USA, TX: North Austin brewery and restaurant North by Northwest closes for good

North Austin brewery and restaurant North by Northwest (NXNW) closed its original and only remaining location permanently on 10010 Capital of Texas Highway, as reported by Craft Beer Austin, as businesses struggle to stay afloat during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“Giving the unpredictable and unknowable continuing circumstances of COVID-19,” owner Davis Tucker told the beer publication, “we made the difficult choice to turn off the taps.” He confirmed the shutter to Austin 360 as well, noting that he told his employees on Thursday, April 16.

The brewery/restaurant had stayed open to sell its food and beer through takeout and curbside pickups, after city orders closed dine-in service and bars in mid-March, but decided to stop the service later that same month.

Tucker opened NXNW in 1999. He followed that with the South Austin location on West Slaughter Lane in 2014, which then closed in 2019, citing construction in the area.

During that time, Tucker also opened and closed several locations of his comfort food restaurant Red’s Porch. The original South Lamar restaurant opened in 2009, followed by the Quarry in 2017, and Round Rock in 2018. All closed in 2019.

This is the second novel coronavirus-related shutter this week. Yesterday, all-hours diner Magnolia Cafe announced it was closing its Lake Austin Boulevard location for good. The South Congress restaurant is still aiming to reopen after the order lifts in May.

NXNW’s Slaughter Lane location is going to be turned into two restaurants from Austin chef Amir Hajimaleki: a second location of New American restaurant Oasthouse Kitchen + Bar and seafood restaurant Keepers, which had been pegged to open in the fall.

19 April, 2020