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The Peking duck with two noodles and the chrysanthemum negroni from RedFarm, Nov. 3, 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Diggins\/American-Statesman<\/p>\n
New year, new dining scene.<\/a><\/p>\n January is often a transitional month for restaurants, and the start of 2026 has been no exception in Austin. Rising costs, changing dining habits and intensified competition downtown have contributed to closures, even as new operators move in, betting on Austin\u2019s growth and appetite for variety. Below is a look at the restaurants that closed or opened this month.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Related: The new Austin restaurants everyone will be talking about in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Closings<\/p>\n The Peking duck with hoisin, cranberry and peanut coconut satay sauce, also served with homemade pancakes and duck consomm\u00e9 from RedFarm, Nov. 3, 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sara Diggins\/American-Statesman<\/p>\n The modern Chinese restaurant\u00a0RedFarm closed its Austin location at 201 W. Third St. in early January after roughly 14 months in business. RedFarm arrived in fall 2024 with significant expectations, following more than a decade of success in New York City. Founded in 2011 by restaurateurs Jeffrey and Zach Chodorow alongside chef Joe Ng and the late Ed Schoenfeld, the brand became known for its upscale takes on Chinese dishes, including Peking duck and playful items like Pac-Man dumplings.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Austin outpost, developed in partnership with local restaurateur Jesse Herman, featured an expansive, custom-built kitchen designed for high-volume, labor-intensive cooking. Despite the investment, the restaurant struggled to gain traction in a rapidly evolving downtown dining district that has recently welcomed several new concepts within the same blocks.<\/p>\n The closed Sprinkles Manhattan Beach location is seen on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Manhattan Beach, Calif.<\/p>\n Kayla Bartkowski\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag<\/p>\n Sprinkles Cupcakes abruptly shut down all of its bakery locations nationwide on\u00a0Dec. 31, including its Austin store at the Domain Northside.\u00a0Founded in 2005 by pastry chef Candace Nelson, Sprinkles helped ignite the national cupcake boom and became known for introducing the first \u201cCupcake ATM,\u201d which dispensed fresh cupcakes around the clock. At the time of its closure, the company operated 21 bakeries and 25 Cupcake\u00a0ATMs across multiple states.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Employees said on social media that they were notified of the closures with little warning. Much of the company\u2019s website has since been deactivated.<\/p>\n Vince Young Steakhouse opened on San Jacinto Boulevard in 2010.<\/p>\n Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Vince Young Steakhouse closed Sunday after 15 years in downtown Austin, ending the run of a restaurant that became a fixture for business dinners, celebrations and convention traffic. The steakhouse blended a polished but accessible atmosphere with references to former University of Texas quarterback Vince Young\u2019s football career. While the restaurant bore his name, it was owned and operated by chef Phil Brown and his wife, Laura Brown, and Young had not been involved in day-to-day operations for several years.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In a statement, Phil Brown cited rising labor, food and operating costs, along with broader challenges facing independent restaurants downtown. Young also reflected on the restaurant\u2019s place in the city, calling Austin home and expressing pride in the steakhouse\u2019s long tenure.<\/p>\n Openings<\/p>\n Black Sheep Coffee<\/p>\n A matcha waffle and a classic Norwegian waffle are served during the opening of Black Sheep Coffee at Sixth and Guadalupe Streets in downtown Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026.<\/p>\n Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Black Sheep Coffee opened its first Central Texas location downtown this month, marking the international coffee brand\u2019s expansion beyond North Texas.\u00a0Founded in the U.K., Black Sheep has built its identity around Robusta coffee and a menu that includes matcha drinks, waffles and pastries. The Austin location is designed with custom artwork nodding to the city\u2019s street art culture. Additional Texas locations are planned in the coming years.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 600 Guadalupe St. blacksheepcoffee.us<\/a><\/p>\n Hokkai San Omakase<\/p>\n HokkaiSan, a Japanese-style deli and grocery, is now open at 609 Congress Ave.<\/p>\n Ana Gutierrez \/ Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Hokkai San<\/a> has launched a limited-seat omakase experience upstairs from its main store.\u00a0The offering features a 10-course progression centered on nigiri, a handroll and dessert, served in a 25-seat dining room on select Friday nights. The concept emphasizes a more intimate format than the restaurant\u2019s regular service.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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