AUSTIN — Texas French Bread is planning to reopen in a new building constructed on the same Austin site where its original location was destroyed by a fire in January 2022. An official reopening date has not yet been set.
The bakery has continued to serve customers since the fire from a food trailer located at the Texas French Bread Garden, a temporary site opened by owner Murph Wilcott near the original parking lot. The trailer has been accompanied by outdoor benches to accommodate patrons since 2022.
The January 2022 fire, reportedly caused by mechanical issues, led to the collapse of the building’s roof and caused more than $1 million in damages. The Austin Fire Department responded to the blaze at the establishment located at 2900 Rio Grande Street.
Following the fire, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to support recovery efforts and exceeded its $100,000 fundraising goal. Texas French Bread has since been preparing for a permanent return, and the owners are currently hiring full-time front-of-house employees, according to an Instagram post.
Texas French Bread had operated at the Rio Grande Street location since 1986, becoming a fixture in the Austin community. Before the bakery’s tenure, the building housed a grocery store, an Italian restaurant named The Rome Inn, a bookstore, and a punk club called Studio 29.