COVID-19 closure
Austin-based fried chicken chain jumps ship from Lake Travis location

Austin-based mini-chain Lucy’s Fried Chicken has permanently shuttered its restaurant at Lake Travis — another victim of the economic deterioration triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Lake Travis location, which opened in 2015 at the former Iguana Grill, shut down May 14. In an interview with the Austin American-Statesman, Lucy’s Fried Chicken chef James Holmes blamed the closure on sluggish takeout sales following the pandemic-forced shutdown of restaurant’s dining area.
The restaurant, at 2900 RR 620 North adjacent to Hudson Bend, was known for its Southern-style comfort food and stunning views of Lake Travis. When it opened in 2015, Holmes said he hoped locals would embrace the homegrown chain.
"Lucy's is such funky fun — it represents Austin so well. I hope that it well be well-received [on Lake Travis], which I think it will," Holmes told CultureMap at the time. "The same funky people live out there that live in here."
Lucy's on the Lake also offered the restaurant a chance to expand its culinary offerings. Along with its famed fried chicken, the bigger kitchen allowed for an expanded menu with offerings such as gluten-free items and fresh oysters.
Holmes, the culinary master behind the now-shuttered Olivia farm-to-table restaurant on South Lamar Boulevard, said business at the three other Lucy’s locations has been good.
Those restaurants are now open for limited indoor and patio dining, along with takeout orders:
- 5408 Burnet Rd.
- 2218 College Ave.
- 401 E. Whitestone Blvd. in Cedar Park
Lucy's on the Lake is the latest in a series of pandemic-induced closures, including Enchiladas y Mas, the Tarrytown location of Magnolia Cafe, and Shady Grove, among others.