Blame it on COVID-19

Beloved Austin burger chain sizzles out of downtown location due to pandemic

James Beard Foundation Smoke Session at The Brewer's Table P. Terry's

P. Terry's is out of its downtown Austin location.

Photo by Shelley Neuman

Austin's own P. Terry’s Burger Stand chain has flipped the last burger at its downtown location. Citing the novel coronavirus pandemic — and its effect on downtown business and tourism — the company permanently shut down its location at 515 Congress Ave. on September 18.

“With offices and hotels virtually empty in the downtown area, we have seen a dramatic drop in sales and traffic over the last several months,” Todd Coerver, CEO of P. Terry’s, says in a statement.

The Austin-based company says it has offered all of the employees at the downtown location the opportunity to relocate to another P. Terry’s restaurant. It also says it’s looking for a tenant to sublease the downtown space.

“Unfortunately, the location is no longer financially viable for us, so we have made the difficult decision to close,” says Coerver, who joined as CEO last year.

Despite the downtown closure, P. Terry’s is moving ahead with plans to open a location in Pflugerville and a location in New Braunfels this fall. But the pandemic has pushed the debut of P. Terry’s first location in San Antonio to 2021, the company says. The chain said in January, before the pandemic hit the U.S., that it planned to open an Alamo City outpost this fall at 8539 Fredericksburg Rd.

The chain now operates 18 restaurants in Austin, Georgetown, Lakeway, and San Marcos. In addition, the company has one location of its Taco Ranch concept in Austin; a second location of Taco Ranch, near the University of Texas campus, was converted into a P. Terry’s.

“This setback will not deter us from our growth plan,” Coerver says of shuttering the downtown location.

When Coerver, a former Taco Cabana and Whataburger executive, came aboard at P. Terry’s, he replaced co-founder Patrick Terry as CEO. Coerver is tasked with leading the expansion of the fast-food chain into other Texas markets, including Houston and San Antonio.

burgers downtown

Games on the Go

This outdoorsy mountain trolley is now a vintage arcade in Austin

Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The trolley still bears most of the markings from its past life in Tennessee.

Some classic arcade games are now on the go in Austin with the launch of the Austin Arcade Trolley. Housed in a renovated trolley car, this new mobile arcade shows off eight vintage 80s and 90s games, while keeping some of the transportation nostalgia intact, too.

Austin Arcade Trolley owner and ex-corporate salesman Trey Tschoepe said in a press release that the idea came about after attending birthday parties with his 6-year-old daughter. The parties inspired a desire to "keep Austinites young at heart." It wasn't intended as a business, but Austinites can now book it for their own events.

The vintage games include:

NBA Jam
Golden Tee
Ms. Pacman
Atari
The Simpsons
NFL Blitz
Mortal Kombat
Street Fighter II

Austin Arcade Trolley interior Even though the aesthetics are different, both halves of this bus are very retro.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

It's not just limited to those classics, though; a 55-inch screen will let guests play more than 30,000 other games. Minecraft, Roblox, and Tetris are a few of those offerings.

“Not only are we delivering nostalgic fun that accessible to all ages, but we’re also doing it in style with a vintage trolley car converted into a mobile arcade," said Tschoepe. "There’s truly nothing else like this in Texas or anywhere else.”

There certainly are other mobile arcades, but the trolley is unique not just for its vintage selection but a delightfully outdoorsy look. The back of the vehicle looks like an arcade, but the front and exterior sidestep the expected design elements — neon colors, envisionings of cyberspace — by keeping everything as-is.

Austin Arcade Trolley interior This part of the trolley basically looks like any other mobile arcade.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The wooden interior still has some passenger benches, and the outside even displays its original affiliation: the Tennessee town of Pigeon Forge, where it was designated a "Fun Time Trolley."

Tschoepe did put some work in, even though he kept the aesthetic intact. He purchased the decommissioned car in May 2024 and spent six months implementing custom woodwork and other design updates.

Now it can fit 15 guests in the arcade section, with space for 7 more in the seating section. There's also wifi and air-conditioning, and guests are encouraged to bring their own snacks and drinks onboard.

Austin Arcade Trolley interior This part of the trolley brings light to an airier side of gaming.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The trolley is available for hourly booking every day. The case price is $375 including delivery, setup, and unlimited play within the booking time, which happens in two-hour increments. It can travel around Austin as well as to Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Leander, Dripping Springs, Bee Cave, Buda, Kyle, and Lakeway.

Tschoepe welcomes kids and adults for birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties, weddings, corporate and team-building events, and anywhere else it's needed.

“We’re excited to spread the fun throughout Central Texas," he said.

kids games arcade parties weddings