Grounds for celebration

Renowned Chicago coffee company brightens up Austin with new downtown cafe

Intelligentsia Coffee will soon be pouring into Austin.

One of the “big three” of the third-wave coffee movement is brewing up something big in Austin. Chicago-based phenom Intelligentsia Coffee will open its anticipated first Texas outpost Wednesday, August 21, at 607 W. Third St. inside the Third + Shoal building.

Although new to the Capital City, the brand made sure to give the intimate 30-seat coffee bar true local flavor. According to a release, architect Scott Magic was inspired by Texas Hill Country swimming holes and only used materials sources within 25 miles of the city limits.

A dynamic mural made from local artist Erin Curtis also sets the scene. We Are Living on a Star uses more than 4,800 recycled Elgin Butler bricks to create an explosion of pattern and color that will surely wake customers up as much as the coffee.

The local focus extends into the food and drink menu. The downtown location will be the only Intelligentsia to offer the Roadrunner, an intriguing mix of cold coffee, freshly pressed grapefruit juice, and soda. Snacks from Easy Tiger and Sour Duck Market will also be on hand.

In addition, the coffee bar will serve six drinks on tap, including several nitro coffee selections; iced tea; and the Limelight, a sipper made with cold coffee, lime juice, and sparkling tonic. Single-origin coffees curated each morning by the baristas, espresso drinks, and brewed teas from Kilogram round out the offerings.

“We are thrilled to be opening our first Intelligentsia coffee bar in Austin and to offer our culinary take on coffee as a small part of an already incredibly dynamic coffee scene,” said Intelligentsia Coffee CEO and President James McLaughlin via release.

Austinites might be equally thrilled to see it arrive. Guests visiting Intelligentsia between 7 am and noon on opening day will have the chance to win prizes like a year of free coffee, a chocolate library from cult artisan company Askinosie, and two music and camping passes to the Trans-Pecos Festival in Marfa.

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Bye-bye, Hao-Hao

Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant in South Austin closes after 35 years

Hao-Hao Restaurant/Instagram

Hao-Hao Restaurant has closed because the owners decided to retire.

Austin's restaurant scene is subject to some high turnover, but 35 years is a long time for a family-owned business to stay afloat in any city. After all that time in business, Chinese-Vietnamese spot Hao-Hao Restaurant has closed.

Located at 1901 W. William Cannon Dr. #115, Hao-Hao was a homey spot for big plates at low prices. The combination of cuisines coming together meant that Austinites could order things like pho, egg drop soup, shaking beef, and sesame chicken at the same table.

The restaurant posted in January of 2024 that it would be closing, and a diner alerted locals that it had finally closed as of November 2 in the popular subreddit (a Reddit thread) r/austinfood.

There is still a Hao-Hao in Round Rock; there is a lineage between the restaurants, but it is now operated by different families. It has a second location coming in Leander at the end of this year or early next year, according to Community Impact.

Kevin and Linh Lieu Quach owned the South Austin restaurant that has just closed; Kevin's brother Y Quach opened the Round Rock location later, but he and his wife, Nguyet, sold it in 2013 so that she could focus on baking. The latter couple now operates NG Café, which was a nominee for 2024 Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in CultureMap's Tastemaker Awards.

Hao-Hao South Austin owners Kevin and Linh Lieu Quach Kevin and Linh Lieu Quach years ago, from Hao-Hao's website.haohaosouthaustin.com

Many of the customers at the South Austin Hao-Hao were very loyal, posting reviews declaring support of 20 years or more. Staying affordable all that time doesn't seem to have taken a toll on the family who owned the restaurant — or if it did, they didn't mention it in the January announcement. Instead, they focused on retirement, and the way the family grew over the years.

Accompanying photos of the family years ago and all grown up at the son Sam and his wife Coleen's wedding, some of the post reads:

"It is with bittersweet emotions that we announce our retirement from our family-owned and operated restaurant that has been our pride and joy since 1989. Over the past 35 years, our establishment has become more than just a business to us—it has become a cherished part of our lives, and so have all of you.

[...]

Throughout the years, we have had the privilege of getting to know each of you personally. Many of you have been with us since the beginning, becoming not just customers but close friends. The memories we’ve shared, the laughter, and even the challenges have forged bonds that go beyond business transactions."

From responses and reviews, it sounds like customers felt the same, often praising the family for running a friendly and reliable business.

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