Fans of Kinda Tropical were disheartened last week when the Eastside bar, eatery, and bodega shuttered abruptly. Ownership has made no public statement, aside from a handwritten note left on the door that reads: “Hi Neighbors. We will be closed until further notice.”
According to the Travis County Comptroller Office, Kinda Tropical, located at 3501 East 7th St, still has an active permit. The office also confirmed, however, that the business owes $63,634 in taxes, a combination of sales tax and alcohol beverage taxes. APD confirms they were not involved in the shutdown.
Kinda Tropical opened in April 2017 in a former gas station property where an A-1 Food Mart and used tire shop previously stood. Aside from its grocery store component, avocado toast, and sake, Kinda Tropical – a 2018 Best of Austin winner – is known for showcasing underground dance/electronic music from local artists and holding fundraisers for RAICES and Casa Marianella. Their Instagram account shows an active feed as of Jan. 21, with the last post about a scheduled live music show on Jan. 12.
A published June 2018 TABC application lists Amy Mullins, Shannon LeBoeuf, Stan Rose, and Ana Klausman as the company’s management, and Kevin Trahan is also listed in some documentation as being an additional current Kinda Tropical co-owner. Several members in the group also co-own Yellow Jacket Social Club. We reached out to Shannon LeBoeuf for clarification on the current situation, as well as the neighborhood spot’s future plans, but have received no response as of publication.
As it stands, Kinda Tropical is closed for now, but appears to be working on reopening as soon as possible.
This article appears in January 18 • 2019.