Austin Food Mag Article: https://austinfoodmagazine.com/katzs-austin-sixth-street-construction-2027/
The 24-hour deli is officially rebuilding at its original West Sixth Street home, with an opening targeted for late spring 2027.
After years of hearing that Katz’s was coming back to Austin, there is finally something more convincing than nostalgia and good intentions: construction crews.
Work officially began August 11 at 618 W. Sixth St., the same address where Katz’s first opened in 1979. The start of construction puts the restaurant on track for a projected late spring 2027 opening.
For longtime Austinites, Katz’s was one of those places that made more sense the later it got. The deli stayed open around the clock, serving Reubens, breakfast and deli classics to everyone from early risers to people whose evening had clearly gone on longer than planned.
The original Austin restaurant lasted 32 years before closing in 2011. Katz’s continued operating and expanding in Houston, but the Sixth Street address remained part of the family story.
Barry and Lisa Katz purchased the original building at auction in 2024, setting the stage for the restaurant’s eventual return.
“I started working in this very building at eight years old when my dad opened the first Katz’s, so the opportunity to return to the same location is a full-circle, bucket-list moment,” Barry Katz said.
Michael Hsu Office of Architecture is overseeing the redesign and has previously worked on five Katz’s restaurants. According to the company, the goal is to modernize the space while keeping the character that made the original location memorable.
That is probably the smart move. Katz’s does not need faux nostalgia or a wall full of carefully sourced vintage signs. It already has the address.
The Austin restaurant will become Katz’s sixth location when it opens. If construction stays on schedule, Katz’s plans to welcome customers back to Sixth Street in late spring 2027.
Opening Details
Katz’s Austin
618 W. Sixth St.
Austin, TX
Expected opening: Late spring 2027