permanently closed

Chicago-based market Foxtrot shutters all Austin locations

Foxtrot is shutting down all Austin stores as of Tuesday, April 23.

Photo by Taylor Prinsen Photography

Austinites who love to grab their morning coffee or snacks at cult-favorite convenience store Foxtrot will have to look elsewhere starting Tuesday, April 23.

More than a year after the brand opened its first of four total markets in the Texas Capital, all 33 Foxtrot stores throughout Austin, Dallas, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. are now permanently closed.

The closure was announced in a lengthy statement via email and on Foxtrot's Instagram account. Chicago-based Dom's Kitchen & Market, which had merged with Foxtrot in November 2023, also announced the multi-store closure on its website. Some publications and social media users reported that it was such an abrupt closing that staff did not know until the same morning, and customers in the stores were asked to leave.

"We explored many avenues to continue the business but found no viable option despite good faith and exhaustive efforts," the statement said. "This decision has not been made lightly, and we understand the impact it will have on you, our loyal customers, as well as our dedicated team members. We want to express our sincerest gratitude for your support and patronage throughout the years."

Starting April 23, delivery capabilities, store credits, and all customer-facing and store operations are "no longer available," according to the statement. Any Foxtrot account credits and member perks will also expire on April 23.

"We understand that this news may come as a shock, and we apologize for any inconvenience it may cause," the statement continues. "We genuinely appreciate your understanding during this challenging time."

Foxtrot was founded in Chicago by Mike LaVitola and Taylor Bloom, who had met originally in Austin while they were students at the University of Texas at Austin.

After the opening of its first location on Burnet Road in February 2023, as reported by CultureMap, Foxtrot continued its expansion through the city with one additional store on South 1st Street in South Austin, and two downtown locations on West 2nd Street and Guadalupe Street.

At the time of publishing, Foxtrot's website is closed except for a static page with the closing statement.

austin closings

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.