Olamaie opened in 2014 and became a highlight of Austin’s upscale dining scene. It was one of the first Texas restaurants to earn a Michelin star with its inclusion in Michelin’s first-ever Texas guide in 2024. It retained its star in 2025.
“I’m sad. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone that’s come through those doors and for all the contributions,” Chef-owner Michael Fojtasek told the Statesman. “When you open a restaurant, you want to accomplish all these things; you want to live forever, and making it 12 years is pretty impressive.”
Fojtasek cited rising labor costs, a tough Austin market, and slow summer months as challenges Olamaie had faced. He also said that while Olamaie’s Michelin star brought in a rush of diners, the bump only lasted about eight months.
Through its run, Olamaie earned several other accolades, including the Austin American-Statesman’s “Best Restaurant in Austin” in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Fojtasek was also named a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2015.
After Olamaie serves its last plate on July 19, Fojtasek will continue operating the Gimme Burger food truck at Austin’s Butler Pitch & Putt and is reportedly developing food and beverage concepts for The Burn, an upcoming Houston-area championship golf course and event center. But he seems to be done with white tablecloths.
“I don’t really have a really clear pathway to what’s next, but I’m sure there’ll be something. I doubt that I will engage in another fine dining restaurant like that,” Fojtasek told the Statesman. “It’s just so hard. It’s the hours, the level that you have to play at.”