist through the struggles of being part of a new business where customers would have to put their trust in the business. “If we are new, we’re not going to have any reviews nor stars,” Shumoosi said. “So they would take the risk of ordering from us. Luckily, we got really good reviews in time and our reviews are about 4.9 out of 5 right now. We got lots of new customers, and when they come like, ‘Hey,
we just saw that you have really good reviews on Google. You have good reviews on Yelp. You have good reviews on Uber. And we tried your food and we love it.’ They became regular customers.” Once an owner establishes a foundation and grows a customer base, it is easier to continue making improvements to the business and expand.
The future looks bright for these businesses as they continue to grow. The challenges they face aid in determining which factors will need to be addressed in the future.
“We give 100% effort and energy to provide the best service for the customers,” Shumoosi said. “We never had any customers leave upset. We try to accommodate them. We always try to make sure they have a good experience with us.”
While each company is distinct in many ways, they all confront challenges every year and are prone to constant change.
Keep Pushing!
These businesseses continuously experiment, fail, learn, and grow and then repeat the process when the world changes.
Once a solid business is made for something you’re passionate about and a plan is achieved, you’re well on your way to launching a successful enterprise!
The Co-Owners of Dolce Neve Gelato showcasing their freshly-made gelato in their first Austin location. Courtesy of Dolce Neve Gelato.
Austin Ajar | 23
STARTING A BU Trying to make a small business? Follow these five easy steps for a smooth running start-up! By Piyali Bhattacharya
PASSIONATE Find a topic that you are passionate about! You must love your business to be able to grow it and increase productivity. This gives you more fuel to put towards your success.
24 |Austin Ajar
PLANNING
A business plan is a very strategic tool for entrepreneurs. It will help you focus on the steps needed for you to progress and cheive long-term goals.
SAVE M
You have to sav to start and expa This helps pro cushion in cas wrong and he inte
USINESS
MONEY
ve money in order and your business. ovide a financial se anything goes elps avoid paying erest.
EMPLOYEES
Employees help with a business growth and will make your work easier. In addition, they have influence among your customers and they could help determine weaknesses and gaps.
ADVERTISING
It’s important to advertise because it drives business growth! It influences the thoughts and emotions of the custormers and helps expand your business. Advertising enables a large market to be aware of your product.
Austin Ajar | 25
Keeping austin weird Austin is flourishing with new small businesses, but which ones stand out from the rest and how is it like for them? By: Edwin Colchado Romero The background and foundation of our beloved city of Austin. The birthplace of creativity and the making of communities. Small Businesses. Small businesses are and will continue to be one major reason as to why Austin is considered a great place to live. But what if we tried something different? What’s limiting our creativity? Absolutely nothing. This is why the phrase “Keep Austin Weird” was created. To give a name to the never-ending imagination of
Austinities Austin is packed with variety that people from all over the world get to enjoy. Weird businesses are the ones that give flavor to this already flavorful city. Owners of these businesses are able to proudly show off their creations like mouth watering servings, presents for entire families or even gifts from nature. During the past decade or so, The Peached Tortilla, ATown and Plant Party have achieved this massive goal of being able to hold the pillars of the phrase: Keep Austin Weird. There are countless small businesses in Austin and a lot of them are similar. This first small business started
26 |Austin Ajar
off as a stationary food truck. Known as The Peached Tortilla, this Japanese-style restaurant, first founded in 2010 by Eric Silverstein, offers countless delicious cuisines in its one of a kind menu. From Malaysian Alaskan Bowls to Margarita de Peached, it is hard to find someone that would not enjoy a delicious meal at The Peached Tortilla. Its large menu variety is part of what makes this place so special. “I think it’s pretty different from the U.S. style,” Silverstein said. “We are offering culture so it’s really personal. The type of dishes that we are doing are unique.” With the 12 years that Silverstein has had to build this culture rich restaurant, he has written a book titled “The
Peached Tortilla: Modern Asian Comfort Food from Tokyo to Texas” which offers a peek into the amazing food that this place creates. Of course, with a fun idea comes a fun staff.
up overseas and within my family,” Silverstein said. “So I think Japan had a lot to do with my family. And I’ve just personally been attracted to and am passionate about food. It just kind of made sense. Yeah. It’s something I personally found exciting
“We have a pretty diverse workforce,” Silverstein said. “I think just the nature of the hospitality business you would have a diverse Eric Silverstein shows off his new cookbook by showing the front workforce. and cover. He owns The Peached Tortilla It just kind interesting. In Credits to carli rene of comes my free time, naturally to our I’m reading people seek the satisfaction organization about food or that comes from the food in to be honest. It’s something watching videos about food, the Peached Tortilla’s mouth we don’t really need to seek trying to learn more about watering food that they simply out because I think it’s already different cultures. So I think are unable to find anywhere inherent in our business.” there’s a very tangible thing.” else. An interesting work It has always been environment and an interesting “I’ve just kind of always been a goal of passionate about food, food idea attracts both employees culture is a big part of growing and customers alike. A lot of
Austin Ajar | 27
Beginnings are always tough especially when you create more distinctive ideas. Especially in more recent times when most companies had to temporarily shut down their businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Irene Carter at ATown was one of the many unfortunate owners that had to go through this difficult time.
COVID was more impactful in businesses that Keep Austin Weird, such as in this specific boutique shop, where it was hard getting supplies and coming back up after such a disastrous time.
and is back on its feet and continues to sell an extraordinary variety of products. As an Austininspired boutique shop, ATown has really helped people admire Austin culture. Since most of their pieces come from artists from all over Austin, they are always packed with tons of souvenirs, artifacts, pottery and much more that is able to attract all sorts of tourists and Austinities.
“We had to shut down ATown so we had brutal restrictions,” Although not Carter said. as diverse as “Trying to the other two, rebuild your Plant Party has companies its own isn’t a lot of level of Downwards view of Atown. Atown is a boutique fun. So covid shop in Austin who loves to help keep Austin has been brutal, weird. and it’s taken a lot of energy out of everyone in the industry. And that’s a big uniqueness in its plants, problem.” terrariums and other nature “I wish we wouldn’t have had friendly objects. Owner and this low steeping point but establisher Keri Anderson at least we get to sell new has created an environment products that we have in which plant enthusiasts come up with during are able to feel amazing in. that time,” said Not many people think about Carter. devoting their businesses to nature which is why Plant It is now Party is such a unique idea. almost fully recovered “I’m happy with the way it 28 |Austin Ajar
has benefited my community and helped change the way people admire agriculture,” Anderson said. “I’m happy with the growth the Plant Party has seen.”
Anderson admires the plant world a lot, and she is excited to help people learn and create their own pieces of the wild. “I was happy to see people play in nature, and surprise themselves at how therapeutic it was,” Anderson said. “They were also surprised at how creative they could be, when building a terrarium/ succulent garden. That was rewarding to experience. I believe it’s given people a different perspective of sending someone a gift. It’s given Austin a glimpse of the beauty we were looking past, back when we just sent flowers.”
She believes in the spreading of herbs and is proud of her work. Anderson sees these succulents as amazing gifts. “Ten years ago, I knew people would be in a place where they would need plants around them,” Anderson said. “Computers are great and they get a lot accomplished, but with the future of automation, we will want to reconnect with something wild and free. I knew I needed to be a vehicle of change
after I worked in the floral industry and realized how much chemical is used in the production of ornamental flowers.”
She knew her goal since the beginning and it seems as if she has been seeing her goal being accomplished with her work and staff work spread deep into the roots of Austin.
Small businesses have inhabited Austin for decades. They have colored the city with a variety of shops and have created a more diverse city in central Texas. This applies especially to the businesses that have more brave, unique ideas that are willing to take the risk of not having enough people buying into their ideas. These businesses and others alike will continue to grow as their different ideas populate the city of Austin. One of the many nature-appreciative pieces that Plant Party sells. Along with this terrarium kit, Plant Party sells other beautiful plants. Credits to Keri Anderson and employees at Plant Party
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founded in austin An insight into now successful businesses that began their journey in our city of Austin By Edwin Colchado Romero
KENDRA SCOTT Kendra Scott is a jewerly-selling company founded in 2002, Scott, the founder, started making jewerly out of spare boredom and for cost-efficient reasons. This place has sold countless jewerly items ever since its slow start in 2002. It is now a famous jewerly store.
WHOLE FOODS Following up with a big one, Whole Foods was founded September 20, 1980 in the marvelous city that we know as Austin. During that time, Whole Foods was able to become the largest American chain of supermarkets that specializes in natural and organic food.
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ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE Founded in 1992, The Alamo Drafthouse is a cinema that has dozens of locations across the U.S. The fouders, Tim and Karrie League were driven by their simple passion of watching movies while being able to enjoy food and beer
SCHLOTZSKY’S
Schlotzsky’s, founded in 1981, makes and sells just as amazing food. This sandwich restaurant franchise serves Austin-inspired dellicacies which make up its delicious menu.
DELL
Another big business, and maybe the biggest in this list, Dell is a computer manifacture founded February 1, 1984. This company is one of the most successful one that were able to spread their roots throughout the world.
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Gentrification in
Austin
Austin is experiencing rapid growth, and small businesses are paying the price
By Brooke Lyons
The first thing that hits you as you step out of your car is the scent of freshly made barbeque wafting out of the building to your left. It mixes with the smell of the sunbaked pavement below your feet, creating a welcoming atmosphere that puts you at ease. Gazing down the busy street, you see various quaint and colorful buildings and shops, decorated with fading paint. Overshadowing these buildings, you can see a dull gray condo complex looming in the distance, seemingly out of place amongst the custom feeling shops. These shops, long-standing parts of Austin’s culture, are in danger. During recent years, Austin’s economy and population have boomed. This expansion has led to the renovation and rebuilding of many lower income neighborhoods. While this may seem like a good thing at first, one negative side effect is gentrification. Gentrification is when higher income families move into an area and begin driving the prices up, and the
32 |Austin Ajar
original inhabitants are unable to pay their rent. Gentrification in Austin has led to many small businesses closing down. The cause of gentrification, according to Heather Way, a law professor at the University of Texas, is the rapid growth of the city. “We have one of the most rapidly expanding economies,” Way said. “You have people moving in with higher incomes who can pay for more housing. The market responds by charging more for rent. People now can afford to buy $2 million dollar homes in a way that was very rare in Austin back in the 1980s and 1990s.” Part of the reason for all of the people moving to Austin in recent years is the good economy, growing tech industry and openings of higher paying jobs in Austin. “The biggest factor is that we have a booming economy and that we
have a lot of higher paying jobs,” Way said. “The tech economy comes with the downside of coming with a lot of pressure on the housing market.” While some of the causes for gentrification appear recent, there are actually historical reasons behind poorer neighborhoods. Due to segregation in the city, African Americans and other minorities were made to live in designated sections of the city, such as East Austin, which banks decided to make poor investments in in a racist process called redlining. “The federal government engaged in what’s called redlining,” Way said. “We just took all these actions that resulted in the suppression of property values in East Austin. With the adoption of the Fair Housing Law, with changes to zoning, the neighborhood has become much, much more desirable for people to move in who hadn’t historically lived in those neighborhoods. That
Big Easy Bar and Grill, is Cajunstyle resturaunt located on Barton Springs Road, run by small business owner Darold Gordon. Photo courtesy of Trip Advisor. really picked up in the 2000s.” Way has done research into the problem of gentrification in a study for the city of Austin called the Uprooted Project. This project was able to identify different factors that might make a person more vulnerable to the increasingly rising property values.
The entrance to the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, office of Professor Way. Photo taken by Brooke Lyons.
“What this research shows is that if you rent you are much more vulnerable,” Way said. “If you’re low income you’re much more vulnerable. If you can’t afford your rent or mortgage, you can’t afford to stay. We also found that if you are a person of color, if you are Hispanic or Black, you are much more vulnerable to the pressures of rising property values and other pressures when a neighborhood is redeveloping. These are generalizations, but just on average.” Darold Gordon fits all three categories, and is the owner of several food trucks and Big Easy Bar and Grill, a Cajun restaurant
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Sam’s BBQ, a local barbecue restaurant is located on East Street, a quickly gentrifying area in Austin Photo taken by Brooke Lyons.
located in East Austin, a neighborhood undergoing rapid gentrification. Gordon opened up his business in Austin in 2008 after moving from Louisiana.
first brick and mortar which was on East Seventh Street. About two or three years after that, we opened up the Big Easy Bar and Grill.”
“We moved to Austin, Texas, because of Hurricane Katrina. That was in 2005,” Gordon said. “I started a food truck. We started out on East 11 and then saw a move to Congress where we became really successful with that food truck and bought another food truck. I soon opened up my
Gordon explained that part of the reason he moved to Austin was its rapid expansion.
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“Austin was one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. It didn’t make sense not to.” Gordon said. “Plus, Austin had homes for the hurricane
victims. They helped us out with a home for a year. They gave us somewhere to stay for a year, for 12 months, until we got ourselves together after Hurricane Katrina. We wound up staying here for a year, and I learned to like the city.” Over the years he has lived in East Austin, Gordon has witnessed all of the changes that come along with gentrification. While the growing population has led to more customers, he has also
seen other businesses close down around him.
at 74 and then I bought it in March of ‘76.”
I won’t sell, but I’m not gonna give it to you.”
“When I first came here, Austin was just a college town,” Gordon said. “On the East side they had minorities. All the rest of Austin was rich people. But now, the Eastside has been taken over by rich people, by the people more fortunate than the minorities, and the minorities have been moved to other parts on the outskirts of Austin. That’s the same thing with the businesses, the people, the mom and pop shops are no longer around. Austin was at one time a place where you could come and you could afford to live with no strain. Well that’s not [true] anymore.”
Unlike Gordon, Mays owns his property. While it wasn’t purchased for much, only $30,000, Mays has received some very high offers that show how much property value in the area has risen in recent years.
With no plans to sell, Mays plans on passing the business on to one of his grandkids when he retires. For now though, he is happy to sell barbeque to the people in the neighborhood, who he said would be upset to see the business move.
“It started at 1 million,” Mays said. “I turned that down, then it was 2.5 million. I turned that down and then it came to 3.5 million, and I
“If I leave, they’re going to hate me,” Mays said. “If I leave there ain’t no barbeque place in Austin no more. Not in your neighborhood. We got a whole lot of new people who ain’t never had good barbeque, we’ve got a whole lot of people coming in now. Everybody in the neighborhood’s coming to visit me now.”
As developers buy plots of land, many small business owners have received large offers for their shops. As Big Easy Bar and Grill is located in a busy spot of East Ausin, Gordon has received many of these offers. “Everybody’s trying to buy the property because they know it’s in a prime location,” Gordon said. “A lot of people from California, their cost of living was so high, so much higher to where they are used to paying $700,000 for a house or a million dollars for a business. They have the money to spend, and that’s what they’re trying to do, just buy everything. We’re not interested, we’re trying to make a living ourselves.” Another small business owner located in East Austin, Brian Mays, has had many similar offers. Mays is the owner of Sam’s BBQ, and has owned the business for many years after his grandfather, Sam, died. “I’ve been here for 47 years, my grandpa was Sam who bought it in 1962 or 1961,” Mays said. “He died
“It started at one million. April, last year, they come with eight million.” - Brian Mays turned that down. They came with 5 million; I turned it down. April, last year, they came with 8 million; I turned that down. They ran with 8 million.” Mays says that he has no plans to sell his business unless he gets an offer he can’t refuse. Sam’s BBQ provides him with a steady source of income, and he doesn’t see a point in selling the business just because he can. “I got money,” Mays said. “‘I thought to myself, ‘If I sell my business, I’ll have nothing. if they buy me, I know the whole East side’s going.’ They’ve tried to get me to sell though, and I ain’t saying
While gentrification is a big issue and will never completely go away, there are things individual people can do to help out. Way recommends shopping locally as a great way to support small businesses in your area. “Supporting them with being customers instead of buying products on Amazon.” Way said. “Looking at what you’re getting and seeking out different services at a locally owned business. That goes a long way in supporting the local economy and has ripple effects.” Despite how it seems, the situation isn’t bleak, and we can all help out. Next time you’re in East Austin, stop by Big Easy Bar and Grill, Sam’s BBQ or any of the other friendly and unique shops. In this way, you can make a difference.
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10 Small Businesses to visit in austin
A family own authentic 12129 Ra
New to Austin and searching for fun places to eat or shop at? Want to support some of the local business in your community? Are you a local Austinite who wants to learn more about the city? Whatever the reason, if you want to explore small businesses in Austin, here are 10 cool and unique places to check out first! By: Brooke Lyons
Shore Raw Bar & Grill
Serves fresh seafood with techniques and styles from Texas, Lousiana, and Mexico. 8665 W, State Hwy 71 #100, Austin, Tx 78735
Austin Craft Lounge
A DIY craft store featuring fun crafts and activities for the whole family, as well as work from local artists. 12919 Nutty Brown Rd, Austin, Tx 78737
Tiny Pies
This store sells tiny handmade pies. useing recipies generations old. 1100 S Lamar Blvd ste. 1116, Austin, Tx 78704
Paws on C
A pet supply s ing and large treats, and toy 1301 Chicon S
Sources: Tiny Pies,Austin Craft Lounge, Shore Raw Bar & Grill, About Floris Blue Velvet-The Best Little Vintage Store in Texas, Paws on Chicon- Paws o
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Almarah Grill
ned business offering c mediteranian food. anch Rd 620 N#450, Austin, Tx 78739
Chicon
store offerign dog washvarities of pet foods, ys. St 102, Austin, Tx 78702
Southside Market & BBQ An authentic Texas BBQ place, selling BBQ since 1882. 10515 N Mopac Expy Suite B-225, Austin, Tx 78759
Flourish
Flourish offers houseplants, succulents, homemade pots, and other planters. 215 W N Loop Blvd, Austin, Tx 78751
Monkey Nest Coffee
A welcoming, organic and environmentally concious coffee shop. 5353 Burnet Rd, Austin, Tx, 78756
Licha’s Cantina
A Mexican resturant offering novel and delicious takes on classic Mexican dishes. 1306 E 6th St, Austin, Tx 78702
Blue Velvet
A quirky, quaint vintage clothing store with many different options. 217 W N Loop Blvd, Austin, Tx 78751
sh Shop, Alamarah Mediterranean Cuisine- Alamarah Grill, Southside Market & Barbeque, on Chicon, Monkey Nest. and Licha’s Cantina: Best Mexican Resturant in Austin, Tx
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