NEWS YOU CAN EAT

An Insta-friendly café and a brewery rebirth bloom in San Antonio restaurant news

Kaffeinated's colorful and floral interior is ready to perk you up.

Kaffeinated Crepes & Coffee is sprouting a new location.

Photo courtesy of Kaffeinated

As any local knows, Fiesta hangovers are especially rough. Closures are once again returning to CultureMap’s weekly roundup of local restaurant news as the last confetti hits the ground. As always, with San Antonio’s ever-dynamic hospitality market, there is always a ready pain reliever. Several new concepts are in the wings to provide equilibrium again.

Openings and closings

According to a company rep, selfie-friendly café Kaffeinated Crepes & Coffee is expanding to a second location in the Village at Blanco shopping center on W. Loop 1604 N. Since launching in February 2022, the shop has made its mark with innovative latte flavors and a maximalist interior blanketed with hundreds of silk flowers. An exact opening date has yet to be established, but it should be announced in the upcoming weeks.

The taps will soon be flowing again in the former location of Second Pitch Beer Co. at 11935 Starcrest Dr. In a social media post, local entrepreneur Carlos Valadez announced he had acquired the shuttered brewery, aptly redubbing it Silver Lining Brewing Co. The post did not give a timeline for the project’s inauguration.

South Side beer garden Brooster’s Backyard Icehouse is throwing in the towel after four years in business. The staff announced the move in a Facebook video, citing that “times are bad.” The bar opened in November 2020, quickly gaining steam during the pandemic for its outdoor environment. Fans celebrated the spot during a going away bash on April 28.

Per public records, construction is underway on a new Chinese eatery in the Encino Commons Market on the North Side. Signs are up for Ping’s Sichuan Kitchen, though few other details are known. It’s unclear whether the restaurant is related to the now-defunct Ping’s Chinese Restaurant at 24165 W. IH 10.

Other news and notes

Local favorite Whataburger is thanking San Antonio teachers with free breakfast during National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-10. Any school employee who shows their school ID will receive a complimentary free taquito, Breakfast on a Bun, or honey butter chicken biscuit from 5-9 am. In addition, the beloved chain will give 63 educators in 15 states $1,000 grants for their respective schools. More on that here.

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Better Days, Same Burgers

Shuttered San Antonio burger joint stages surprising comeback

Teddy B's/Facebook

Teddy B's has made a surprise comeback.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of Teddy B's life. In October, the popular burger joint shuttered its decade-old location on Babcock Road, grieving a loss of foot traffic and rising costs. On November 20, the spot revealed a plot twist. The owners are now slinging patties at 9903 Fredericksburg Rd.

"Dear Teddy B's customers, we have good news," the restaurant posted on social media. "We are back in business...We are waiting for our new sign, but we are up and running."

The unexpected comeback is the culmination of a tumultuous year for the business. As the restaurant marked its 10-year milestone this summer, the outlook was much darker. On August 4, the restaurant took to social media to warn that closure could be imminent. A traffic decline affected Teddy B's ability to maintain its affordable price point.

The messaging worked, at least in the short term. Days later, the restaurant reported an increase in business. The marketing language was hopeful until October 13, when the restaurant abruptly announced it was closing for good.

The news of Teddy B's rebirth came just as suddenly. After a month-long social media silence, the restaurant announced it had taken over the former home of Burger Haven. The latter restaurant was little known, appearing to operate mainly as a ghost kitchen.

Assumably, burgers will be back on the menu, but it is unclear whether other favorites will be eliminated to streamline the operation. The business has not posted any revisions, and its website is down at press time.

The burger joint's comeback manifests as other shuttered legacy restaurants like The Lion and Rose and Fratello's have staged their own returns. While Teddy B's has offered no reasoning for getting back into the game, it is a testament to the resiliency of San Antonio's culinary community.

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