1. Dining by design
Austin’s Windsor Park neighborhood gets a stylish new resident this week with the opening of Hank’s, an all-day and drive-thru coffeeshop that is sure to be a hit with residents from across the city. Local couple Andy Means and Jessie Katz, who previously owned Henri’s wine and cheese bar before closing it in 2016 after a fire, transformed an 8,500-square-foot former grocery store into a light-filled and modern but warm space, accented with cacti and other potted plants; the coffeeshop boasts an additional 4,000-square-foot patio that drew on the help of designers Ben May and Claire Zinnecker. “Being born and raised in Austin, I wanted to make sure to create a space that felt like Austin of the past and Austin of the future,” Zinnecker says. “Engaging local makers and small-business makers is important to all my designs, so I made sure that Hank’s utilized these resources.” The menu is made up of classic American fare like burgers, sandwiches, salads, pastas, and pastries, and there’s a kids’ menu. Highlights include brined fried chicken served with hot honey and a chopped black kale salad. Hank’s, which is named after Means’s grandfather, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. (it closes at 10 p.m. Sundays). For more information, follow @hanks.austin.
2. Classic shirtmaker adds styles for women
Storied Houston-based shirtmaker, Hamilton Shirts, which has been outfitting men in bespoke shirts for 135 years, just introduced Hamilton Women’s, five classic and customizable styles like the Boyfriend Button-down and a tunic. Fourth-generation owner Kelly Hamilton says: “There’s nothing fashion-forward about this collection. They’re just beautifully made shirts, crafted from the finest Italian fabrics. The fit and style options are what set them apart from what’s currently available for women in the market.” Every Hamilton shirt is made from start to finish in their Houston workshop. To preview the whole collection, visit Hamilton Women’s.
3. The mystery of Marfa
Texas historian Lonn Taylor’s new book with Marfa Book Co., Marfa for the Perplexed, features sixty essays on the history and colorful characters of the town. Before retiring to Fort Davis ten years ago, Taylor worked at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History as a historian for almost twenty years. Tim Johnson, who owns the Marfa Book Co., is also preparing for his annual Agave Festival, a lively five-day event June 6–10 that celebrates West Texas’s favorite succulent and its “influence on culture through food, film, music, and scientific programs.” For more information, visit Marfa Book Co.
4. An easy way to go mobile
The fast-growing Outdoorsy, which hosts an online marketplace of bookable RVs across the world, just moved its global headquarters to Austin. With its inventory of RV owners whose vehicles are available for rent, Outdoorsy hopes to shake up the hospitality industry. For more information, visit Outdoorsy.
5. From Kenya to Texas
Texan Zane Wilemon fell in love with Kenya after buying a one-way ticket there after graduation fifteen years ago. While living in Kenya, he connected with local man Jeremiah Kuria and together they started “Comfort the Children” to provide jobs and opportunities for people in the community. This evolved into Ubuntu, a social enterprise fashion business. Ubuntu’s latest product launched last week—it’s a fully customizable espadrille-style shoe called the Afridrille, designed in Austin and made in Kenya. “Each pair of shoes is handmade by entrepreneurial Kenyan women,” Wilemon says. “We pay above-market wages, and 100 percent of net income supports life-changing care for children with special needs in Kenya.” Choose from playful prints like pineapples, checkerboard, or flamingos and palm trees. Ubuntu has also created a coffee business with Whole Foods Market and a bottled-water business that helps sustain the Ubuntu Special Needs Centre, which serves to educate and provide health care for children with special needs. For more information, or to score your own pair of Afridrilles, visit Ubuntu.
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