WHICH BARS TOPPED THE SALES LIST IN A BUSY MARCH?
Sales of beer, wine and mixed drinks in Austin rose by 7 percent in March, a month that’s traditionally lucrative for the city’s hospitality industry due to the South by Southwest festival.
Bars, restaurants and hotels citywide served $80.3 million worth of booze, according to an American-Statesman analysis of state data, an increase from $75.1 million during the same month in 2017.
Across Texas, March bar tabs totaled $662 million, a 12 percent year-over-year increase.
For the month, the top-selling venue statewide was Houston’s NRG Park, which hosted the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for more than half of March. Cash registers there took in $3.3 million.
Austin’s No. 1-ranked business was, as usual, the JW Marriott hotel, 110 E. Second St., coming in at $1,010,792.
Next was Unbarlievable, 76 Rainey St., where thirsty patrons downed drinks worth $593,445, followed by Rose Room, 11500 Rock Rose Ave., which reported sales of $570,246.
The rest of Austin’s top 10 list includes:
■ Container Bar, 90 Rainey St., $551,097.
■ Fairmont Austin Hotel, 101 Red River St., $532,020.
■ The Dogwood Domain, 11420 Rock Rose Ave., $528,270.
■ W Hotel Austin, 200 Lavaca St., $496,913.
■ The Volstead Lounge, 1500 E. Sixth St., $494,195.
■ Four Seasons Hotel Austin, 98 San Jacinto Blvd., $491,791.
■ Chupacabra Cantina, 404 E. Sixth St., $465,050.
Top sellers* in other Central Texas communities were:
■ Bastrop: Old Town Restaurant and Bar, 931 Main St., $72,787.
■ Bee Cave: Woody’s Tavern and Grill, 12801 Shops Pkwy., $115,325.
■ Buda: Buck’s Backyard, 1750
S. FM 1626, $102,611. Cedar Park: Chuy’s, 4911 183-A toll road, $162,967. Dripping Springs: Treaty Oak Brewing and Distilling Co., 16604 Fitzhugh Road, $125,636. Georgetown: El Monumento, 205 W. Second St., $104,164. Kyle: Casa Garcia’s, 5401 FM 1626, $82,603. Lago Vista: The Gnarly Gar, 18200 Lakepoint Cove, $63,942. Lakeway: The Grove Wine Bar and Kitchen, 3001 S. RM 620, $124,341.
Leander: Brooklyn Heights Pizzeria, 3550 Lakeline Blvd., $64,077. Liberty Hill: Jardin Corona, 15395 W. Texas 29, $51,392. Pflugerville: Mavericks, 1700 Grand Avenue Pkwy., $130,489. Round Rock: Chuy’s, 2320 N. Interstate 35, $163,847. San Marcos: Zelick’s, 336 W. Hopkins St., $136,826. Spicewood: Angel’s Icehouse, 21815 W. Texas 71, $71,245. Sunset Valley: Doc’s Backyard, 5207 Brodie Lane, $94,720.
West Lake Hills: Lupe Tortilla, 701 S. Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360), $98,027.
*Addresses are listed as reported in records from the state comptroller’s office but might not reflect the jurisdictions that receive tax revenue from each business’ sales of alcoholic beverages.