{"id":367514,"date":"2026-07-09T23:00:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T23:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/367514\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T23:00:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T23:00:12","slug":"austin-michelin-starred-restaurant-olamaie-closes-this-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/367514\/","title":{"rendered":"Austin Michelin-starred restaurant Olamaie closes this month"},"content":{"rendered":"

Southern fine dining restaurant Olamaie will close on July 19, less than two years after earning one of Austin’s first Michelin stars<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s impossible to find the words to convey the sentiments related to closing a restaurant that has meant so much,” the restaurant said in a social media post<\/a> on Wednesday. <\/p>\n

In an interview with the Austin American-Statesman, which first reported<\/a> the news, founder and chef Michael Fojtasek said Austin’s restaurant scene had become too financially difficult. He cited slow summer business, rent and labor costs, and a lack of late-night diners as challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve worked in LA; I\u2019ve worked in New York. I’ve been around the block, and I’ve never seen a market that’s this challenging,” he told the Statesman.<\/p>\n

KUT News has reached out to Olamaie for comment on the closure.<\/p>\n

Olamaie, located in Central Austin, first opened in 2014. It was one of seven Austin restaurants<\/a> to earn a Michelin star in 2024, the first year that the company released a guide on Texas’ food scene. The other local awardees were Barley Swine, Craft Omakase, Hestia, InterStellar BBQ, la Barbecue, and LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue. Olamaie retained its star last year.<\/p>\n

It was the first Southern cuisine restaurant in the U.S. to earn a star, Michelin confirmed in an email.<\/p>\n

Fojtasek told the Statesman that Olamaie saw an initial boost in business tied to Michelin, but it subsided after several months.<\/p>\n

This follows several high-profile Austin restaurant and business closures announced this year, including Vespaio<\/a>, Lammes Candies<\/a>, Yard Bar<\/a> and El Naranjo<\/a>. Hoover\u2019s Cooking also scaled back<\/a> operations.<\/p>\n

In its post, Olamaie thanked diners and staff members for supporting the restaurant, and encouraged people to visit in the final days “so we can say thanks one last time.”<\/p>\n

“Our mission has always been to offer excellence through our warmth,” the restaurant said. “We\u2019re proud of what we have accomplished.”<\/p>\n