Restaurant Switcheroo

Houston restaurant chain swoops into popular downtown Austin locale

Look for South African concept Peli Peli in 2017.

Peli Peli Galleria/Facebook

The former home of Cantina Laredo won't be vacant for long. On Tuesday, Houston-based restaurant chain Peli Peli announced it will slide into the 2nd Street District space in 2017.

The upscale restaurant specializes in South African fare, incorporating Portuguese, Dutch, and Asian flavors. Named after a spice native to the South African region — and used heavily by Executive Chef Paul Friedman — Peli Peli aims to be approachable even to those who are unfamiliar with the cuisine. Diners can expect mainstays like curried chicken and Chilean sea bass in addition to more traditional dishes such as espetada (Portuguese meat skewers) and bobotie (South African beef casserole).

Friedman and business partners Thomas Nguyen and Mike Tran, both University of Texas at Austin graduates, received national attention after an appearance on CNBC show Restaurant Startup. The trio turned to the NextSeed crowdfunding platform to raise money for new locations, which has already sprouted three higher-end spots and one casual Peli Peli Kitchen concept.

"Some of our best years were spent in Austin at the University of Texas, so we could not be more excited to bring our unique concept to the city that means so much to us," said Nguyen in a statement. "Our concept is about embracing diversity and encouraging people to make an impact, therefore making Austin the perfect place for us to grow."

Peli Peli will serve dinner, lunch, and weekend brunch when it opens in 2017. In addition to a long list of international wines, craft cocktails, and beers, the restaurant will also offer a selection of wine from its own South African label.

openings closings downtown

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.