Austin | Q2 Stadium (Austin FC) | Complete

[drummer]

I think Top Golf will benefit a lot from the stadium - they're already packed, but I could see some pre-game or post-game opportunities for them as well, like Rock Rose. Others will pop up, of course, which is only a good thing for the area, in my opinion, and given that it's a prime location for North Austin, most of those will be frequented outside of game days as well.

[drummer]

Since I've been working in my yard a lot lately my inner nerd finds this article on the grass at Q2 Stadium pretty interesting.

Austin FC to play on grass unique to U.S. professional soccer to withstand Texas heat

AUSTIN (KXAN) — When you come to watch Austin FC play, one of the first things you’ll notice is the pitch.

The grass the teams will play on is called Platinum TE Seashore Paspalum and Q2 Stadium will be the first professional soccer stadium in the United States to have it...

https://www.kxan.com/sports-general/...nd-texas-heat/

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by drummer

I think Top Golf will benefit a lot from the stadium - they're already packed, but I could see some pre-game or post-game opportunities for them as well, like Rock Rose. Others will pop up, of course, which is only a good thing for the area, in my opinion, and given that it's a prime location for North Austin, most of those will be frequented outside of game days as well.

Especially once that section of the Red Line trail goes in, it's basically a straight shot along it to Top Golf, plus whatever bars/restaurants/clubs end up going in at Broadmoor.

Rock Rose will get action too, but it's a bit of a walk from the Stadium (just over a mile) while the south section of the Domain and (eventually) Broadmoor are closer.

[Syndic]

People will be hitting up the breweries to the south and east of the stadium just as much as the Domain. But within the Domain there are bars closer than Rock Rose like The Brass Tap and The Water Trough who I expect will make a killing. But none are as close as the breweries and there won't be any super busy streets to cross for the breweries, unlike with the Domain.

[Syndic]

Stadium map

[ILUVSAT]

Schedule release hype video. Pretty well done!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgRaUUr_dYc

[ski-man]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

Schedule release hype video. Pretty well done!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgRaUUr_dYc

Loved all the Austin Institutions that were part of that. Nicely made.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Shoes

ya know...if the Domain operators were smart they'd designate a party street and call it North 6th.

I think the domain is doing just fine.

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by freerover

I think the domain is doing just fine.

lol.

maybe not Domain II. time for them to rebrand as an entertainment district instead of pursuing bottom rung retail. maybe "North 6th, Southside."

[Syndic]

Austin FC is collaborating with Levy Restaurants to create 512 Food Co. Seems like Levy does food for many large events/sports franchises. Their list of clients is pretty prestigious so I'm guessing they'll do a good job.



In addition, here are some other places they'll feature:

[clubtokyo]

Nice to see lots of locals!

[StoOgE]

Im actually kind of annoyed at the amount of national chains they let in the door here. A year ago they were pitching potential season ticket holders that basically everything in the stadium would be Austin-centric.

All of the major clubs/bars are non-local (Captain Morgan, Lexus, Bulleit, ABinbev & Dos Equis)

I expected a major concession operator to run most of the food/beverage but it feels like Austin FC marketed heavily with local places but has signed the vast majority of their space to national chains.

I know when I was being pitched the East Club for my seats they were name dropping lots of local breweries and "cool" local eateries as the kind of food/beer that would be available and instead I'm expecting a plastic pirate with his leg on a rum barrel instagram activation spot.

Of the places listed, I would only really consider the below to be "local":

Bao'd Up
Casa Chapala
Easy Tiger
One Taco
Taco Flats - I mean gross but local - guess the food vendor didn't want to compete with P-Terry's.
Valentina's
T-Locs

There are several other "has been in Austin for a while but are basically regional chains" that made it in there or places from within 50 miles of Austin.

I mean, it is what it is but I find it hilarious that all of their marketing is local flag companies or Yoshi from Otoko but then Eastciders is the only local booze company they can name.

[clubtokyo]

I guess it’s all how you look at it. I mean chuys and torchys are even in Oklahoma now. Are they not considered local anymore also?

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by clubtokyo

I guess it’s all how you look at it. I mean chuys and torchys are even in Oklahoma now. Are they not considered local anymore also?

I think that once you hyper-franchise and start expanding out of the local area you lose your local status. I mean, Schlotzchy's is technically "from here". I'm not an arbiter of "local" but I wouldn't take someone from out of town to Chuy's anymore (I mean, I probably never would have, but that's neither here nor there). A couple locations in San Antonio/San Marcos is probably more debatable but once you are in LA, OK, NM especially with multiple locations and especially for non-border states I think you've expanded beyond being a local spot. I mean, I stopped taking anyone to Shake Shack when I lived in NYC once they went public and went nationwide.

Torchy's is all over Colorado and Chuy's is iterally in 70% of the country.

I mean, I'm going there to watch soccer, but the sales pitch was very "313 pizza", "Veracruz al natural" and naming every local brewery. Now we're down to "a rotation of local beers" alongside national brands.

They were careful to say there weren't deals in place, but they definitely were not mentioning Captain Morgan as a potential sponsor of the East Side club.

[zrx299]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

I mean, I'm going there to watch soccer, but the sales pitch was very "313 pizza", "Veracruz al natural" and naming every local brewery. Now we're down to "a rotation of local beers" alongside national brands.

Nothing says 'Austin' more than a pizza place named after another city, that city's style of pizza, and that city's area code.

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by zrx299

Nothing says 'Austin' more than a pizza place named after another city, that city's style of pizza, and that city's area code.

I mean, it screams more local than 'knockoff Dominos from College Station that mostly left town 20 years ago"

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by zrx299

Nothing says 'Austin' more than a pizza place named after another city, that city's style of pizza, and that city's area code.

What does that matter? There are plenty of great 'Austin' restaurants that serve food that isn't considered endemic to the city/state/region.

[clubtokyo]

To be clear I wasn’t trying to argue against what you were saying about being local. I complain about how local places expand everywhere and things get boring. My mom always says she bored when she takes road trips now and I asked why and she said because it’s the same chain stores and restaurants over and over. But I guess that the global economy we live in now?

[Syndic]

I take exception to the idea that Double Dave's is not local. I know they started in College Station but they're based in Austin. I give fewer than zero fucks if it's a chain or not. That shit slams. Hard.

Same with Plucker's. Gross, but local.

mmmpanadas, local. Tamale Addiction, also local. (Manor is local)

Chuy's, Torchy's, Gatti's... all local restaurants.

And if you have a problem with Slovacek's existing in the stadium, I don't think we have the same priorities as Texans at all. Honestly, wanting 100% local restaurants is super silly and nitpicky. OF COURSE a major sporting franchise is going to have chains associated with it. It's also about money, y'know.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

Im actually kind of annoyed at the amount of national chains they let in the door here. A year ago they were pitching potential season ticket holders that basically everything in the stadium would be Austin-centric.

All of the major clubs/bars are non-local (Captain Morgan, Lexus, Bulleit, ABinbev & Dos Equis)

I expected a major concession operator to run most of the food/beverage but it feels like Austin FC marketed heavily with local places but has signed the vast majority of their space to national chains.

I know when I was being pitched the East Club for my seats they were name dropping lots of local breweries and "cool" local eateries as the kind of food/beer that would be available and instead I'm expecting a plastic pirate with his leg on a rum barrel instagram activation spot.

Of the places listed, I would only really consider the below to be "local":

Bao'd Up
Casa Chapala
Easy Tiger
One Taco
Taco Flats - I mean gross but local - guess the food vendor didn't want to compete with P-Terry's.
Valentina's
T-Locs

There are several other "has been in Austin for a while but are basically regional chains" that made it in there or places from within 50 miles of Austin.

I mean, it is what it is but I find it hilarious that all of their marketing is local flag companies or Yoshi from Otoko but then Eastciders is the only local booze company they can name.

I disagree quite a bit. Taco deli isn’t local?

There’s a grand total of 1 that _might_ fit your definition of just “been in Austin for a while”, Double Dave’s.

Then there’s Slovacek’s, which which while not “Austin” per say certainly is “Texas” and definitely not a chain.

(At least) 90% local food and 0 national chains is good, nothing to complain about.

Their “official domestic beer partner” was always going to be a national company, because no brewery in Austin makes shitty domestic beer. Yeah, it would have been great if the liquor sponsor had been Deep Eddy or something, but realistically that matters a lot less (when did you last see a bar with one bottle, I expect they’ll have local liquors as well).

They haven’t announced a “craft beer partner”. Not sure if they’re going to or just have local crafts available.