LEONA Botanical Cafe & Bar has brought a new dining and community experience near the Sunset Valley neighborhood. Featuring Thai cuisine and Mexican dishes alongside specialty coffee and cocktails, the recently launched concept sculpts a local destination for all occasions.

The backstory

The new space is crafted by the husband-and-wife team of DEE DEE, Lakana and Justin Trubiana, and sisters Reyna and Maritza Vazquez of Veracruz All Natural.

The two duos first met as food truck neighbors in East Austin in 2018. Justin Trubiana said Reyna Vasquez and Lakana Trubiana bonded over their history as women starting businesses after relocating from different countries.The pairs stayed close when the trucks were forced to relocate due to gentrification, Reyna Vasquez said. They partnered up to look for a permanent space to build their brick and mortars alongside one another.

“As a food truck you get pushed around because you don't own the land so you're always renting and you always have a landlord,” Justin Trubiana said. “We always wanted to do something where we're in control of our own destiny.”

What they offer

Community members can enjoy LEONA’s cafe options during the day and its bar menu at night. To pair with their drinks, diners can order food from one of the two counter-service eateries on site: country-style Thai cuisine restaurant DEE DEE and Mexican eatery Veracruz All Natural.The experience is expected to gain a third dining option with the upcoming debut of Bun Bun Burger, a collaboration between the DEE DEE and Veracruz All Natural teams.

“Now that it's open and we see people coming in and enjoying the space, it's very gratifying for us,” Reyna Vasquez said.

To continue highlighting local finds, LEONA will offer a rotating pastry program which will bring a taste of bakeries, showcasing a new bakery every three months.

The history

The businesses’ property holds historical significance in the Austin area as it once belonged to philanthropist and World War II veteran Betty Grubs. Grubs has become a known name in the city through her advocacy for women’s causes as well as her scholarship endowment contributions to The University of Texas Women’s Athletics Department.

To pay homage to Grubs and the impact she’s had on the local community, the LEONA team will host an annual fundraising event for UT’s Betty Grubbs Endowed Scholarship Program.The atmosphere

The 5-acre site crafts an outdoor oasis with over 90 trees preserved from the land and an additional 80 trees planted across the property. Accompanying the land’s natural foliage is a water stream flowing throughout the middle of the outdoor area.

“It's so refreshing to come to a space where you can be here in the moment and just be with humans, for me, sharing what we love to do with people like sharing our food and our culture,” Reyna Vasquez said.Justin Trubiana said the team aimed to make the environment better than they found it by being mindful of the natural landscape. Lakana Trubiana said being able to share her culture’s cuisine while in an outdoor setting has always been a dream of hers as she comes from a generation of farmers in Thailand.

“We have herbs that you can go out, pick and harvest and eat and I always felt like I want to be somewhere that I can have my own garden or some plants,” Lakana Trubiana said. “This is aligned with everything and I'm so happy.”

• 6405 Brodie Lane, Sunset Valley
• www.leonacafebar.com