The Frisco Shop--Last of the local Nighthawk Chains

There used to be a small local chain of restaurants in Austin called Night Hawk which was started by Mayor Harry Akin about 50 years ago. They began with a small restaurant called the Frisco Shop located on the corner of Burnet Road at the Koenig Lane. When it was opened it wasn't surrounded by much, however now it is in the center of a major business area. The Frisco Shop is the last of the Night Hawk chain. At one time, there were Night Hawk restaurants on the corner of Reinli and IH35 and one on South Congress just past Barton Springs. They both eventually closed. However the Frisco Shop has remained in business. The Frisco is still run by the Akin family, but when the last of the Nighthawk restaurants around town closed many years ago, a few of the long time employees bought into the Frisco Shop. Things didn't change at the tiny restaurant, not even the waitresses or the cooks, many of which who have worked for the restaurant for over 20 years.

The Frisco has been expanded a bit in the last 50 years, but it's still a small restaurant. A lot of the neighbors from Allendale eat there frequently. So frequently in fact that the wait staff and the cooks know them by name. It just has that small town feel you don't find much here in Austin anymore. The menu is basic with steaks, chopped steaks, and hamburgers. But it's the chili and enchiladas that stand out. Or is it the ice box pies? It's hard to tell. There is so much about the place that is familiar, even if you have never eaten there before. It reminds you of a time gone by, something from your past that you might not see anywhere else again.

The good news is, the Frisco Shop plans to stay in business and remain in the Allendale neighborhood if possible. The bad news is they may have to move from their current location. Walgreens is working on a deal to buy that corner and build a store there. The Frisco owners say they need to have a bigger building, the dining rooms and kitchen are way too small, so moving is the best for them as well. However, will it ever be the same? That location has always been the Frisco Shop.