Shutter report

Downtown Austin rattled as another live music venue abruptly shutters

Rattle Inn bowed out from West Sixth Street in early April.

Photo courtesy of The Rattle Inn

The Live Music Capital of the World has taken another hit with the shuttering of honky-tonk Rattle Inn earlier in April. The multilevel bar was one of the few spots in Austin to regularly program country music and one of only bars in the West Sixth Street district to offer live music at all.

The owners of the bar, FBR Management, did not offer an exact reason for the closure, instead issuing the following statement: "It's been a wonderful eight years and with all that's on the horizon for FBR this year, we are committed to focusing on our other projects throughout Austin." It’s unclear exactly on what day the decision was made, and an attempt to clarify with the company went unanswered. Unnamed sources, however, told the Austin Chronicle that staff was laid off on April 16.

In an email to CultureMap, FBR said that it did offer "a severance package to salaried employees and [they] are currently working to reestablish the remaining full time employees with positions in [their] other bars."

Rattle Inn opened at 610 Nueces St. in December 2011 as a joint project between FBR’s Matt Luckie; Ranch 616 chef and owner Kevin Williamson; and Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson, whose memorabilia provide much of the stage area’s decor. Although the venue offered live music three days a week, the huge space may be more familiar to many Austinites as a popular space for corporate parties and special events.

FBR management is still operating several local bars, including two locations of Lavaca Street Bar, as well as Star Bar, Mean Eyed Cat, The Wheel, and Lala’s Little Nugget. Luckie, along with FBR’s Max Moreland and Mike Joyce, is also opening Stagger Lee on Rainey Street as a separate venture.

closings

Tastes Like Profit

Tasteful Austin ice cream shop starts crowdfunding to scoop up new cities

Lick Honest Ice Creams/Instagram

Lick Honest Ice Creams already has shops in four Texas cities, but it wants more.

We're not sure how many licks it takes to get to a popular Austin ice cream shop into new markets, but a crowdfunding campaign gives fans a chance to find out.

Lick Honest Ice Creams, known for interesting, mature flavors (without getting too serious), has launched a campaign via MicroVentures that will allow onlookers a chance to support the business with small investments of $100 or more. Ice cream never goes out of style, and the company is hoping to appeal not just to repeat customers, but anyone who thinks the sweet treat has growth potential.

Although this could be a long-term holding, the root idea is to eventually trade back the stake for a financial gain once the company has grown. In less than two days (since the campaign launched on September 28), Lick has already sold stakes worth more than $66,000 from 90 investors.

“This isn’t just an investment in terms of capital," said CEO Anthony Sobotik in a news release. "It’s an opportunity to own a piece of your favorite ice cream shop, shared memories, and a piece of Lick’s future. By investing, you’re supporting our dream and commitment to spread the Lick experience further, enabling Lick to support family-owned farms in a more significant way, and ensuring more people can truly know what they’re licking."

The ice cream shop has been in Austin since its inception in 2012, and now operates three stores in the area, plus stores in San Antonio, Houston, and College Station. The total store count is currently at eight, with a ninth coming to Houston's Autry Park "soon," according to the website. The release states intentions to use the crowdfunding to "build more scoop shops and expand into new markets," but does not specify which cities the brand is eyeing, or even if they are in Texas or farther away.

Some of the flavors pay homage to their Texas roots, like "Caramel Salt Lick," "Hill Country Honey & Vanilla Bean," and "Texas Sheet Cake." It is easy to see where ingredients come from, as suppliers are listed on the menu. Seasonal flavors right now include creative twists like "Back Porch Iced Tea" and "Fig & Fromage," sticking to Lick's script of interesting and local ingredients. The menu also includes a small number of dairy-free flavors.

“From our first scoop shop opening in 2011 to where Lick is now, it’s been an extraordinary journey. We’ve now served over a million scoops, and with each one, we’ve shared our commitment to and love for thoughtfully crafted, ethically, and sustainably-sourced and produced ice cream,” said Sobotik.

“But beyond just charming your taste buds, our flavors tell stories," he continued. "Those are the stories of favorite dishes, the family and friends we shared them with, and the farmers we work with. It’s a special connection that ice cream grants us, and it’s what really makes this our story, not just Lick’s story.”

More information and links to contribute to the campaign are available at microventures.com.

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