It’s perhaps among the most iconic burger stands in Texas. The P. Terry’s flagship spot at Capital Plaza in Austin epitomizes the company’s space-age architecture, with its upswept roof that looks a bit like a spaceship about to lift off. But sadly, its time as part of the Austin landscape is coming to an end.
“Behind is our flagship P. Terry’s that we built about 10 years ago,” co-founder Patrick Terry said in an announcement on Instagram. “And man, I’m really sad to let you know that at the end of this month, June 28 is the last day at this location.”
The closing is due to the TxDOT’s I-35 expansion, shuttering the P. Terry’s at 5701 I-35 in Austin. The $4.5 billion project, which is the largest in Austin’s history, is designed to improve mobility, lower mainlanes, and remove upper decks along an 8-mile stretch, among other features.
“It is a really sad day for the P. Terry’s family. We have been so proud to be here,” Terry went on to say. “We think this building is iconic, we love our location, and we’ve been able to serve the people of Central Texas at this location for so long. But we must go, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
The spot at Highway 290 and I-35 opened in 2016 and is emblematic of the company’s unique approach to burger stand designs. No two locations look the same, and certainly look nothing like any other rudimentary fast food joint.
Fans of the spot expressed a sentiment that many are probably feeling upon hearing the news, mainly that the highway expansion isn’t worth the loss.
“I’d rather they stop construction on I-35 than lose the P. Terry’s at this location,” one person wrote on Instagram. “And to think I almost choked on my $2 egg sandwich reading this terrible news.”
Terry encouraged fans to head to the Katy or Tech Ridge locations after the Capital Plaza spot closes, but hopes people will stop by one last time.
“Please stop by before we close on the 28th and say goodbye.”