A Central Texas burger chain is being forced to close its 10-year-old location due to an ongoing Interstate 35 expansion project. However, P. Terry’s Capital Plaza burger stand in Austin isn’t going out without a bang.
The Austin-born burger spot said goodbye to its Cap Plaza location with a special farewell celebration on Friday, June 26. Attendees were given complimentary T-shirts and goodies to the first 500 guests and entered into a drawing for a chance to win an original P. Terry’s sign.
Why is P. Terry’s closing Cap Plaza location?
Earlier this month, P. Terry’s announced it would be shuttering the restaurant at 5701 N. IH-35, because it’s in the path of the Texas Department of Transportation’s I-35 Capital Express Central Project. TxDOT is currently in the midst of the project, which is a nearly decade-long initiative aimed to widen and expand roughly eight miles of I-35 between U.S. Highway 290 East and State Highway 71 and Ben White Boulevard.
“This stand has been an important part of our story in Austin,” said Patrick Terry, P. Terry’s Co-Founder and CEO, in a release. “We’re incredibly grateful to the team members who have worked there over the years and to the guests who have supported us since day one. While it’s difficult to say goodbye, we understand the importance of the I-35 Capital Express Central Project and the role it will play in the future of our city.”
The company added that it is “working to relocate team members from the Capital Plaza location to other nearby stands, with the goal of keeping employees within the P. Terry’s family.”
When is P. Terry’s closing Cap Plaza location?
P. Terry’s Capital Plaza location will close its doors for good on Sunday, June 28, making this its last weekend in operation.
“This weekend, we say goodbye to our beloved Cap Plaza location,” the chain wrote in an Instagram post. “Help us give Cap Plaza a proper sendoff! Thank you, Austin, for 10 incredible years at Cap Plaza.”
When did P. Terry’s Cap Plaza location open?
P. Terry’s Cap Plaza restaurant opened on August 24, 2016, and its architecture has since become a flagship model for what most of the chain’s locations look like today. The retro-modern building, surrounded by glass walls and a sharp, white triangle-shaped roof, was designed by Austin-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.
Ironically, it was created to catch the attention of Austin drivers along I-35, one of the busiest highways in Texas. The company now operates 38 locations across Texas with a similar design structure, five of which are in San Antonio.
Find it (until June 28): 5701 N. IH 35, Austin, TX 78723