Following success selling her recipes at Austin’s Marigold Market and Cafe, Nelia Cruz opened Pepita’s Cafe and Bar in Rollingwood Plaza in July 2024 to “create memories” by sharing her cooking and drinks with Austin locals.

The overview

Cruz was born in Mexico, but grew up in Austin. Having worked in the restaurant business for 25 years, and having sampled a variety of dining experiences in Austin, she decided to start her own cafe inspired by her favorite local foods.

“Everything you see there is honestly things that I crave throughout my life in Austin,” Cruz said. “I go in through all these restaurants and say, you know what? It would be really cool to have a restaurant, [to include] a little bit of everything that I like.”

Cruz’ favorite items on the Pepita’s menu include the chicken flautas, which come with fried chicken on a bed of lettuce and are topped with creamy green sauce and crema. Additionally, she enjoys the restaurant’s French toast, which is made with an orange zest vanilla batter.



As she developed her menu, Cruz said she also gave consideration to vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets, aiming to be inclusive for those with dietary restrictions.

“I just wanted to create really great memories here and feed everyone,” Cruz said.

The details

The restaurant is located in what was formerly a pizza shop, Pizza Nizza, in Rollingwood Plaza. Previously covered in black paint, the shop has now been converted into a brighter dining space with indoor seating, and a small covered patio out front decorated with string lights.


“It took us like 11 months to open this place, [with] construction and everything,” Cruz said. “I wanted it just to feel kind of like a little vacation. You can come have your latte and some coffee, and then if you linger over lunch, have yourself a really good, delicious margarita with great ingredients.”

What’s next?

Cruz hopes to continue updating Pepita’s menu to accommodate requests from the local community, including adding new items like chilaquiles and offering seasonal dishes.

“I’m very grateful for the community and how the word of mouth has just been spreading little by little,” Cruz said. “I'm working in my kitchen to see how we can incorporate and make everybody happy because I want them to have their own menu, too. Whatever they're asking me for, I'm just creating.”