Popular Austin Restaurants are Moving North

Go west.

Many Austin businesses are ignoring the age-old advice, opting to head north instead.

More specifically, they are going to Burnet Road, with its renovated strip malls that are attracting local eateries and services, reported the Austin Business Journal.

Austin favorites Barley Swine and Bufalina, set to open by the end of the year, are the latest businesses to move north. Barley Swine will be changing locations entirely, while Bufalina will be opening a second location, Bufalina Due. Their new home: 6555 Burnet Road, where nearly 14,000 square feet of retail is already completely leased.

The opportunity for Barley Swine to move from its small location on 2024 S Lamar Blvd, to a larger space enticed owner Bryce Gilmore.

“Barley Swine was always built to evolve and this move is part of that plan. I’m very excited to further let my team grow in a new space that gives us more room to do so,” Gilmore said in a statement.

The new, larger space will be able to seat 80 guests and will feature a full bar. Gilmore also believes the larger kitchen will allow him to purchase more local ingredients and make more from scratch in-house.

The current developers of the property, Endeavor Real Estate, has seen its value appreciate 782 percent since acquiring it in 2012. In 2011, it was worth $208,072 compared to $1.8 million now, the Austin Business Journal reported.

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The development company known for its massive projects such as The Domain, is investing more into boutique operations like 6555 Burnet Road, owning similar strip centers on the same stretch of road.

One possible explanation for the dramatic rise in value is the redesigning of the old, boring buildings, with Levy Architects renovating the entire exterior along with four of six retail interiors.

“We created the quintessential minimalist restaurant to let the experience of diners remain focused on food,” the owner of the firm Stephen Levy told the Austin Business Journal.

The redevelopment is expected to be fully completed by the end of the year, and the six businesses will be served by 62 parking spaces.