MySa Article: https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/article/katzs-deli-austin-construction-22383413.php
Katz’s Never Kloses, indeed. More than 15 years after the Texas capital bid farewell to its beloved 24-hour New York-style deli, Katz’s, the legendary restaurant is officially one step closer to returning to Austin.
Katz’s Deli officially began construction on its long-awaited revival project in the Capital City on Tuesday, August 11, a company spokesperson confirmed in an email to MySA. Not only is the deli returning to Austin, but it’s also setting up shop once more in its original Sixth Street location.
The New York-style deli first opened at 618 W. Sixth St., Austin, TX 78701 in 1979 and quickly back a culinary institution, both in Austin as well as Houston. Following a 32-year run, the business shuttered in Central Texas, leaving Austinites without the restaurant’s home base.
That was until September 2024, when co-owners Barry and Lisa Katz bought the original Austin building and began fine-tuning their return.
“I started working in this very building at 8 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 in the announcement. “As I turn 55 this month, I’m incredibly grateful to come back to where my passion for this business began. The spirit and energy of Katz’s is the heart of what makes it special; it’s what brings people together, whether they’re dining late at night or early in the morning. Katz’s has carried on that sense of community in Houston for the past 20 years, and I could not be more excited to bring it home to 6th Street next year.”
Katz’s is projected to open in late spring 2027, officials shared in the announcement. That timeline matches initial project filings registered on April 3 with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which also outlined an estimated construction cost of $2.5 million first filed in April 2026.
And for those who can’t hold out on a New York-style Reuben any longer: Katz’s currently operates five restaurants in and around the Houston area following its expansion to H-Town back in 2000.