More staple Congress Ave. businesses are leaving the block
The Brief
Two more staple businesses on Congress Ave. are leaving the block
The Royal Blue Grocery and The Hideout Theatre and Coffee Shop are both leaving
The business owners said the building was bought from under them
AUSTIN, Texas - A historic block in downtown Austin is going to look very different soon. Two staple businesses are leaving.
The backstory
"It should be a privilege to do business at Sixth and Congress. It's the polar opposite of that right now. It's survival, physical, mental and financial," Royal Blue Grocery Owner George Scariano said.
The Royal Blue Grocery has been on East Sixth and Congress for about 15 years and The Hideout Theatre and Coffee Shop has been for more than 25 years.
"We've had a lot of challenges," Scariano said.
"We've seen a lot of change," The Hideout Theatre and Coffee House Owner Kareen Badr said.
They are both bidding farewell to the block.
"The community itself is what makes Austin so interesting and so vital, and then it's the community that keeps on getting pushed out, because you have these larger corporations, people with many more resources that have it from international global kind of stuff. But we're very hyper-local, and our entire focus is on community and art. We just want to build great art through awesome community, and that just can't compete financially with people who have different perspectives," The Hideout Theatre and Coffee House Owner Jessica Arjet said.
Arjet said the building was bought from under them.
"We weren't given a chance to try to buy it," Arjet said.
"There's one struggle after another for the last decade of really having to hustle to make this business work in this location," Badr said.
One of the owners of Royal Blue Grocery said it is what happens in this location that has contributed to them leaving.
"Our landlord decided not to renew our lease, primarily because we asked her for rent relief, specifically during the pandemic, but also because of the crime that has overwhelmed this intersection," Scariano said.
What's next
Scariano is closing his doors on Friday night. He warns about what may be to come.
"There will be hypodermic needles, there will be excrement, there will be piles of trash on this patio like there are most mornings," Scariano said.
The Royal Blue Grocery had a farewell get-together with music and a big crawfish boil on Friday night.
"We have all of our regulars in this neck of the woods that have been here for so long that we love. And they will not have a place to go to get their Royal Blue fix anymore. It's a very, very sad day for us," Scariano said.
The Hideout is planning on moving to another location in Austin but hasn't been announced yet.
"I do feel like the community that we built has been good for downtown and downtown itself has been nice to us," Arjet said.
A tenant has already been found for this location.
Apparently, the new tenant is going to open a bar at this location.
Dig deeper
So far this year, almost 30 crimes, including robbery, theft, assault, possession, and terroristic threat, have been reported just on this block. Scariano said he has watched over the years as the crime went from bad to worse.
"This started a long time ago, and it's been unaddressed," Scariano said.
Council Member Zo Qadri, who represents the downtown area, said he has worked with other city and county leaders to address the issues.
"I think we've been very proactive as an office and as a city around crime in the downtown area."
He said they have added more lights and cameras, increased the walking presence of police officers, expanded mental health services, invested in the Downtown Austin Alliance and a new homeless outreach program, and created the Downtwon Austin Safety Initiative.
"We really want to make sure that downtown safety and vibrancy and the support for folks who have businesses in downtown, tenants, pedestrians, residents, visitors, that everyone truly feels safe," Councilman Qadri said.
The Source
Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis
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