Austin 360
The coronavirus has hammered the restaurant industry, leading to countless closures and pivots. But it hasn t been all bad news for the local restaurant scene. Dozens of chefs and operators have found ways to open in the face of all of the adversity.
If you ve been sticking to takeout and delivery from some of your favorites and standbys, you might not be aware of some of the most notable openings since March 2020. We re here to help.
Aba: Mediterranean restaurant from Chicago-based hospitality group Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises is helmed by executive chef CJ Jacobson of “Top Chef” fame. (1011 S. Congress Ave.; 737-273-0199, abarestaurants.com/austin; previous coverage)
Ready to get back out there, or at least thinking that might be in sight?
While a lot of things in Texas have been open for business for a while (and certainly are allowed to be, under Gov. Greg Abbott s March order opening the state), plenty of people have kept close to home as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
There s hope in sight. As of early last week, more than 8.4 million Texans had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and of those, almost 4.9 million people have been fully vaccinated, according to state health officials. And as folks get their shots, they re likely to resume some of their pre-pandemic habits.