If you're a cool kid in Manhattan, you know about The Flower Shop in LES. (And you know that LES means "Lower East Side.") It's a restaurant and bar that has quickly become a big part of the scene in New York since opening in 2017, and now, it's coming to Austin.
The Flower Shop Austin will officially open its doors on October 10 on East 7th Street, and while we don't expect the likes of Justin Theroux or Bella Hadid to show up on opening night (they frequent the New York location), this restaurant and bar has already started out with a bang. On October 3rd, they hosted a friends and family opening party, and on October 4, an official Austin City Limits Festival after party.
If you missed your invitation to these events, here's what you can expect come October 10:
A menu boasting traditional foods with a twist, like oysters with yuzu mignonette; pan-roasted cauliflower steak with quinoa and an egg; and deviled eggs with sesame seeds and wasabi. Plus, there will be more "casual" diner dishes like chicken wings with ranch, fish and chips, and a traditional Australian homemade meat pie. You can also expect a large cocktail and drinks list, including "the Harry Styles," a mezcal-based drink with watermelon, plus local beers and natural wines.
The ground floor at the Flower Shop Austin features the main dining area, with a full menu. Photo courtesy of SAVI PR
"The menu is inspired from our menu in New York. It's what we've been doing and refining for a number of years there," says co-owner Dylan Hales.
"[Starting out in New York] we had a little list of things we liked from places. A sort of merging of cultures," adds co-owner Ronnie Flynn. "[The menu] is an amalgamation of comfort foods from English pubs, Irish pubs, a few little comfort foods from Australia, some contemporary American foods...."
Hales and Flynn are both originally from Australia and first met living in New York. The two became friends and after years of frequenting and hosting events for their circle at spots throughout town, they realized they still never had a solid answer to the question, "So where should we grab a drink?" Together, with the help of William Tisch and Dave Turner, they created the original Flower Shop in Manhattan, with the goal of creating a truly casual but comforting neighborhood spot.
"We thought, what do we want? What do our friends want? Let's put together a place where we have all the things we want inside of it," says Flynn.
The space itself will be similar in design and style to the New York location, which was famously inspired by local pub culture, Midwestern style diners, bars, and finished basements. If you're an Austinite, the words "pub culture," "midwestern diners," and "basements," probably don't mean a whole lot to you, so let's just take a look at the design.
The ground floor also features a cocktail area, including retro floral upholstered lounge seating.Photo courtesy of SAVI PR
"To be honest, the 'Midwestern' thing was kind of something that got thrown in the press releases from day one because it's just easier to translate it to people in the U.S. this way," says Flynn. "But the truth is, a lot of old pubs in Australia ... look just like this. Wood paneled walls, old furniture, carpeted floors, all the trinkets on the bars ... So 'Midwestern' was a good way for us to explain it to the general public; but it's really just a nod to these old bars and pubs in Australia."
Speaking of old places, the building itself at 1300 E. 7th St. dates back to 1922 and is known to be one of the first tortilla factories in Texas, complete with its own water tower. In more recent years, it was gluten-free restaurant Wilder Wood. The architect and design firm Fox Fox Studio decided to keep the original sandstone facade and walls, and the decor is a nod to the 60s, 70s, and 80s; a cozy meets retro meets upscale living room feel, dotted with trinkets from all over the world telling the team's story.
"The feeling is 'nostalgia.' And what's happened in New York [over time] is that people will bring in gifts, and bring in their parents' photos; photos of people who have been engaged and married are everywhere ... That's a very important part of the space for us," Flynn says. "We want to keep it authentic ... We want it to be a place that's for the community; almost like, 'Here's the keys. Make yourself at home!'"
Much like the New York location, the ground floor at Flower Shop Austin includes the main dining room and floral upholstered cocktail areas. Unlike the New York location, this one will also include tons of outdoor space: a beer garden off of the ground floor, a second floor with an outdoor deck, and a rooftop deck inspired by 50s and 60s hotel poolside bars overlooking downtown — where apparently the sunsets are stunning. "It's very special," says Hales.
Hales and Flynn advise people to head to the rooftop for sunset, for a gorgeous view of the city. Photo courtesy of SAVI PR
The Flower Shop Austin is the group's first permanent venture outside of New York. They knew if they were coming to Austin, a city that they have both spent a lot of time in, it would have to be the East Side.
"The East Side was sort of our targeted area," says Hales. "It really resonated the most with what we thought would match our 'brand' and personality." Over the years, the two have made friends here in Austin — both in the restaurant industry and not — and that's eventually what lead to this new location.
"We ended up finding the space through a friend of ours down here who owns another restaurant, and their landlord owns both properties. We heard it might be coming available through our friend, and that's how it all started," says Hales.
"We [both] love Austin," adds Flynn. "Being Australian, the Texas thing really speaks to us; it goes hand in hand. There's something abut the salt of the earth, friendly smile, firm handshakes that happens in Austin, in Texas, that I haven't had in a lot of other places in America. There's something really open, and genuine, and authentic about the people I've met here. In Australia, we have a similar approach."
So far, the two have had a hell of a set up, working long days, getting the space ready to open; Barton Springs has been their mutual reprieve from it all. These guys love The Springs.
Of course, opening a new business in a new city doesn't come without some trepidation.
"If anyone is opening up a new place in a new town — or even their own town — and they're not nervous, they're crazy," says Flynn. "We're trying to be confident and respect the area — we love the locals and we love the place — and we don't want to come in and be like, 'Look at us! We're not nervous at all!' Anything could happen."
The Flower Shop Austin is located at 1300 E. 7th St. and will be open Monday through Sunday, 5 pm to 1 am. More information is available at theflowershopnyc.com.