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El Patio's new owners talk about reopening and changes

After closing their doors in early August, some family members decided to take matters into their own hands.

AUSTIN, Texas — Ausin's El Patio restaurant was a tradition for the El Patio family and many Austinites, and when it closed its doors people were devastated. Other family members within the business decided to reopen the restaurant for the community. 

“The history here is so extensive,” said Sled Allen, El Patio's new co-owner and operator. “There’s so many places even when I came back into town, I heard that Hutt’s Hamburger’s was closing down. You know, you got these places that are just dropping off the map that cultivated that Austin culture of good food and places where people can go that were regulars.” 

“Our family goes back five generations in Austin back to the late 1800s, so to be a part of something that is so iconic and in this city is an incredible feeling, especially considering there’s been so many iconic places closing down,” said Kristyn Ciani, El Patio's co-owner.

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There will be small changes like a new bar, but the rest will be kept as it was. 

“We don’t really want to implement a bunch of changes. The reason the restaurant’s been so successful for so long is the tradition, the family,” said Ciani. “We are going to keep everything the same; the staff will be here – the staff that’s been here, some of them over 35 years.”

“Customers who have been here and are regulars want to have this as a home and a second home and a spot to sit down and come in all the time,” said Allen. “They know what they want. They know what they like and they don’t want to see a change with that and we respect that.”

 Allen and Ciani look forward to serving the Tex-Mex Austin loves. 

“To have El Patio close was heartbreaking, right?” said Allen “When we found out that it’s closing and there’s an opportunity to keep it going in the family, like how could you not, right? It’s keeping old Austin alive, keeping tradition and, you know, and keeping it in the family at the same time. It’s special.”

The restaurant will be changing its hours:

  • Wednesday through Thursday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • Friday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
  • Sunday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Its first day back in businesses will be Friday, Sept. 20, beginning at 5 p.m.

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