Austin Restaurants Get Creative to Beat the Heat

Austin, TX – With the summer heat fast-approaching triple-digit heights, restaurants and bars across Austin are getting creative with their strategies to beat the heat and to keep their businesses thriving.

Turning Up The Creativity to Turn Down The Heat

Weather has always been a fickle friend to the foodservice industry. Scorching summer heat, in particular, tends to hamper the amount of foot traffic that restaurants can expect. However, in light of challenging daytime heat, quite a few restaurant owners have decided to flip the situation on its head and come out swinging. It is survival of the most creative and innovative.

Freddo ATX Beats The Heat

In the bustling district of Oltorf and South Congress, the owner of Freddo ATX, Harry Karr, has turned to mist stations and a sprinkler-like system in the hopes of attracting and retaining customers during daytime. Notwithstanding, Karr has reservations about the adequacy of his methods and reckons that despite his best efforts, the Texas summer heat may still deter potential customers. “Sometimes people just don’t want to go out”, he uncompromisingly states.

Leaning in on Indoor Spaces: Industry Restaurant’s Masterstroke

In contrast to Karr’s approach, Harlan Scott, owner of the downtown-located Industry restaurant, has pivoted focus towards making the most out of indoor spaces. Scott is unequivocal about his mission to make a refuge from the heat without sacrificing the vibrant experience of outdoor dining. To this end, there are now doors installed at Industry that can easily slide open to simulate the experience of outdoor dining, while preserving the cool indoor temperature.

Innovation Continues as the Sun Goes Down

According to Scott, the restaurant is now hosting live music and events almost every day post-sunset- a strategy that largely deviates from their operations just six months ago. Scott got the idea from observing how last year’s summer heat drastically impacted business, which he described as being traumatic for restaurant owners across Austin.

Pivoting and Adapting Across the Board

Scott’s Industry is not only leaning into creative indoor spaces, they have also begun offering pool services at local apartments to diversify their offerings. Meanwhile, Karr is experimenting with extended happy hour specials to entice patrons to enjoy a cooler, more comfortable evening out.

Surviving the Heatwave: A Word From Texas Restaurant Association

The Texas Restaurant Association, represented by Madison Gessner, the Central and South Region executive director, encourages restaurants to adopt different strategies to weather hardships experienced due to the summer heatwave. Ideas such as offering carry-out services with an emphasis on alcohol sales and scheduling later specials are suggested. Additionally, a focus on employee care during the sweltering summer months is highly emphasized. Recommendations include setting up several hydration stations and allotting hydration breaks to help employees cope with working under such extreme conditions.

“Hopefully the atmosphere that we create will bring people, and we will get by through the summer,” Karr said optimistically. Truly, Austin restaurants are making every effort to turn the heat down this summer and keep their restaurants a cool and inviting respite from the sweltering Texas heat.