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With loosened pandemic restrictions and a revived tourism economy, Austin's party boat businesses are anticipating a busy season—and letting out a sigh of relief. (Raudel HInojosa/Premier Party Cruises)
Lake Travis's party boat industry, rocked by the pandemic last summer, is experiencing record-high demand. Local businesses are all hands on deck as the tourism industry swells to pre-pandemic levels, bringing in increased bookings and reducing the stress of the past 14 months.
Austin's Boat Tours is booked solid this Saturday. Each of its 10 double-decker barges, which come with a water slide and cost up to $300 an hour, will take out two groups of up to 20 passengers to popular party spots such as Devil's Cove. "Things are definitely coming back together for us," co-owner and captain Angel Edwards told Austonia.
Angel and Austin Edwards are the husband-and-wife team behind Austin's Boat Tours. (Angel Edwards)
This is a welcome change from last summer. Austin's Boat Tours lost nearly all of its out-of-town business, including the East Coast bachelor and bachelorette parties that make up much of its customer base. Of the nearly 180 reservations booked in January 2020, almost every single one was canceled and either refunded or credited toward a future visit. "We barely—barely—made it through the pandemic," Edwards said.
Now the business's phones are ringing off the hook. Booking inquiries include not only boat parties but also related services, including a food and bartender service on the boats; a party bus that can transport tours from central Austin to their private marina on Lake Travis; and two lakeside rental properties, where parties can go while visiting town. "Our overhead is so high," Edwards said, citing property taxes as a particular concern. "Thank God we're back in business."
Passengers feel similarly. Edwards, who runs Austin's Boat Tours with her husband, the business's namesake, was recently serenaded by a bachelor party, whose members sang Shaggy's "Girl, You're My Angel" in harmony. "People are just so thankful to get out and have fun again," she said.
Austin's Boat Tours is not alone in reporting an uptick in demand. Brian Hill, owner of Premier Party Cruises, has booked 550 tours through August, more than any year on record. The company's next best year was in 2019, when it booked 380 tours. "We've already surpassed our mark," he said of the 2021 season. "Let's keep our foot on the gas."
Lake Travis Yacht Rentals is asking customers to book online to minimize unnecessary phone calls and emails. "OUR STAFF IS OVERWHELMED!" the business wrote in a recent Facebook post.
(Background photo: crownsdown/Reddit)
Cody Jones, assistant commander for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, anticipates this summer will be even busier than last, when boater and swimming volume spiked, and that party boat businesses will benefit from the rising tide. "I certainly believe they're going to see a large increase this summer," he said.
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Popular
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
The original Z’Tejas location on West 6th Street is closing its doors after more than 30 years on the lot to make way for new development.
Z'Tejas owner Randy Cohen told Austonia the restaurant will be open at least through the end of 2022, possibly through March 2023.
Cohen said the owners—Larry McGuire of McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality—of the land have something new planned, though he’s not exactly sure what. Additionally, Cohen said maintenance costs for the old building were becoming prohibitively expensive.
“I think the people who own the dirt will tear it all down and build condos or some other development,” Cohen said. “I mean, it's a 60-year-old building, Z'Tejas has been here for 33 years and before that, it was something else. So it's just progress, that's all."
The restaurant isn’t going away though—Cohen said Z’Tejas is already looking for a new spot in the downtown area to move into. Z’Tejas also has a location in Avery Ranch, another in the works for Kyle and two in Arizona.
“We have all our ducks in a row right now and the management team is all rowing in the right direction,” Cohen said. “We're just excited, we're excited to build this iconic brand back.”
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
Once he finds a new place, Cohen plans to bring along its mural, “The Last Zupper,” which features Willie Nelson, Matthew McConaughey and Barbara Jordan. Cohen also plans for the adjoining ghost kitchen, Woo Woo Burgers, to follow to the new downtown location.
“We're still booking events through the end of December,” Cohen said. “Come ‘Z' me at Z’Tejas, we'd love to see you before we’re gone.”
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(Google Street View)
Two towers could be coming just south of the Austin American-Statesman’s former headquarters in the South Central Waterfront district.
According to city filings, the proposed planned unit development agreement is set for 200 East Riverside Drive, an area Project Connect’s Blue Line is slated to pass by someday.
Carrying this out involves removing the existing building, which is a state office complex and surface parking.
The new towers in place would reach just over 400 feet at their maximum and include office space and space for retail on the ground level. The mix of office and retail is a trend that’s been cropping up in downtown sites like the Perennial and the Meta tower.
The proposal on a plot of about four acres aims to incorporate green infrastructure and create a lively environment for pedestrians. It’d also be adjacent to the 118-acres of the South Central Waterfront Initiative, which is aimed at enhancing connections to and along the waterfront over the next couple of decades.
The filing lists architects STG Design, a group involved with work on the sailboat-like Google tower.
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