Pour one out

'Divine' local grill and whiskey bar will shutter North Austin outpost

Opal Divine's is shuttering its North Austin location.

After 15 years of serving burgers, fries, chicken fried steaks, and one of the best selections of whiskey in the city, casual favorite Opal Divine’s is closing its Marina location at 12709 N. Mopac Expy. An employee confirmed that the North Austin outpost will shutter at 4 pm on April 21.

The reason for the closure is unclear. Co-owner Michael Parker declined to comment, saying only that he would not be able to speak until April 22.

Parker and his wife, Susan, first opened the concept at 700 W. Sixth St. (now the home of Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden) in 2000, eventually opening three more locations scattered across town.

Over the last six years, however, the chain slowly began reducing its footprint. In 2013, the original Opal Divine’s closed after 13 years in business, followed by the short-lived Davenport Village restaurant at 801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy. in 2015.

The biggest shock was the December 2016 closing of the flagship Penn Field outpost on South Congress Avenue, which had been open since 2005. At the time, the owners released a statement saying: “The restaurant/bar dynamic in South Austin has changed in the 11-plus years that this location has been open. Austin's 'Keep Austin Weird' fascination is fading into a search for the latest and greatest new restaurant/bar/concept.”

That same reasoning may very well still be applicable. Since 2018, the industry has been particularly brutal to restaurants operating in the same casual, mid-priced sphere as Opal Divine’s with iconic eateries like Frank & Angie’s Pizzeria, The Frisco, and Ruby’s BBQ all bowing out of the scene.

There is, however, one ray of hope for fans of the restaurant. Opal Divine’s Austin Grill, which opened in June 2017, will continue serving at the Best Western Plus Hotel at the corner of I-35 and Oltorf Street.

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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.