AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin restaurant owner is bringing the community together after a deadly SWAT standoff left his business nearly destroyed last month.
Saxx Williams owns Saxx's Tacos, which is located inside the Texaco gas station on Salt Springs Drive in southeast Austin. It was closed off while it underwent repairs. Just last week, he was able to reopen.
On Sunday, he orchestrated a crawfish boil in front of the convenience store to unite neighbors in the area and ensure business was back up and running.
"I spent almost $1,000 to put this on [Sunday], which is no big deal. My purpose of this wasn't to make money," Williams said. "It's about me, but it's about them. I care. I really care about these people. They're like my family."
An officer shot and killed and killed Alfonso Gonzales, who had barricaded himself in the store where the restaurant is located. Williams was inside at the time but ran out before police stepped in.
Williams said he lost everything, but he has been able to start getting back on his feet through help from the community.
And while he's had to cut costs and cut down his menu to make do, it doesn't bother him.
"I need the money, but, you know, I'm more of a long-term game kind of person," Williams said. "I want to get those residual customers to come back, you know, bring new people in."
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Charles Hayes said he's known Williams for more than 40 years and wasn't surprised about Williams' optimistic attitude.
"He's always been that way ... It's kind of hard to keep him down," Hayes said. "Whenever the neighborhood sees somebody going through something and coming back from it ... it can be infectious in a good way, kind of gives hope and everything."
Henry Minden echoed that sentiment. Minden said he lives nearby and eats at Saxx's almost every day. He hopes other people come in and support Williams.
"The magic is all Saxx," Minden said. "I mean, he does everything himself and and you can tell he really cares, which is something that is rare today – someone who really cares about his craft."
Williams has a GoFundMe page set up to help his business.