Record drop

Shuttering Airport Boulevard pizza restaurant turns into new burger-and-wings joint

For the second time in two years, a pizza joint is closing at 5111 Airport Blvd. In a July 24 Facebook post, later confirmed by an employee, Turntable Eatery announced it will shutter at the end of dinner service on July 31.

The neighborhood restaurant opened in May 2018, eight months after House Pizzeria ended its run in September 2017. The latest concept from the team behind Barfly's, Turntable didn’t veer too far from the former occupant’s formula, serving a similar menu of pizza, salads, beer, and wine.

Neighbors won't have to wait long for the building's newest concept to swoop in, however. Shortly after Turntable broke the closure news, Cluck-n-Burger owners Kassandra and Aaron Esserman revealed they were taking over the space for a brick-and-mortar version of their acclaimed food truck.

That concept debuted in January 2018 with a menu of burgers, wings, charcuterie, and sides like street corn and crispy red potatoes. Now the couple operate two locations at Violet Crown Social Club and South Austin Beer Garden. Aaron assures CultureMap that both will remain open after the permanent space debuts later in 2019.

As for Turntable, the Facebook post says the concept wants to “go out with a bang.” Starting next week, the eatery will be begin offering specials leading up to the closing.

The restaurant's owners did not offer a reason for the closure but did say that Turntable employees have been offered other positions within the company. Owner Marcos Canchola's portfolio includes Bender Bar, Hideout Pub, Mugshots, Pour House Pints & Pies, and Violet Crown Social Club.

And Cluck-n-Burger is moving in.

Cluck-n-Burger/Facebook

And Cluck-n-Burger is moving in.

openings pizza closings

Grocery News

Austin's Whole Foods Market introduces smaller store for urban areas

Courtesy rendering

Whole Foods

Austin-based Whole Foods Market is unrolling a new kind of store that'll be smaller and quicker than its current mega-model.

Called Whole Food Market Daily Shop, it'll be designed as a quick, convenient shopping experience, targeted to urban neighborhoods. According to a release, the new format will debut in Manhattan's Upper East Side at 1175 Third Ave. in 2024, with additional locations in New York to follow.

Following the New York city launch, the chain will bring the format to other cities across the U.S.

The stores will range from 7,000-14,000 square feet — about a quarter to half the size of the average 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market — making it easier to open in dense, metropolitan areas.

Whole Foods Market Daily Shop will feature grab-and-go meals and snacks, weekly essentials, and a quick, easy destination to pick up ingredients to complete a meal.

Though smaller, the stores will still offer produce, meat, and seafood; prepared foods like sandwiches and pre-packed meals; bread, alcohol, and supplements; plus products under the 365 by Whole Foods Market private label.

The first location will also offer Juice & Java, a venue for coffee, tea, fresh pressed juices, smoothies, sandwiches, soups, and various desserts.

Whole Foods VP Christina Minardi says in a statement that the store's design reflects the unique needs of urban neighborhooods.

“At our new store formats, we’re tailoring every square foot to the unique, fast-paced needs of urban lifestyles," Minardi says. "We’re excited to introduce a new way for our customers to quickly pick up their Whole Foods Market favorites — from grab-and-go meals to that last-minute dinner ingredient — making the early morning or after work grocery trips more efficient and enjoyable."

This is not WFM's first effort to expand beyond the traditional supermarket footprint. In 2016, the chain introduced 365 by Whole Foods Market, a lower-price concept designed to appeal to younger shoppers. It went on to open nine locations, but scrapped the concept in 2019, following its acquisition in 2017 by Amazon.

The new format stores will not replace traditional or existing store locations. New York currently has 17 regular stores, including the most recent added at One Wall Street in 2023. The chain, which was founded in Austin in 1980, currently has more than 530 stores in the U.S., U.K., and Canada with another 75-plus stores in the pipeline, and is part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores.

openings supermarkets