AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's Note: The report above first aired in November 2021.
Construction is now officially underway on a new H-E-B in West Austin, sitting on the land once occupied by the Nutty Brown Cafe and Amphitheatre.
The store will use some building materials and showcase memorabilia from the iconic Austin venue to commemorate it.
According to a release, H-E-B will incorporate the red brick from the original brick oven used at Nutty Brown Foods. The store also plans to have a tribute wall with a mural featuring vintage photography and iconography inspired by the venue's 70-year history.
“It means a lot to me that H-E-B cares enough about the history at Nutty Brown and plans to pay homage to it in some way,” Mike Farr, owner of Nutty Brown Cafe and Amphitheatre, said. “I value the way H-E-B has treated me and my business over the last several years. They’ve been amazing partners to work with. I live a few miles down the road, and it’s a surreal concept to think that a place I’ve walked into and owned for two decades is now where I’m going to buy milk and bread. But I’m excited to see it and excited to be a part of it.”
Farr gifted signed guitars from Texas musicians that will be displayed throughout the store.
The H-E-B store will be located at Country Road 163 and Highway 290 and is expected to be completed sometime next spring. H-E-B purchased the property in 2015.
The Nutty Brown Cafe and Amphitheatre officially closed in November 2021 after more than 20 years of live music. However, Farr has since opened a new music venue. The Round Rock Amphitheater is located at the former McNeil Park in Round Rock and officially opened just earlier this month. It will host Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and others on Saturday, April 8.
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