Katz’s Deli is staying true to its mantra: Katz’s Never Kloses. The beloved downtown Austin deli is fully in its revival era as new project documents detail its long-awaited return to the Texas capital — and when it might just reopen to the public.
Katz’s Deli first opened in downtown Austin back in 1979 as a 24-hour haven (aka, a delicatessen and bar). The restaurant closed back in January 2011 after 32 years of operations amid ongoing financial troubles, landing business leaders in U.S. bankruptcy court. Over a decade later, in September 2024, Katz’s announced its triumphant return to its original location downtown, with the original owner’s son taking the helm.
While specific details on the project’s timeline and tentative reopening date have been limited, new project filings registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) on Friday, April 3, are giving the most comprehensive insight thus far into when Central Texans can score a New York-style Reuben once more.
Katz’s, returning to 620 W. Sixth St., Austin, TX 78701, is expected to kick-start construction in September 2026 ahead of a projected completion date in March 2027, per TDLR filings. Project documents detail a 5,400-square-foot remodel of the first floor of “an existing space into a full-service restaurant including full commercial kitchen,” with an estimated construction cost of $2.5 million.
Elsewhere in Texas, Katz’s operates five other restaurants in and around the Houston area after an initial expansion into H-Town back in 2000.