According to recent reporting in ABJ, the Wheatsville Food Co-op on Guadalupe Street plans to close in 2026 and is currently mulling potential options for the future.
Citing a multitude of obstacles such as increased competition in the natural-foods category, tight profit margins, rising rents and other issues, the popular grocer and café is slated to close when its current lease expires at the end of 2026.
Bill Bickford, head of operations, adds that other grocery stores have opened in the Hyde Park area and University of Texas faculty members and students “have been driving to campus, which also has cut down on sales.”
“UT used to ask you to bring a car,” Bickford said. “They certainly do not tell you to bring a car these days — you really can’t have a car in West Campus and expect to always find a parking spot.”
In response to this major closing, Bickford said the aim is to open smaller, “reduced-footprint” locations in the area. Potentially, one location could focus on longtime Hyde Park residents, while another might focus on the UT community.
“We feel a connection to those in that area — because we’ve historically served those customers, because we were started by students and recent grads living in and around that area, and our namesake was located in West Campus as well,” he said.
At the same time, the ABJ reports that the co-op is considering expanding its operations to other parts of the city.
“There are lots of areas in town I’d like to serve,” Bickford said. “We get requests and suggestions from Austinites all over the city all the time, including for the surrounding communities around Austin.”
“Our strategy going forward is to be as close to our shoppers as we can be,” Bickford said.
“We just want to be a place that is big enough to meet your needs and small enough to meet your neighbors and serve as that community hub for local Austinites,” he said.
