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(Aaron Rogosin/SXSW)
While this years SXSW festival was canceled, it will return next year.
South by Southwest announced Tuesday it will include online programming as part of its 2021 festival, but has not eliminated the possibility of an in-person portion of the event.
<p>According to an announcement on the <a href="https://www.sxsw.com/news/2020/announcing-sxsw-online-a-digital-experience-from-march-16-20-2021/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=sxsw2021_online&utm_content=sxsw_online_announcement&fbclid=IwAR3BdwFRfUZcKs5Ynp-GG2MSm9QL2RiAx8EUU4Yxpd6e-NstZdgj-j_TucE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SXSW website,</a> SXSW Online will be "a digital experience featuring conference keynotes and sessions, screenings, showcases and much more." SXSW Online will take place from March 16-20.</p>
<p>SXSW is working with the City of Austin and public health officials to make plans for an in-person event, though no details have been announced yet.</p>
<p>The festival will be preceded by SXSW EDU, a branch that focuses on all things education, from March 9-11. SXSW will accept "<a href="https://www.sxsw.com/apply-to-participate/panelpicker/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Panel Picker</a>" events for both SXSW and SXSW EDU. Applications will be accepted from Oct. 6-16.</p>
<p>SXSW will not accept applications for the music festival this year, as it will be "curated by programming staff with priority given to showcase presenters and artists who were scheduled for the 2020 event." </p>
<p>However, the Film Festival will still accept applications for Feature Film, Short Film, Episodic, Music Video, Virtual Cinema, Texas High School Short and Title Sequence from Oct. 6-28.</p>
<p>SXSW 2020 was cancelled at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 6, a week before the event was supposed to begin. </p>
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Grupo Fantasma, Glorietta and Brené Brown will raise money for Austin musicians this HAAM Day
03 September
(Joshua Guerra)
Tomar & the FCs performed at The ABGB in South Austin on HAAM Day 2019.
Local Latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma, Texas supergroup Glorietta and vulnerability researcher Brené Brown are included in the lineup for HAAM Day, an annual fundraiser benefiting the Health Alliance of Austin Musicians, according to a Thursday announcement.
<p>The virtual event is scheduled for Sept. 15 and supports the local nonprofit, which provides healthcare to thousands of local musicians. It will be live-streamed on Facebook, Fox 7 Austin and Luck.Stream.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="25b4037065ba7895c2c00bb949290207" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="12e6d" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzYyNzM3Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDkyMTA0MX0.iydpvKHMJ6o4RVA6fsDeaaY0fHMQfcJofNpmLl4hIEY/img.png?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">HAAM Day 2020 raises money to provide healthcare to local musicians. It is the local nonprofit's 15th annual event. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(HAAM)</small></p><p>In addition to the official HAAM Day lineup, which includes dozens of performances, more than 150 HAAM members will also be playing their own sets throughout the day on their individual Instagram and Facebook pages. A full schedule can be found <a href="https://www.facebook.com/myhaam/events/?ref=page_internal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.<br/></p><p>HAAM aims to raise $600,000 at this year's event. </p><p>"Musicians need our funding now more than ever," HAAM CEO Reenie Collins said in a press release. "Musicians already live in a very fragile ecosystem, and now our musicians and creatives who make Austin 'The Live Music Capital of The World' are devastated with no real relief in sight."</p><p>The pandemic—which led to the cancellation of SXSW and the shutdown of bars in March—has had a significant impact on Austin's live music scene. </p><p>Some venues, such as Barracuda and Plush, have closed permanently. Researchers at the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs <a href="https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2020/07/survey-predicts-90-percent-of-austin-live-music-venues-to-close-by-halloween/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>reported in July</u></a> that up to 90% of live music venues in Austin could follow suit if they're not able to reopen by this fall.</p><p>Musicians also bear the brunt. In a survey of its members <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-musicians-in-dire-straits-as-pandemic-keeps-doors-closed-on-venues" target="_self"><u>earlier this year</u></a>, HAAM found that more than 80% of respondents couldn't meet basic needs because of lost income.</p>
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(Stephanie and Steve Williams)
Stephanie and Steve Williams just opened their third Bennu Coffee location.
When Stephanie and Steve Williams opened their first Bennu Coffee location on Martin Luther King Boulevard in 2009, it was in the wake of the last big economic recession.
<p>"That one was really just my husband and I doing it all ourselves, getting money from our parents' credit cards to buy the flooring," Stephanie told Austonia.</p><p>
The couple later opened a second Bennu location on South Congress. </p><p>Then, last Saturday, they opened a third at the Highland development—right in the middle of the pandemic.</p><p>
"This is our dream coffee shop," Stephanie said. "Even though it is scary and it is uncertain right now, seeing this dream come to life was really a motivating factor for us."
</p><p>
Since the start of the pandemic, many small businesses have been forced to close their doors—either temporarily or forever—including Austin favorites like Threadgill's, Dart Bowl and the Lake Austin Boulevard Magnolia Cafe.
</p><p>
But a few intrepid owners are opening, expanding and investing despite the uncertain economic future.
</p><p>
<strong>Doors ajar</strong>
</p><p>
Though Sammy Lam only officially began working toward the opening of Wanderlust Wine Co. last summer, the downtown tap winery is the result of years of planning and study.
</p><p>
Lam helped finance the business with a small insurance payout he received after his mother died. She loved wine and would have one glass of Franzia each week, often while chatting with her son—who at the time was too young to join her.
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</p><p>
"I'm like, 'What am I going to do if I spend this money?'" Lam told Austonia. </p><p>
Initially, Lam planned to soft-open Wanderlust during SXSW in the hopes that he could raise the additional money. But when SXSW was canceled, he had to rethink his entire business plan.
</p><p>
<span></span>"So then we went to being essentially an online retail establishment," Lam said.
</p><p>
Wanderlust started selling bottles, branded face masks and tickets for virtual tastings on its website until it opened—on what Lam called its fifth attempt—in early June.</p><p>"We finally were able to open our doors a little bit," he said. "Going from zero to some people, it felt like a lot."</p><p>
<strong>Making lemonade</strong>
</p><p>
Other Austin business owners have found opportunities for growth in spite of the pandemic.
</p><p>
Try Hard Coffee, a new walk-up shop that also serves tacos and pastries, which opened in mid-June in the space previously occupied by Blue Dahlia Bistro. Two of its three owners—John French and Gabrielle Rose—also own Clever Baking Co., which serves coffee shops in the Austin area.
</p><p>
"We birthed Try Hard out of the wholesale bakery business struggling," co-owner Raechel Hurd told Austonia.
</p><p>
Clever Baking Co. now operates out of Try Hard's space and supplies the shop's pastry menu.
</p><p>
"It was kind of a major sidestep for us that allowed us to continue and pretty much ensure jobs for ourselves and our staff," Rose said.
</p><p>
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</p><p>
Similarly, Bird Bird Biscuit recently announced plans to open a second location in Brentwood.
</p><p>
Co-owner Ryan McElroy said the pandemic forced the fast-casual shop to transition to an online-only ordering model. But customers preferred the new pick-up window to waiting in line to order in person, which during the business' peak times used to take up to an hour.
</p><p>
"We would never in a million years have risked shutting down our whole dining room and getting rid of our line," McElroy said. "Being forced to do it, it reveals an insight that we would have never found otherwise."</p><p>
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</p><p>While McElroy and his business partner, Brian Batch, had thought about opening a second location, there were no plans to do so until the pandemic revealed this new business model—and provided an ideal location.</p><p>
McElroy also owns Thunderbird Coffee. While Bird Bird Biscuit was thriving—a recent push to support Black-owned businesses even <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-black-owned-restaurants" target="_self">led it to close for a day</a> so staff could recuperate—Thunderbird's West Koenig Lane location was struggling. The new Bird Bird will replace this shop, with a large patio and a coffee trailer on site.</p><p><span></span>"We're doing it to try to build something beautiful for the future but also works for the present," McElroy said.
</p>
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(Kristina Gonzales/Party at the Moontower)
Kristina Gonzalez, director of sales and operations at Party at the Moontower Event Rentals, minces no words about what the cancelation of this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival means for event vendors: "That's basically saying no one in events makes money for a full year."
<p>Party at the Moontower has outfitted VIP areas at ACL in past years and partnered with hotels for conferences. Together with South by Southwest, ACL can keep event vendors afloat through the leaner months of the year.</p><p>"Event vendors—we all function off the flux of tourism, and the two biggest times of the year when all these people come in are October, with ACL, and March, with South By," Gonzalez explains.<br/></p><p> In the wake of their cancelations, local business owners are bracing themselves for a year that has now been effectively stripped of its two peak tourism seasons. </p><p><strong>Restaurants reel from the impact of canceled festivals</strong></p><p>Many restaurant owners are feeling a similar financial burden, such as Sue Davis, owner of Austin vegan staple Counter Culture. Davis estimates that 30% of her annual business comes from tourism, and March is always her "busiest month of the year by far." She had just finished redesigning her menu and training extra staff for SXSW when the festival got canceled. </p><p>"Every South By, I'm like, 'What can we do better next year?'" Davis says. "And this year I felt like we were in a great position to just kill it, and it didn't happen."</p><p>Owning a brick-and-mortar restaurant doesn't put Davis in an enviable position right now; Counter Culture's dining room is still closed, and she's "paying rent for a building that we're using 20% of" as she pivots to takeout and delivery. </p><p>But food truck owners are also reeling from the cancelation of Austin's two premier festivals. Hope Green, owner of Emojis Grilled Cheese Bar, says her food truck does big business catering private events when corporations come to town for SXSW and ACL.</p><p>"Our SXSW events typically bring in a good $40,000 to $60,000 for us," Green explains. "So having lost that revenue, if we're doing $15,000 to $30,000 a month, we've lost like 62% of the revenue that we would've normally done by this time of the year." </p><p>That lost revenue doesn't just hurt Green. She works with homeless teens who have aged out of foster care, training them in the food truck to give them work and management experience. She usually subsidizes those programs through her festival season revenue, and consequently, she's had to pause them.</p><p>"If I just wanted to do this business by myself and just take care of myself, no problem," Green says. "But it's all of the other stuff—the things that I want my business to be about—that takes that financial engine to keep that going."</p><p><strong>Finding new streams of revenue</strong></p><p>If there is a silver lining to COVID-19 wiping out SXSW and ACL, it's that local business owners have an opportunity to evaluate what's working and implement new strategies. Green is working toward partnering with apartment complexes for dinner runs, while Davis has added a grocery section to her menu to sell excess inventory and partnered with various nonprofits to donate meals. </p><p>Party at the Moontower Rentals has pivoted to furnishing small events, like backyard parties and socially distanced weddings. That includes the ongoing Little White Chapel Pop-Up, which unites over a dozen vendors to host Vegas-style weddings at Austin's Mercury Hall. </p><p>"I think the pandemic has really made people think about the way that they do business and how planning and strategy is also just as important as doing," Gonzalez says. "You have to fall in love with the problem."</p>
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(ACL Radio via city of Austin)
Welcome to Austonia, a new, locally owned news company reporting on news, business, and politics in Austin. Like what you see? Sign up for our daily newsletter to get our latest stories in your inbox.
From bikers to bats to blues music, nearly 100 festivals in Austin have either been canceled, rescheduled or are up in the air as pandemic-era social distancing forbids Austinites to do what they do best: party together.
They include myriad events anticipated for later this year, such as:
<ul class="ee-ul"><li>Blues on the Green summer concerts</li><li>25th Annual Republic of Texas Biker Rally</li><li>July 4th events</li><li>Pecan Street festivals</li><li>Batfest</li><li>Austin City Limits</li></ul><p>March, April and May alone saw the cancelation or postponement of some 30 iconic large events, including:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>The Urban Music Festival</li><li>Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival</li><li>Austin Reggae Fest</li><li>Food + Wine Festival</li><li>Weird Homes Tour, </li><li>East Austin Studio Tour</li><li>Eeyore's Annual Birthday Party</li></ul><p>Several are rescheduled for the fall, but even those months are uncertain for large gatherings right now.</p><p>"It's just a sad time," said Julie Chase, chief marketing officer for <a href="https://www.austintexas.org/" target="_blank">Visit Austin,</a> the city's tourism convention and visitors department. "We are a festival city."</p><p>The cancelation the SXSW festival (and its roughly 180 ancillary events) was a bellwether for an event industry decimated by the pandemic restrictions. </p><p>Local crews, performers and hospitality workers were hit early and hard and will likely feel the effects the longest, said Sara Henry of the <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/ace" target="_blank">Austin Center for Events,</a> which oversees event permits. </p><p>"We're all very conscious of that and wanting to get people back to normal as quickly as possible," Henry said. "But with the understanding that those large events will probably be the last to recover." </p><p>Large crowds will be scarce in Austin for a while, agreed Jorge Garcia, founder of Curra's Grill and a member of the board for the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival, which has not yet confirmed its August dates. </p>"I don't foresee any of that happening any time soon," Garcia said.<p>Some organizers are staying optimistic. The ROT Biker Rally is still on for mid-June. Organizers of the city's 30th Annual Gay PRIDE Festival in August said in an April tweet they are "still committed to putting on a safe and joyous" celebration, which drew some 400,000 people last year.<br/></p><p>The permit office works daily with organizers, even those whose events are still scheduled, on whether the events can go on, Henry said. The office also consults with health officials, events experts and community leaders about what the "the new normal" might look like for mass gatherings this year and next, she said.</p><p>But with ever-shifting information on the virus and the response to it, major decisions are on hold.</p><p>"Everybody is waiting to see how things evolve through the public health crisis," Henry said. </p><p>As a habitual and enthusiastic festival attendee, Austin resident Anna Kong recognizes the impact on local workers but did find a silver lining: It's easier to stay home when there's nothing to miss out on. </p><p>"I usually go to fests to hang out with my friends," Kong said. "We've had camp meetings over Zoom, so it placates it for the time being."</p>
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Two would-be festivalgoers have sued SXSW LLC after spending significant sums of money on entry fees that were not refunded when the event was canceled, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Austin on April 24.
<p>The lawsuit reads:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Plaintiffs, on behalf of themselves and all other persons who purchased wristbands, tickets, passes, and badges to the 2020 South by Southwest Festival, bring this action for breach of contract and unjust enrichment in order to recover monies paid for a festival that never occurred."</p><p>The festival <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/sxsw/sxsw-will-allow-2020-badges-to-be-deferred-to-a-future-festival/" target="_blank">did offer deferrals</a>, stating that the badges could be used at one of next three festivals, along with a half-price discount on a second registration.</p><p>SXSW LLC responded to inquiries about the lawsuit with this written statement from a spokesperson. It says in part:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"When Mayor Steve Adler issued an order on March 6, 2020, prohibiting SXSW from holding the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we understood and agreed with his tough call ... Due to the unique nature of SXSW's business, where we are reliant on one annual event, we incurred extensive amounts of non-recoupable costs well in advance of March. These expenditures, and the loss of expected revenue, have resulted in a situation where we do not have the money to issue refunds. SXSW, like many small businesses across the country, is in a dire financial situation requiring that we rely on our contracts, which have a clearly stated no refunds policy. Though we wish we were able to do more, we are doing our best to reconcile the situation and offered a deferral package option to purchasers of 2020 registrations."</p>
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Without restaurants, bars or festivals, Austin's cottage industry of influencers gets creative
21 April
Jane Ko
A laid-off service industry worker gets a free meal at Old Thousand thanks to Hundred For Hospitality, a local fund created by influencer Jane Ko. (Jane Ko)
Welcome to Austonia, a new, locally owned news company here to report on news, business, and politics in Austin, Texas. Like what you see? Sign up for our daily newsletter to get our latest stories in your inbox.
Last month, in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19, Austin Mayor Steve Adler canceled South by Southwest and ordered the closure of all restaurants and bars in the city. While generally praised for his decision, Adler essentially shut down the city's hospitality industry at a time when it usually sees its highest sales.
Since then, many restaurants have pivoted to curbside delivery and selling bulk staples. But others have laid off staff or closed permanently. Cottage industries built around the city's dining scene have also been deeply impacted.
"I'm not making income," said Jane Ko, who runs the Austin food and travel blog A Taste of Koko. "I lost all of my projects, too."
<p>Ko is an influencer—someone who generates interest in consumer products by posting about them on social media—who has more than 75,000 Instagram followers. Her blogging business and others, including local public relations firms, are experiencing a sharp loss in revenue as restaurants and bars slash budgets—or close their doors altogether. </p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="971f820ec7fefb52dc1e311278faf641" id="d880c"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_L-S8aHfFi/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
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word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">KOKO | Austin Food Blogger on Instagram: “😷 DIY face mask with a bandana, coffee filter & hair ties via the @cdcgov! If you do need to go out in Austin, face masks are now…”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><p>"We've definitely had a reduction in our business because of COVID, and it's been really difficult," said Samantha Davidson, founder and president of Say My Name Public Relations, which represents local beer bar Craft Pride and restaurant group FBR Management, which includes Mean Eyed Cat and Lala's Little Nugget. </p><p>Davidson has applied for assistance from the Small Business Administration is waiting to hear back. In the meantime, she and her four employees are working to adapt their business model.</p><p>"With people sheltering at home and on their computers and on their phones—very engaged digitally—it's [a question of]: how do we get the information about what our clients are doing out to the people who are interested in to-go [meals]," Davidson said.</p><p>Say My Name's clients have worked with influencers such as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shelbysorrel/" target="_blank"><u>Shelby Sorrel</u></a> (43,900 Instagram followers) and sisters <a href="https://www.instagram.com/eatingatx/" target="_blank"><u>Lindsay and Morgan Vandygriff</u></a> (97,700 Instagram followers). Since the pandemic arrived in Austin, some have also produced their own social media content in an effort to engage customers. Local chefs, including <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-2oJCeFyNk/" target="_blank"><u>Loro Beverage Director Jason Kosmas</u></a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-z86b4HfOC/" target="_blank"><u>Uchi Sous Chef Blake Luecke</u></a>, have been recording themselves cooking at home and sharing the videos on Instagram and TikTok.<br/></p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-2oJCeFyNk/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-2oJCeFyNk/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-2oJCeFyNk/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Jason Kosmas, our Beverage Director for @haihospitality, is here to show us how to make the best homemade margaritas, cause well, there's not much else to do on the weekend right now. Jason's mixing up a delicious marg using common ingredients you have stashed away in your kitchen like zest from an orange to a citrus jazz and cinnamon sticks to create depth and character to the cocktail. You can make this as a single-serve using a hand juicer or batch it up to last all quarantine. Single Serve •2 oz Blanco Tequila (really any kind, let's not be picky) •1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime) •.75 oz orange-scented agave nectar (see below) •1 lime wheel, for garnish Directions: Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a rocks glass. Garnish with salt (optional) and lime wheel. Orange-Scented Agave Nectar (12 oz) •1 cup agave nectar •.5 cup boiling water zest (peel) of 1/2 an orange •1/2 cinnamon stick Directions: Stir all ingredients into a container. Allow to cool. Remove zest and cinnamon. Batched This recipe is good for storing in the fridge and pouring over ice (no shaking required). •1 (750ml) bottle of tequila •12 oz lime juice (1 dozen limes) •9 oz orange-scented agave nectar (see above) •12 oz cold water Directions: Combine all ingredients into a pitcher. Store in the fridge to keep cold. Pour over ice as needed. #loroaustin #haiathome</a><br/> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/loroaustin/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Loro Austin</a> (@loroaustin) on Apr 11, 2020 at 1:14pm PDT<br/></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p><br/></p><p>Chelsea McCullough, owner of the PR firm Mylk Collective, which works with restaurants and beauty businesses, has also been "greatly affected" by this pandemic and is waiting to hear about the status of her SBA loan application.<br/></p><p>In addition to helping her clients adapt to the current marketplace—such as by developing family-style take-out menus and offering meal kits—McCullough has teamed up with Ko on Hundred for Hospitality, a restaurant fund that serves 100 meals a day to laid-off service industry workers around Austin. </p><p>"I was really distraught the first week [restaurants were closed]," Ko said. "I had over 200 restaurants reach out to me for help."</p><p>On March 20, Ko <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/hundred-for-hospitality" target="_blank"><u>started a GoFundMe</u></a>, which has since raised over $14,000 to fund Hundred For Hospitality. </p><p>With these donations, Hundred For Hospitality has paid local restaurants such as The Peached Tortilla, Austin's Pizza and Easy Tiger to provide daily meals to service workers since March 30, with plans to continue through May 8. </p><p>McCullough said other local influencers have reached out to her to see how they can offer support, even as their own businesses are struggling. </p><p>"Let's be frank, influencers are used to getting a lot of complimentary dining experiences, but they really stepped up and said …. 'How can I support? Where can I eat out? Where can I purchase food?'" McCullough said. </p><p>Supporting these businesses now may mean protecting their own futures.</p><p>"It's not just about keeping the brand alive," Davidson said, "but keeping the industry alive." </p>
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