Texas French Bread in Austin announced on social media that it will have a grand reopening “of the bistro side of our operation very soon y’all.” The beloved neighborhood bakery near the University of Texas at Austin was destroyed in a total-loss fire in January 2022, according to reports by KVUE.
The fire, which left merely a shell of the building, caused about $1.1 million worth of damage to the structure and $500,000 worth of damage to what was inside. A GoFundMe was created for the business to support TFB’s staff, which raised nearly $200,000, surpassing its $100,000 goal.
However, over the past few years, while operating out of its food trailer in a garden space, Texas French Bread has undergone a massive rebuild of a new space in the same spot as its original location. In an Instagram post showing a photo of the newly constructed building, the bakery said it is currently in the process of hiring full-time front-of-house staff.
While the bakery did not reveal an exact reopening date yet, MySA reached out to Texas French Bread for more information.
Even before Texas French Bread existed, the building had been a pillar in the West Campus community for decades and was formerly a grocery store, an Italian restaurant, a bookstore and a punk club, per KVUE. TFB moved into the space in 1986, building its reputation as a longtime “old Austin” staple that residents are eager to see come back to life.
Austinites left dozens of well wishes and comments under TFB’s recent post, like Instagram user @austinnichols, who wrote, “This is amazing news! I’m so happy!! In a town where we keep losing all our special places, this is a major win and lights up my heart! I will be there opening day!”
Another user, @kelkins, said, “We could not be more excited! Looks so great inside — a new era while still honoring the original!” and @mcwoodward added, “Can’t wait!”
Find it: 2900 Rio Grande St., Austin, TX 78705