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True Stories Can Be Stranger Than Fiction [Extra Extra ]
P&K Grocery, South Austin's fancy mom-and-pop corner store, has gone out of business.
Though open for only a year and a half, the tiny market on West Mary became a neighborhood staple, offering, among a host of more exotic specialty foods, wonderful sandwiches, hot dogs, and (best of all) cupcakes. The store did what it could to help out the community, and, in turn, became a much-appreciated part of the community as well.
"We are grateful for the adventure and the opportunity to have served you," wrote the owners on their website. "We opened with the desire to bring to life a collective vision of a corner store... an anchor to a community and a place that brought folks together in a way that felt authentic and familiar."
Those looking for the signature P&K taste are still in luck: a separate venture by members of the store's catering staff has recently launched, dubbed Spoon and Co. The boutique catering group promises the same "exemplary service you have come to expect from p & k." A website is coming soon; you can email 'em or call 512-912-6784 in the meantime.
Now's also the perfect opportunity for someone looking to acquire an exquisite 2,970-square-foot storefront, replete with custom built mahogany-framed windows, a handmade la marzocca commercial espresso machine, and TABC wine/beer permit. The one sheet is worth a gander, even if you can't afford the million-plus price tag that this will likely come with.
For the rest of us, this Sunday, October 28th, is your chance to pick up gourmet goods at bargain prices. Check the website for more details.
Video from Austin Connoisseur via ON Networks. Photo by on flickr
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I think a neighborhood grocery is a great idea, but far too often they are so overpriced it's more like a convenience store in disguise. An attempt at affordability is key. That's part of why I never went back there.
Maybe they could make the prices reasonable and carry on. I'd love to see them in the neighborhood.
I wonder if it had anything to do with that snotty little kid who'd run around and yell insulting remarks at customers and would tell the employees "you're fired!" at random. Charming, that one. I did like their sammiches, though. And I loved the old-fashioned candy section. Can we keep that stuff and revert it back to the Shiner store? That would be a nice change for the neighborhood crackhead element.
First Oink, now P&K? This day sucks.
I guess P+K found out what Kroger's, Albertson's, and (in Austin at least) Randall's knows - it's hard out there to compete w/ HEB on price, and harder to compete with Central Market/Whole Foods on the upper end.
"We opened with the desire to bring to life a collective vision of a corner store... an anchor to a community and a place that brought folks together in a way that felt authentic and familiar."
Y'know, I never thought that about P&K, it just felt like a high-end yuppy grocery. I went in there once and never went back. I know the Shiner Mart was the same thing as Davids across the street, but I think there can be something that offers produce and better packages staples along with the same old convenience store crap and it would stay in business much longer.
I'm going to miss P&K! I used to go there for their delicious banana bread and veggie hot dogs with all of the fixings. Even thought it was a little pricey, it was a specialty store, like one of your favorite boutiques that has a certain customer in mind.
It wasn't quite a convenience store, it wasn't quite a grocery store.
That and they didn't really have anything I wanted kept me from frequenting the joint.
It's a great location for someone to do something with.
Personally, I'd love to see a brew pub but I bet the neighborhood won't be enthusiastic abou that.
I gave it a shot, I really tried, because I liked the idea of having a grocery store within walking distance. But besides the fact that it was pricey, it had a terrible selection as a grocery store. Very few veggies, and the ones they had didn't' look particularly fresh, and few grocery staples. As a specialty wine and cheese place it could have worked, but so often when i tried to go it was closed.
It was a nice experiment, i guess, but it didnt work. I went there about four times, bought one sandwich total, and never went again.
I was disappointed with the first cookie I purchased here but pleased with the breakfast sandwich. Also, I didn't buy them at the same time.