“It’s a marriage made in foodie heaven: Two of Austin’s finest hospitality groups have coupled up to create an adorable offspring named Joann’s Fine Foods. This new all-day diner is the love child of McGuire Moorman Hospitality (MMH) and the Bunkhouse Group. If MMH’s Larry McGuire and Tom Moorman aren’t familiar, their restaurants—Jeffrey’s, Clark’s, Perla’s, Lamberts, Pool Burger, Elizabeth Street Café, Josephine House and June’s All Day—certainly are. And Liz Lambert’s Bunkhouse Group boasts beloved Austin coffee shop Jo’s, plus stylish local lodging like Hotel San José, Hotel Saint Cecilia and, most recently, the Austin Motel, in which Joann’s is located.
The 1930s motor lodge, known for its iconically phallic neon sign and hippie slogan “So Close Yet So Far Out,” was recently given a thoughtful (and much needed) refresh by Lambert and her team. Enter MMH, which stepped in to help update the existing eatery, and this past September, Joann’s Fine Foods was born. This nostalgic South Congress joint manages to elevate the diner concept, while still keeping it weird.”
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