Is Austin Really Restaurant Friendly?
Austin has a national reputation as a business-friendly city. On the whole, that statement seems reasonable. But take a closer look into the restaurant segment of Austin’s business map. And remember, the restaurant/bar industry in the Austin area employs more workers than our much ballyhooed and tax-abated tech industries.
Business-friendly means that the city makes it relatively easy for companies to do business. However, after 14 years of observing and commenting on our local food scene, I would be hard-pressed to agree that the city makes things easy for our local restaurants. I went to lunch with a former high-ranking city official a few years ago, and she stressed to me how Austin was working on helping restaurants cut through the red tape associated with openings and renovations. While she seemed earnest, I have yet to see this alleged policy bear fruit.
It seems like virtually every week I hear another story of doom and gloom from restaurateurs who have seen their openings delayed by months because of mass confusion among the myriad inspectors who grant permits to restaurants. One friend of mine was told that he needed a new grease trap before he could open. So at the cost of time and quite a few dollars, he completed the task, only to have a new inspector show up and say he didn’t like the way the trap was installed. Too small! So my friend, much against his better judgment, had to put a new one in to placate the new inspector. By this time, he had lost his restaurant in San Antonio because he was six months behind opening his new store in north Austin. Ultimately, he was so far behind the 8 ball that he eventually had to close the north location as well. Luckily, he is doing very well with his original location, but no thanks to the city there!
That story, unfortunately, is not an isolated one in the Austin area. The one-stop policy for restaurant permits that the city official touted has not come to fruition. A downtown restaurant recently had almost a 7-month delay in opening because of multiple inspection screw ups. And dare we even mention the East 11th street fiasco that made it virtually impossible for Ms. B’s and Primizie Osteria to operate?
And many others have had to watch as road construction (most recently at 4th and Colorado) drags on endlessly, months past the declared finish date. Another restaurant on Cesar Chavez died prematurely because the city decided to put in a new sidewalk. I distinctly remember trying to go there one Saturday night only to find a police blockade because crews were working on the sidewalk. On the biggest restaurant night of the week??? The owners later told me that they had seated 6 people the entire evening. That was, and is, completely insane. And yet it happens on a regular basis.
I can’t imagine the city doing to Apple or Google or Samsung or even the newest tech start up what it routinely does to restaurants. While I’m sure the intent may not have been to do harm, the ultimate results have been unpleasant for many new and existing restaurants, and ultimately, their customers. Come on Austin: recognize that the restaurant/bar industries deserve every bit as much respect as the other businesses for which this city routinely paves the way.
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