See the latest business news from East Austin, including new restaurants, a virtual art market from Drinks Lounge and a brewery closing its taproom.
1. The Alexan Springdale apartment complex is set to open the first of its 251 units by Aug. 2021, and is scheduled for completion by April 2022, according to developer Crow Holdings. Located at 5619 Springdale Road, Austin, the facility is a project of a JHP Architects. www.crowholdings.com/alexan-springdale

2. Blackbird Fitness and Nutrition moved to a new location, 701 Tillery St., Unit B3, Austin, on Nov. 17. Formerly located at 2400 E. Cesar Chavez St., the gym offers personal and small group fitness training as well as nutrition coaching. 737-210-6868. www.blackbirdfitnessandnutrition.com

3. Drinks Lounge, a bar located at 2001 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin, launched Buy Austin Art, a virtual local art market, in early December. Drinks Lounge owner Tim Lupa said the website would serve as a “locals-only Etsy” and represents an effort to replace the in-person art markets Drinks Lounge used to host before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. www.buyaustinart.com

4. East Side Pet Ranch opened Dec. 21 at 4700 Gilbert Road, Austin. The seven-acre, “all-inclusive pet lifestyle center” will launch its dog day care and pet boarding services in December, which will be followed by the launch of a veterinary clinic, grooming salon and training center in early 2021. Additionally, East Side Pet Ranch plans to foster rescue dogs and offer them for adoption. 737-273-0480. www.eastsidepetranch.com

5. HŌM Condominiums, located at 3101 Govalle Ave., Austin, finished construction Dec. 1. The condominium development from Pearlstone Partners consists of 59 units, according to a press release. Floor plans range from studios to three-bedroom units, and prices for available units range from $339,000-$590,000. 512-327-0012. www.homcondos.com


6. Hops & Grain Brewing permanently closed its taproom Dec. 3 at 507 Calles St., Ste. 101, Austin, according to a letter posted on the brewery's website by owner Josh Hare. "For the foreseeable future, we'll be focusing all of our energy and resources on the production and distribution of beers," Hare wrote. The brewery will continue to produce its beers for retail sales. 512-914-2467. www.hopsandgrain.com

7. Lola's Donuts opened Oct. 2 at 2406 Manor Road, Ste. B, Austin, the former site of Sugar Mama's Bakeshop. Owner Olivia O'Neal is still operating the Sugar Mama's location in South Austin but was forced to close the shop on Manor Road this summer due to business declines resulting from theCOVID-19 pandemic. O'Neal said she had been working on a doughnut shop concept for the past few years and decided to open it in the former Sugar Mama's on a small budget. Lola's is open Sat.-Sun. from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., and O'Neal said she plans to add Friday service in the new year. www.lolasdonutsatx.com

8. Tsuke Honten will relocate from its food truck at Hopsquad Brewing Co. on Kramer Lane to a permanent, dine-in location at 4600 Mueller Blvd., Ste. 1035, Austin, in March. Chef Michael Che will begin accepting reservations at his new location—which formerly housed another sushi restaurant, Kyoten Sushiko—in February. Tsuke Honten offers an authentic, 11-course sushi meal by reservation only. 512-825-3120. www.exploretock.com/tsukehonten

9. Uncle Nicky's opened Dec. 7 at Hotel Eleven, 1123 E. 11th St., Austin. The Italian cafe will serve the same food and cocktail menu as it does at its Hyde Park location, which opened in 2019. The ownership team of Uncle Nicky's includes chef Nicholas Yanes of Juniper, Brandon and Zane Hunt of Via 313 and Travis Tober of Nickel City. 512-359-5466. www.unclenickys.com