Does the Concept of a “Jinxed” Restaurant Location Really Exist?
At face value, one would think that the notion that there are just some locations that will just never work for a restaurant is true.
Look at the site on Walsh Tarlton in Westlake off Bee Caves Road. It has housed at least 10 restaurants since the early 1980’s (including Chez Fred, Interurban, Serrano’s, Rock Fish, Red Bud Grille, etc.)
Another horror story has been the building on Barton Springs Road next to Chuy’s. Currently the site of Wan Fu II, it has been home to diners, ice cream parlors, burger joints, and many other establishments over the years.
And how about the location in Davenport Village that just witnessed the demise of the Salt Lick-Davenport? Prior to that, at least a half-dozen restaurants opened and closed there within a 10-year period.
Frankly, I think the “jinxed” notion is just a lot of romantic hyperbole on the part of those who see the occasional troll under the bridge. Austin has many spots that thrive in locations that would deter even the heartiest restaurateur. Take a look at the original Salt Lick in Driftwood. It is still out in the middle of nowhere, just as it was when it opened almost 40 years ago! Yet most nights it’s packed. Why? Well, it would be reasonable to say that most people like the food. Same story for Wink on N. Lamar. You cannot see this restaurant from the street. Most restaurant owners would never pick this location. And yet, the tables are full most nights. Again, it is a very good restaurant. Another great example was the original Pao’s Chinese downtown in the Commodore Perry building. You couldn’t see Pao’s at all from the outside of the building. No drive-by appeal whatsoever. But every time I went in there it was humming with business. And when Pao’s lost its lease and moved out to Lakeway, despite the distance, they retained a number of their downtown customers. Ditto for the County Line, another out-of-the-way BBQ joint on Bee Caves Rd. that opened when there weren’t many people driving on Bee Caves Road.
Consider another location on Barton Springs that originally housed Good Eats back when Hoover Alexander was in the kitchen. When Good Eats closed, the building housed a succession of failed enterprises including Tex Mex and Japanese tepanyaki concepts. For what ever reasons, those establishments simply couldn’t find a customer base. But then along comes Uncle Billy’s Brew and Cue, a BBQ and beer joint and suddenly, this morose location is rejuvenated. Uncle Billy’s is packing them in.
I think the jinx notion perpetuates simply because some restaurateurs make really bad decisions about concepts and menus. And then it becomes almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. One mediocre restaurant follows another and the site itself gets blamed.
Somebody is going to come in someday with a menu and operation that will resonate with the picky Westlake crowd and the Walsh Tarlton location will succeed. Rumor has it that a new Italian restaurant is about to open there. We’ll see. Ditto for Davenport Village. White table-cloth BBQ was not the answer: but perhaps just around the next corner lies a savvy operator who can make that spot work. The restaurant industry has enough problems without having to worry about “jinxed” locations. What operators need to worry about are great concepts, terrific and approachable cuisine, and wonderful, consistent execution.
