Parking lot coffins, vegan meat,
Ms. Pac-Man, and a jukebox filled with punk classics are but a few distinct features that qualify the Parlor as a bona fide Austin original. As the devastating global pandemic continues to forcefully close the doors of hospitality businesses right and left, the 20-year-old Hyde Park pizza joint is struggling to hold down their matriarch's unconventional fort.
"On a bigger level, it's not so much about the pizza and beer. It's about the community environment that so many of us are wanting right now ... It's such a big part of the Parlor," says Autumn Spadaro, one of owner Deborah Gill's six now-adult children. "She's Italian, so feeding people, that's a big thing to her – but it's never been a place where if you don't order anything you have to leave. Just come hang out, be a part of our community – freaks, weirdos, squares, whatever. I think that's the hardest part for my mom – feeling that she can't provide that right now."