Star Co. Coffeehouse and Cafe closes in downtown Round Rock

Star Co. Coffeehouse & Cafe in downtown Round Rock closed April 23, according to Jay Yates, owner of Curly's Carolina, a neighboring business.

It is unclear why the coffee, food and live music venue on East Main Street near North Mays Street has been shuttered. The closure disappointed some nearby shop owners, who said the cafe was often bustling.

Former owner and operator Shawn Faulk could not be reached for comment, though he did leave a handwritten note taped to the cafe's front window.

"Thank you Round Rock for supporting Star Co. for over five years," Faulk said in the note. "We have closed our doors but thank you for opening your hearts to us. Keep supporting small business."

The former Star Co. location is not the only closure on historic East Main Street. An empty space next door to Star Co. has a "For lease" sign in its window. Across the street, another space occupied temporarily by a political campaign has a "For lease" sign hung by real estate agency Don Quick & Associates.

Yates, whose barbecue restaurant shared a wall with Star Co., said he was also let down by the closure.

"They are definitely going to be missed; great people, great staff," Yates said. "The place was always full."

Sam Paxman, owner of Advanced Armorment, a gun shop across the street from Star Co., summed up his thoughts on the closure in a single word: "tragic."