Same Coffee, new empire

Exclusive Austin social club acquires home of popular East 5th Street coffee shop

Pershing is known — by those who know these more exclusive things — for its luxe grounds and flamboyant nighttime events featuring exclusive entertainment and culinary adventures. However, its latest addition is targeting coffee lovers and remote professionals who want a little bit more than a signature cup of Joe.

The private social club announced the acquisition of 2501 E. 5th, formerly of Greater Goods Coffee, for its new concept, Pershing East, solidifying its place in Austin’s hospitality community — beyond what it already represented for its inside circle, that is. The new shop is open now, and will continue to be open to the public.

The coffee shop and co-working space now offers a more casual and relaxed environment for club members and the general public alike, while maintaining the same level of sophistication and high quality that Pershing is known for. Greater Goods is still operating on a wholesale basis and the coffee will still be available at the shop. Visitors can also see the familiar faces of the staff that were kept onboard during the acquisition.

“The Pershing East expansion really enhances our ability to launch new experiences for existing customers, Pershing members, and Austin in general," said Pershing manager Kyle Lauterbach in a release. "For example, we are adding new items to the Pershing East menu from Pershing’s incredible food program. And there’s a big list of future surprises beyond that!”

Breakfast and lunch offerings at Pershing East include drool-worthy Italian-inspired bites from Pershing Chef Chris Galluccio of two Michelin-starred New York restaurants: Gramercy Tavern and Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

Continuing its commitment to the arts, Pershing is will be hosting artists in residence at Pershing East in an ongoing partnership with Austin-based contemporary art gallery, West Chelsea Contemporary. The coffee house guests will have the opportunity to witness opening resident Simon Berger's creation process in real-time ahead of his solo exhibit, Beauty in Destruction: The Art of Simon Berger, opening at West Chelsea Contemporary on September 23.

Pershing East and its sister joint, Pershing Hall — right across the street — are now the public venues strengthening Pershing’s private social club business. Pershing Hall continues to serve as a venue for local and national musicians, comedians, and other community artists every Tuesday through Sunday.

Pershing changed the name of the Pershing Hall Instagram to @thepershingeast, but they are still two distinct entities. Even though the account is not new, the coffee shop is.

Photo courtesy of Pershing East

Pershing, the social-club-entertainment-complex has acquired the former space of Greater Goods Coffee.

Pershing also offers its private members an exclusive lineup of intimate concerts, culinary experiences, and "decadent parties" (according to a release) among other curated events throughout the year.

For more information on both public and private events check out Pershing’s full calendar at thepershing.com. Pershing East's operating hours are every Monday through Sunday from 7 am to 6 pm.

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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.