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Wave of Austin restaurant closures continues as iconic campus pizzeria shutters
For nostalgic Austin diners, 2018 and 2019 have been cruel years, marked by a rash of shutters of iconic restaurants like Hut’s Hamburgers and The Frisco. Now, campus-area institution Milto’s Mediterranean Cafe has decided to say goodbye after 42 years.
The news was first announced October 23 via a Facebook post from co-owner Edie Georgakopoulos. CultureMap verified the shutter with a restaurant employee, who says a closing date has not yet been established. The post did not offer any explanation for the closure, and the employee says Georgakopoulos will not comment further.
Miltos Georgakopoulos opened the namesake eatery in 1977, and it has since been a hub for University of Texas students. Known for its pizza, Milto's also serves Greek dishes like gyros and spanokopita, sub sandwiches, and Italian-American pasta entrees such as lasagna and ravioli.
In sharp contrast to the sleek interiors that now define restaurants along The Drag, Milto’s sports a panoply of tin tiles, Italian restaurant kitsch, hanging plants, and pottery. That aesthetic, once a hallmark of “weird” Austin, is increasingly at risk as millennial customers redefine the local restaurant industry with their preference for minimalist decor and lighter, quick-grab fare.
As the Austin dining dynamic continues to change, Guadalupe Street has been particularly hard hit, previously losing funky stalwarts Conan’s Pizza and Ruby’s BBQ.
Despite the rapidly changing character of the neighborhood, the property remains among the most sought-after in Austin. A real estate listing indicates that the prime site is currently under contract; the list price is $1.2 million.
