Earlier this week, we gave an update on Royal Blue Grocery of Austin, which is expected to open at 122 E. Houston St. the first week in April.
It appears a barbershop will be its neighbor.
According to city documents posted this week, a permit for “tenant finish-out for men’s hair salon in existing shell building space” has been granted for Suite 104 of the same address as Royal Blue, the Savoy building block, where Weston Urban is refurbishing five retail spaces.
The permit doesn’t give any more clues, and Weston Urban did not return an interview request for this article.
The men’s salon and Royal Blue would be the Savoy’s first tenants with three other spaces left to fill.
Weston Urban also recruited Houston’s Pinkerton’s Barbecue for the lone restaurant space on greensward it’s transforming into a park a block west.
In this area of west downtown, the incoming salon/barbershop would join Abe’s Barber Shop, which opened at 307 N. Main Ave., just off Houston Street, last year. So far, business for Abram Sanchez—who says he attracts city workers from nearby offices and City Hall—has done so well, he’s brought in two more barbers into his shop who work independently. Sanchez took over the old spot next to the Robert E. Lee apartment building where tonsorial legend Willie Cedillo held court for many, many years before finally retiring last year.
Of course, there’s also barber Chuck Holdridge, who recently set up shop in the Burns building, also just off Houston Street, and his second in the downtown area—but about four blocks east of the Savoy.
The recent barbers join the handful of others in the downtown area, including Metro Barber Shop on South St. Mary’s Street, the old-school shop inside the Sheraton Gunter Hotel, among others.
Contact Ben Olivo: 210-421-3932 | ben@saheron.com | @rbolivo on Twitter