Texas French Bread Bakery & Bistro is Closed for Remodeling
By Virginia B. Wood, January 9, 2014, 10:55am, On the Range
Texas French Bread Bakery & Bistro proprietor Murph Willcott announced last week that the business would close for a long-planned and very necessary remodel of the building the Willcotts own at 29th and Rio Grande.
It wasn't long after brothers Murph and Ben Willcott began serving locally-sourced, bistro-style meals a few nights a week in the bakery that they realized the facilities weren't really conducive to long-term success. They were able to create a dining room atmosphere with lighting and draperies, but the bakery didn't have much of a hot kitchen to speak of and the bathrooms needed an upgrade before they could qualify for a beer and wine license. The planning and fundraising took three years but now it's rolling.
Last year, the Willcott brothers sold shares in a Community Supported Restaurant to generate some of the funds necessary for the remodeling project and now it's happening. Murph says we can expect a much larger kitchen area complete with a wood-fired grill, dramatically improved bathrooms, beer and wine sales (but still BYOW), and a pleasant outdoor dining space in the garden.
The remodel work is going well and they've even discovered some treasures left over from the building's days as the legendary music venue, the Rome Inn, when removing walls and pulling out drywall. Murph Willcott is hoping to re-open on Monday, Jan. 13th.
Texas French Bread Bakery & Bistro
2900 Rio Grande 512/499-0544
Copyright © 2024 Austin Chronicle Corporation. All rights reserved.