DAILY BREAD

Las Vegas-based sandwich shop dives into Austin with signature subs

The Bobbie, Capriotti's signature sub, was voted the best sandwich in America.

Capriotti's

A decades-old Las Vegas-based sandwich franchise known for its freshly roasted turkey heroes and cheesesteaks is submarining into Austin with four new sandwich shops, thanks to a local franchisee who’s long had a slice of action in the local restaurant scene.

Capriotti’s, which was founded in 1976 in Delaware, is expanding its Texas presence with a variety of locations opening this year in the Capital City. The first spot, opened in late April, is a ghost-kitchen concept located in the North Loop neighborhood that solely offers pickup and delivery service.

Franchisee and restaurant vet Julian King — previously the director of operations for the wildly popular Austin-based Via 313 Pizzeria brand — will open the first brick-and-mortar Capriotti’s location at 1200 Barbara Jordan Blvd. in the Mueller development later this year. Another brick-and-mortar shop will open in the Hill Country Galleria in December. At least one additional sub shop will open after that, though the location is still up in the air.

King is joined in the local franchises by business partner Warren Shu, who grew up in Delaware and has much familiarity with the Capriotti’s brand.

“When the opportunity presented itself to Warren and I to go into business together, it was a no-brainer that Capriotti’s was the right investment for us,” King says. “A loyalty to the brand, coupled with Capriotti’s outstanding corporate support, made our decision to open four locations in Austin very simple.”

The four-store franchise agreement came about after King and Shu realized a quality sandwich shop concept would stand out among Austin’s fast-casual dining scene, which has more than its fair share of taco joints, burger parlors, and barbecue eateries, but not so many sandwich shops.

Though Austin does enjoy some truly crave-worthy sandwiches — Elizabeth Street Café’s banh mis, Gourmands’ Foghorn Leghorn, Little Deli’s classic pastrami among them — Capriotti’s closest local competition might be Austin’s beloved ThunderCloud Subs, which was founded a year before Capriotti’s and maintains a cult-like level of devotion from Austinites.

Still, King and Shu are adamant that Capriotti’s will bring something new to Austin, including its signature sub and bestseller, The Bobbie, a slow-roasted turkey sub topped with cranberry sauce and stuffing, voted the best sandwich in America by AOL readers.

“When looking at the big picture, there are immense growth opportunities for Capriotti’s in the Austin market,” Shu says. “We are excited to bring something unique, quick, and convenient but offer the quality of a full-service concept to Austin residents.”

The new Austin locations are part of a bigger expansion for Capriotti’s, which currently has 110 company-owned and franchised shops in 15 states. The company plans to grow to more than 500 locations by 2025.

Aside from the Austin sub shops, Capriotti’s only other Texas location is in El Paso.

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LAST CALL

All of the restaurant and bar closures that rocked Austin in 2024

Photo by Johanesen Photography

1417 French Bistro shuttered in May.

Maybe it's the 2024 zeitgeist, but it's hard to find a theme in 2024's Austin restaurant and bar closures. Yes, local development is a bugbear, and rising costs continue to be a plague. But as everything from celebrity chef-backed showcases to shaggy punk clubs bite the dust, the only constant seems to be chaos. Before the mirror ball drops, we're looking back at all the sad closures, from A to Z.

1417 French Bistro
This Bouldin Creek bistro got a little more French during its three-year run but always had je ne sais quoi. Redevelopment cut its tenure short in May.

Ah Sing Den
A maximalist sore thumb in clean-lined Austin, this Victorian-inspired bar left East Sixth Street in June after 8 years in business. In late September, the much more subdued Oko took its place.

Austin Eastciders Collaboratory
Days before Halloween, the homegrown cider brand ghosted out of its permanent tasting room. Entrepreneurial couple Moya and Colin McIntyre transformed the space into charming community space Stargazer in three weeks.

Aviary Wine & Kitchen
Even Marie Kondo would surely shirk from the mess created by this South Austin wine bar's ignominious ending in August. The drama allegedly included an eviction notice, a mass firing, and a walkout over bounced paychecks.

Baby Acapulco
Pour a Purple Margarita out for the anchor location of one of Austin's most infamous Tex-Mex chains. The Barton Springs Road flagship, which opened in 1981, called it quits in October.

Bacalar
The controversy surrounding Top Chef winner Gabe Erales often overshadowed this modern Mexican stunner. In July, the restaurant's parent company decided to focus on the sibling concept Tómalo Grill. Erales did not go along for the ride.

Confituras Little Kitchen
Local jam-maker Stephanie McClenny retired her South Austin biscuit shop in late December, but will continue selling at farmers markets and local shops.

Diner Bar and Grey Market
Whee! The Thompson Austin hotel's roller coaster of closings continued in July with the shuttering of Mashama Bailey's first Capital City restaurants. Hotel management implied it was a mutual decision.

Elementary
We'll credit the trio running this playful fine-dining restaurant. After being schooled by customer feedback and sales data, they realized their concept wasn't working for Austin. Hinting at a rework to come, the owners shuttered Elementary in August.

Estelle's
This reimagined fern bar brought boisterous patrons, silk flowers, and a heady dose of mauve to the Warehouse District. After a brief two-and-a-half-year run, it wilted in early September.

Foxtrot
Barely a year after opening its first Texas stores, this tony convenience store imploded in April — closing all 33 of its locations. The roll-out was so botched that staff and customers were asked to leave still-operational stores after the company unceremoniously dropped the news. Unchastened, the chain is now opening more stores in Dallas and Chicago. Bravo wishes it had so much drama.

Hao-Hao
The closing of this 35-year-old classic was one of CultureMap's top restaurant stories of 2024. Locals obviously remain ravenous for quality Chinese-Vietnamese fare served at an affordable price.

Hi Hat Public House
This jazzy Holly beer joint was an anomaly among East Austin's hipper bars, serving pub grub in an unfussy environment. It tapped out at the end of July.

Huckleberry
The acclaimed food truck, specializing in Gulf Coast cuisine, said its goodbyes in November. Owners Davis Turner and Melinda Reese will still run the business' catering arm.

Icenhauers
Perhaps the real Rainey Street Ripper is rampant construction. In November, this cocktail lounge became the latest victim of the street's shift from a party district to a high-rise hub. Namesake owner Michael Icenhauer said the bar had lost money since April 2023.

Irene's
Before closing in November, this funky downtown spot hosted one of the city's most popular drag brunches. An incoming development said sashay away.

The Lost Well
One of Austin's punishingly few punk and metal venues smashed its guitars in October after the property owner decided to sell.

Luminaire and La Bis
Lauded San Antonio chef Steve McHugh's first foray into the Capital City culinary scene didn't last an entire year. Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue and McHugh's Landrace Group severed business relations in January without an explanation.

Patika
One of Austin's best-kept secrets, this South Lamar coffee shop lasted 10 years thanks to quality roasts, a curated wine program, and effortless hospitality. Faced with increasing costs and disruptive construction, owners Andy Wigginton and Nick Krupa decided not to renew the lease in October. The Congress Avenue location remains open.

Salt & Time
One of the leaders of Austin's locavore revolution, this butcher shop and restaurant had a solid 11-year run before throwing in the towel in July. Owner Ben Runkle passed the baton to a similarly minded food business, Radius Butcher & Grocery.

Smash ATX
When it opened in 2021, this ping-pong bar already seemed like a relic of Austin's freewheeling WeWork past. In February, it closed to make room for a two-hotel development.

Stagger Lee
The name of this Rainey Street bar referenced one of American folklore's more colorful criminals, but the atmosphere was relatively tame. FBR Management gunned it down in March.

Stars Café
For 58 years, generations of insomniacs counted on the former Star Seeds to deliver welcoming booths and meh coffee. Unfortunately, the Texas Department of Transportation's much-maligned I-35 expansion project put the spot in a sleeper hold. Stars shuttered in November with a promise to reopen at an undisclosed location.

The Statesman
As bromakases proliferate in weird Austin, this supper club offered an old-school take on largesse. By June, it was gone in a puff of cigar smoke.

Trudy's South Star
Qué sorpresa! In recent years, Trudy's has suffered a string of calamities, from fires to bankruptcies. In May, it closed its South Austin location, citing changing economics. The North Shoal Creek outpost is now the sole survivor of the once-mighty chain.

Vamonos
This Tex-Mex eatery was an oddball among chef Shawn Cirkiel's Parkside Projects portfolio. Although it had more staying power than its predecessor, Bullfight, it shuttered in February — two months before its fifth anniversary.

Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ
In April, what was once one of Central Texas' most respected barbecue joints went out with a big ole oof. Among the alleged issues were unpaid bills to contractors, back taxes, tip theft, and unpaid wages.

Wu Chow
Chameleon Hospitality has never found a winning formula for 3800 North Lamar Blvd. Since 2017, the address has hosted three concepts, including Guild and Rosedale Kitchen & Bar. After the parent company was acquired, the latest occupant went on the chopping block. Yet another restaurant is promised in its place.

Photo by Johanesen Photography

1417 French Bistro shuttered in May.

Zoé Tong
The Sichuan-inspired restaurant caps off a year of closures with a final New Year's Eve service.

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