Preservation Austin Announces First-Ever Legacy Business Month Program

AUSTIN, TX (September 12, 2023) – Preservation Austin is thrilled to announce a major new program, Legacy Business Month, launching October 1. Legacy Business Month Passports will guide Austinites through our city’s iconic local businesses, encouraging them to celebrate and support the institutions that define so much of Austin’s culture. The inaugural Legacy Business Month Passport features 13 local businesses that have been in operation for 20+ years, including Peter Pan Mini-Golf, The Paramount Theatre, and Cisco’s (complete list of businesses below). Community members can pick up a free passport starting October 1 at BookPeople (603 N Lamar Blvd) and Zilker Taproom (1701 E 6th St).

“Patronizing Austin’s legacy businesses is the most important thing our community can do to ensure their preservation,” says Lindsey Derrington, Preservation Austin’s Executive Director. “We want Ausitnites to come out in full force this October to support these incredible places, to tap into a heavy dose of old-school Austin and some serious city pride.”

Preservation Austin will host a 2023 Legacy Business Month kick-off party at Zilker Taproom on Thursday, October 5 from 6pm - 9pm, featuring a limited edition Legacy Business Month beer from Zilker Brewing Company, custom prints by GRZ Monsters, and music by Queer Vinyl Collective. Throughout the month of October, passport holders will visit participating legacy businesses, support them with a purchase, receive a stamp in their passport, and compete for prizes. Legacy Business Month will conclude with a closing party at The Historic Victory Grill on Monday, October 30 from 7pm - 9pm where participants will be entered to win prizes for most stamps collected.

Legacy businesses have made significant contributions to Austin's cultural, economic, and historic landscape. The city’s explosive growth has made protections and support for legacy businesses more important than ever, which is why Preservation Austin adopted Legacy Businesses as an Advocacy Priority in 2022. In the last several years, so many beloved businesses have shuttered, with others expected to follow in the near future. Cities such as San Francisco and San Antonio have adopted ground-breaking legacy business programs to protect and support their cities’ identities. Following their example, Preservation Austin aims to identify, uplift, and generate support for new policies and tools to sustain legacy businesses citywide and ensure they remain vital cultural landmarks for generations to come.

WHAT IS A LEGACY BUSINESS?

Preservation Austin defines a Legacy Business as a locally-owned and operated business that is at least 20 years old. This year’s program celebrates restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and retail establishments. Additional considerations include whether a business:

Has contributed to the history and/or the identity of a particular neighborhood, community, or the city as a whole
Is owned by generations of the same family
Has operated under singular ownership for 20+ years
Operates out of its original location or has operated out of the same location for 20+ years

This program is supported by the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Preservation Trust Fund and the City of Austin Planning Department, Historic Preservation Office. For more information on Legacy Business Month, visit preservationaustin.org.

2023 LEGACY BUSINESS MONTH PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES