Doug Cugini, who opened Hole in the Wall near the UT campus in 1974, has died, the bar posted on social media Wednesday. He was 75.
“An exceptionally kind and funny man who started it all,” the post said. “And while music wasn’t a part of the original plan, Doug heeded the calls from hungry local musicians looking to play, and live music became a nightly staple of the bar because of him.”
Cugini bought the former dry cleaning spot with his mother in 1974. It initially wasn’t a music venue, but it became a popular hangout for musicians and live shows were inevitable.
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith was the first to play at the dive bar during its 50-year-run. Other notable acts followed — including Spoon, Shakey Graves, Bob Schneider and Gary Clark Jr. — along with countless bands just getting their feet wet.
On Wednesday, Debbie Rombach, who bought the bar from Cugini in 1998 and owned it briefly, posted the news on Facebook.
“Doug was a great friend, a fabulous boss and so much fun to hang with,” she wrote. “I will miss him.”
Courtesy of Hole in the Wall
Cugini behind the bar at Hole in the Wall in 1993.
Another brief owner and longtime manager, Jeff Smith, said he’s glad Hole in the Wall still exists and “the spirit of what the Cuginis created continues.”
“Doug offered me some unsolicited advice early in my tenure as an owner: ‘Jeff, don’t sleep with the waitresses – it makes things too complicated,'” he wrote on Facebook. “He didn’t always follow his own advice but he ended up with a beautiful family in the bargain alongside the one he created with the Hole. Rest easy my friend, you did good work here.”
In a statement, current owner Will Tanner expressed gratitude for Cugini and condolences for his family.
“Before Austin became the ‘Live Music Capital of the World,’ Doug created an enduring home for musicians in this city,” he said. “Our hearts go out to Doug’s family, and all those who have been impacted by the magic he created.”
The bar had been threatened with closure for years, in large part because of its prime location on the Drag. In 2023, it was saved by a $1.6 million grant from the city’s Iconic Venue fund. Tanner told The Austin Monitor at the time that without the city’s assistance, the bar likely would have closed.
“It had a good long run, but it was probably done without this,” he said.
Hole in the Wall was able to secure a 20-year-lease and use the money to renovate the 3,000-square-foot rear building.
The venue could have been razed by a planned extension of Dean Keeton Street to San Antonio as part of the city’s light rail expansion, but it was left out of the proposal.
On Friday, KUTX is launching a video series featuring stripped-down performances filmed on the front stage of the historic venue. In each 30-minute episode of “The Hole Story,” the artists perform four songs and share the backstory behind each.