Local Restaurants Weighing Decisions to Open May 1st

While there are unquestionably many Austin diners who are looking forward to sitting down in a restaurant and enjoying a meal, Governor Abbott’s May 1st reopening option has not been immediately embraced by all Austin restaurants.

Some (like downtown steakhouse favorite III Forks) after careful consideration have scheduled openings May 1st while others (like all the Rudy’s Bar-B-Q and Mighty Fine stores) will reopen on the first and maintain that they will meticulously follow all of Abbott’s health stipulations. Others like The Oasis are discussing their options but have not yet committed to an opening date.

Pizza fans near Dripping Springs will be happy to hear that one of our Top Ten restaurants in Pizza Wars, The Pizza Cave, will reopen at noon on the 1st.

But not everyone’s rushing to open. Texican Cafe owner Mourad Belkacem said with the potential health risks to his staff and the 25% capacity mandate, it’s just not good business sense to open that soon. Ciclo at the Four Seasons is another big downtown player taking a more cautious approach and is not expected to reopen any time soon.

A lot of restaurants who would have to open at the 25% cap are having trouble putting their booking and server staffs back together. This is not surprising given the majority of laid off waiters who have been collecting unemployment. For many, going back to a potentially sparsely populated restaurant would mean a net loss of income.

So we’ll see how things play out. Best of luck to all: restaurants and customers!