Wheely good idea

Out-of-this-world cafe and bike shop glides into South Austin

Arkansas-based bike and coffee shop The Meteor will soon be opening a new location on South Congress Avenue.

Courtesy photo

Editor's note: A previous version of this article said Flat Track Coffee does not serve food. That is incorrect and the piece has been updated to reflect this change.

A former South Congress convenience store will soon be the home to a freewheeling new cafe. Co-owner Doug Zell tells CultureMap that the first Austin location of The Meteor will be landing at 2110 S. Congress Ave. in August.

Zell, co-founder of acclaimed Intelligentsia Coffee, and business partner Chris St. Peters, an attorney, first opened the concept in Little Rock in 2017 as a combination bike and coffee shop. The Austin outpost was originally intended to be similar, but soon took a turn.

When the team came across the former home of TG&R Discount on the busy SoCo strip, however, the plans expanded. The roomy footprint, ample parking, and outdoor space proved to be the ideal home for an all-day cafe.

“It almost seemed too good to be true,” Zell tells CultureMap, noting that the former occupants were obscuring a “beautiful old building.”

Unlike similar local concepts like Juan Pelota, the Austin Meteor will carry a full food menu made in-house. Zell describes the menu as “health-oriented with an international flair.” To keep customers engaged, dishes like Roman-style pizza, prepared salads, and scratch baked goods will rotate seasonably.

“There will never be a dull moment,” promises Zell.

In creating the beverage program, the team wanted to keep The Meteor “fun and accessible,” says Zell. In addition to a wide variety of teas and coffee drinks (using Intelligentsia beans, of course), the eatery will serve an affordable selection of beer, cider, and biodynamic and organic wines, which can be enjoyed on site or taken to-go.

Cyclists shouldn’t worry, however, that the team has abandoned bike culture. Zell says that The Meteor won’t be a warehouse emporium, but it will still offer a variety of “carefully selected bikes” and offer “top notch service.”

The idea is for the spot to be as appealing to the general customer as the hardcore rider. “We hope you never have to leave,” says Zell.

Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.