Fresh Peach

Fire-damaged Bar Peached to take over neighboring 6th Street restaurant

Bar Peached won't have to move far, thanks to an agreement with the owner of Nightcap.

Photo courtesy of Consumable Content

After a fire damaged Bar Peached in May, the restaurant has found a new space to ready for its future reopening at 1401 W. 6th St., where the existing bar and restaurant Nightcap resides. Nightcap will be open until October 22; then it will leave the space and Bar Peached will start renovations in November. The new bar is slated to open in spring of 2027, a release says.

Bar Peached, though it appears to be keeping its name, will become "a new iteration of the concept," the release states, focusing on Asian tapas, craft cocktails, and vinyl records. The space, just steps away from the damaged one at 1315 W. 6th St., will also have a new aesthetic by local hospitality designer Kim Lewis, featuring a darker tone, textures, and "nostalgic details."

The concept sounds right in line with Austin's increasing number of jazz kissa-inspired spaces that re-contextualize the stylish Japanese listening lounge for local tastes.

“The fire was devastating for us, but it also gave us the unique opportunity to rethink what Bar Peached could be,” said founder Eric Silverstein in the release. He says the new concept "feels like nothing Austin has seen from us before while still remaining distinctly Bar Peached."

Meanwhile, Nightcap owner Christin Rowan, who the release credits for staying close after the fire, is framing the business transition as an opportunity. Rowan appears to be avoiding closing the door completely on Nightcap.

Nightcap Austin exterior Nightcap's current space embodies the residential charm that still characterizes that stretch of West Sixth Street.Photo courtesy of Nightcap

“I don’t see this as Nightcap closing, but more so, as one chapter ending to make room for the next,” said Rowan. “After the fire, we saw firsthand how quickly the Austin hospitality community rallies around each other, and this opportunity really grew out of that sense of camaraderie. It feels like the right thing for this space, for Bar Peached, and for the neighborhood. Sometimes the end of one thing gives life to something equally special, and I’m excited to see what comes next.”

closings openings bars sixth street

From seafood to mariscos

Austin restaurant group behind Roya trades one coastal concept for another

Keepers Coastal Kitchen/Facebook

Keepers Coastal Kitchen will close this month to make room for a new Mexican restaurant.

The hospitality group behind buzzy Persian concept Roya is replacing one of its South Austin restaurants with a new coastal Mexican concept. Keepers Coastal Kitchen will close October 24, and renovations will start for Mi Vecino soon after. The new restaurant is expected to open in late 2026 or early 2027, a press release says.

Keepers opened in 2021 at 5701 W. Slaughter Ln. and served a seafood menu that didn't settle in any one geography. Guests could order sushi rolls alongside oysters, tuna tostadas, mussels Catalan, and more.

Mi Vecino ("My Neighbor") keeps the seafood theme going while narrowing the scope to Mexican cuisine. The name nods to the neighborhood restaurant feel the group is aiming for. They'll start to redecorate the family-friendly space with bright colors and casual Mexican decor.

“We’ve always wanted this space to be a place where the neighborhood comes together,” said Chef Amir Hajimaleki, who leads of Roya Hospitality Group with his brother Ali Hajimaleki. “Mi Vecino gives us an opportunity to create something fresh and exciting while still staying true to our original vision.”

According to the release, though Amir Hajimaleki will oversee the culinary program, it will be executed by Chef Jose Alajandro Sanchez. Some of the Mi Vecino's signature flavor will come from live-fire cooking, and fresh tortillas and housemade salsas will add more character.

Guests will also find other classic Mexican seafood dishes on the menu, like ceviches, fajitas, and tacos, plus more specific offerings like chocolate clams — a large clam species named for its shell color and widely associated with Baja, California — and shrimp enchiladas with white mole.

Roya Hospitality concepts often offer up creative cocktails. In this case, the margaritas will be the stars of the show, and guests can also sip ranch waters, palomas, daiquiris, and more, with a happy hour lowering prices on drinks and small bites like tacos.

This year Roya, the restaurant that gives the hospitality group its name, graduated from pop-ups to a brick-and-mortar space. The group's Persian concepts, Roya and Daisy Lounge, are more formal than its others, Keepers, Oasthouse Kitchen + Bar, and Disrtict Kitchen + Cocktails. Roya has received great reviews and lots of attention in the eight months that it's been open so far and may end up elevating the entire restaurant group.

seafood mexican cuisine tacos margaritas closings openings