Austin, TX
F45 Training, Couch Potatoes: 9 business updates to know in South Central Austin
Now open
Lightspeed Restoration of Austin
The family-owned business serves the Austin, Buda, Driftwood, Kyle and Manchaca areas with water damage restoration, fire restoration, disaster recovery and air duct cleaning. Owner Jonathan Friedman and his family decided to open Lightspeed Restoration of Austin after Texas’ winter storm in 2021.
Coming soon
F45 Training
The training gym will open a new location on South Lamar Boulevard in April. F45 Training studios offer 45-minute functional workouts focusing on cardio, resistance, a cardio-resistance hybrid and recovery. The new studio will also include F45 Recovery, which features cold plunges, infrared saunas and compressions.
Relocations
Texas Radio Live
Austin’s longest-running live music radio program will relocate to a new home for its 14th season. After 13 years at Guero’s Taco Bar on South Congress Avenue, the show will begin broadcasting from Half Step on Rainey Street at the end of January.
In the news
End of an Ear
Local record store End of an Ear is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Owners Dan Plunkett and Blake Carlisle first opened in 2005 off South First Street before moving to its current location in 2016. The store offers vinyl records, CDs and DVDs. In-store performances have included artists such as Band of Horses, Voxtrot, Alex G and Mitski.
Closings
Couch Potatoes
The Austin-based furniture store will close its south location at the end of January. According to a message posted on the business website, the closure is a “strategic decision to adapt to the evolving retail landscape in Austin.” Couch Potatoes’ other stores in north and Central Austin will remain open.
Zoe Tong
The Barton Springs Road restaurant closed in late December. Zoé Tong’s owners, chefs Simone Tong and Matthew Hyland, announced the Dec. 31 closure in an email to customers and through social media posts.
Sí Baby-Q
The Asian barbecue truck on Zoé Tong’s patio run by Simone Tong and Terry Black’s BBQ alum Jonathan Lagos had its last day of service at Barton Springs Road in December. According to a social media post, Sí Baby-Q actively searching for a new spot.
Confituras Little Kitchen
The baked goods and locally-made jam business closed its brick-and-mortar location in December, according to a social media post. Customers can find Confituras at the Barton Creek Farmers’ Market on Saturdays.
The Beer Plant
The vegan restaurant closed in the Tarrytown neighborhood in late December. The business owners thanked their customers and staff in a message posted to their website. Opened in 2016, The Beer Plant served plant-based brunch and dinner, beer, wine and cocktails.
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Following controversial comments from head coach Steve Sarkisian and recruiting battles with other contending teams, the Texas Longhorns have once again found themselves in the national spotlight ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Just like this time 365 days ago, the Longhorns are the favorites to win the SEC Championship by the time the postseason rolls around, as well as be contenders for the national championship — despite failing to gain a playoff berth in 2025.
Ahead of the 2025 season, Texas’ preseason hype centered around quarterback Arch Manning and his first year at the helm of the Longhorns’ offense. Despite predictions that Manning would win the Heisman and be the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Longhorns went on to a nine-win regular season with steady, ongoing improvements in Manning’s performance.
Now, the attention from national media seems due to the “all-in” season that the Longhorns are looking toward, with a huge roster turnover through the transfer portal suggesting that this is the make-or-break year for Texas — and Manning — to achieve any national championship hopes.
However, a “make-or-break” season isn’t necessarily what’s ahead for Texas in 2026.
Texas’ Championship Hopes Aren’t Necessarily Over After 2026
It’s fair to assume that the Longhorns are going all in for a national championship in 2026, given the emphasis on experienced transfer portal talent, coaching staff changes and even talk from some players about what the team’s goals are over the offseason.
But considering 2026 as the Longhorns’ last chance for a trophy in the immediate future isn’t as easily justifiable, especially when Texas may not be considering much of a rebuild after this season ends. Sarkisian himself didn’t deny that Manning may come back for another year with Texas in 2027, and many key playmakers on both offense and defense have several more years of eligibility left.
Especially looking at Texas’ incoming class of freshmen and history with the transfer portal, it’s likely that the Longhorns are setting themselves up for longevity more than immediate success. If Manning does decide to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft, incoming freshman quarterback Dia Bell will be an exciting prospect for Texas to bank on when looking for its next offensive leader.
It’s natural that the Longhorns should continue to generate national excitement, especially with the newest five-star commit to the 2027 class. Even so, Texas has a habit of bucking the trends and national predictions. The pressure was on in 2025 to win a national championship in Manning’s first year as a starter, and as more mock drafts continue to slate him as a first-rounder, that pressure has only heightened in what most onlookers see as his last year playing college football.
Whether the Longhorns will buckle under that pressure this go-around will be seen, starting with their home opener against Texas State on Sept. 5.
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AUSTIN, Texas — Austin city leaders gathered on East 11th Street on Juneteenth to celebrate the “Black Artists Matter” mural before it must be removed under an order from the Texas Department of Transportation. The mural and the city’s rainbow crosswalk are slated for removal in compliance with a Texas Department of Transportation directive requiring cities to remove political ideologies from roadways. Last October, Gov. Greg Abbott directed TxDOT to enforce the policy.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson stood on the blocked-off street where the yellow letters spelling “Black Artists Matter” are painted on the roadway’s surface. “We will never forget that when the state decided to target our murals, the community stood together to celebrate our city’s diversity, spirit, and creativity,” Watson said.
Watson criticized the state’s actions, saying, “The state government engages in negative rhetoric and threats, it targets communities that it disagrees with and seeks retribution.”
In response to the order, Watson formed the Public Spaces Task Force to identify other ways to celebrate diversity in Austin.
ALSO| Screwworm medications straining animal shelter budgets across Texas
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Daphne McDole, chief executive officer of the African American Cultural Heritage District and a member of the task force, said she wanted the event held on Juneteenth because of its significance. “I wanted to do it on Juneteenth, it was significant to me because I knew that that was the day my community would be in the district. We will be celebrating over here all day, so it was appropriate,” McDole said.
Task force members said they are exploring alternatives to honor East Austin’s history and diversity. They noted that city leaders in San Antonio created rainbow sidewalks after removing rainbow crosswalks, but said Austin will pursue its own approach.
Task force chair Steven Rivas said the community is focused on preserving the meaning behind the markings. “We chose to come together as a community and find a way to respect what these markings mean and build upon them. If we can’t have them in the street, we’re going to put them off the street,” Rivas said.
AUSTIN, Texas — The screwworm outbreak is having a major impact on animal shelter budgets across Texas. Instant kill and preventative medications for dogs and cats are an unprecedented expense.
Paul is a rescue dog from South Texas, where he was living on the streets and starving. He is now at Austin Pets Alive! getting Screwworm prevention medication and the treatment he needs to get healthy.
“Any dog that enters our shelter period, but especially if they look like this, we are going over them with a fine-tooth comb and looking for anything that might be a wound where a screwworm might have been able to gain access,” said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, CEO and President of Austin Pets Alive!
RELATED| FDA authorizes generic over-the-counter drug to treat New World screwworm in pets
Dr. Jefferson says dogs and cats need regular checks of their eyes, noses, ears, and underneath their fur. But Austin Pets Alive! says the best protection is a combination of Capstar, which is an instant-kill medication for existing active screwworm larvae, and prescription preventatives that provide ongoing protection when administered every 30 days.
“Just to buy the initial Capstar for our program, it was close to $10,000,” said Rebecca Giamona, Asst. Medical Care Director at Austin Pets Alive!
Giamona says preventative meds are also putting a heavy financial strain on the nonprofit’s budget at a cost of around $70,000.
“We need about 5,000 doses of the monthly preventative, and they are roughly $14 to $15 per dose,” said Giamona.
Products with the active ingredients ending in l, a, n, e, r are highly effective at preventing and treating infestations. But keeping Paul and every shelter animal up to date will take help from the public.
“Donations, and hopefully some more donations,” said Giamona.
An infestation of New World Screwworm can be painful, disfiguring, and potentially deadly for animals. Most cases involve livestock, especially cattle, but dogs and cats can also get infestations.
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