From Quirky to Curated | Austin’s Obsession with Aesthetics
Not a real restaurant, just an AI rendering of what I talk about in this article
Howdy friends! My “influencer” journey started back in 2019 when I was encouraged by friends to start sharing details about Austin that I previously shared on Facebook to the world. This is when the website you’re reading this on first came into existence. I was sharing my favorite food and drink spots, photos I took and my opinion on the places. From this time, there were a few Austin influencers but not many and definitely nowhere near the amount we have today.
Granted, I never imagined I would ever be at a place I’m at now, with well over 10k followers on Instagram and hundreds of thousands of impressions on this website. (The funniest part is that my most popular pages are my Austin Happy Hour Guide pages and I haven’t had a drink in almost three years LOL)
Austin’s skyline gave me butterflies whenever I’d look at it and I’d get that wave of contentment over me knowing that I’m exactly where I should be, I’m home.
Fast forward to 2024 and I’m receiving invites to so many different media/influencer events, getting the deets in my inbox about new spots well before the public, and in the circle of influencers with 25, 50, 100k followers.
Now, if 2019 Bianca caught wind of this, she would have been more than ecstatic, she would feel like all of her hard work was finally paying off and this is now the big leagues. But… 2025 Bianca is getting sick of all the trendy posts, the small snippets of experiences with finger foods at the media events (I mean, how could this even remotely tell us what the restaurant will be like once opened??), and the blatant gossip and complaints from privileged people.
Luckily, these feelings come in waves so they aren’t permanent. That feeling is wiped clean after I meet with a food truck owner, I try their food, and then sit down for my voiceover for Food Truck Friday. The amount of joy I get out of sharing these hidden gems in the city exceeds any sort of frustration with the community. However, it still exists and I think that the industry can do better.
Photo by Hayffield L on Unsplash
First off, we have GOT to stop decorating restaurants just for social media opportunities aka basically just step-and-repeats. No, we don’t need a swing in the middle of the restaurant to take photos on. No, we don’t need a restaurant with decor, walls, chairs, tables, drinks, etc that share the same hue. Additionally, can we prioritize taste over visuals? Sure, our eyes eat first but ultimately, we have to taste our meals!
We need eclectic, delicious, intentional CUISINE.
Sure, many of y’all have seen Chopped enough that it doesn’t matter what the hell is on the plate, as long as it’s delicious and plated nicely with some pops of color.
Plus, y’all probably already know by now that my favorite places to grab a bite are at food trucks, which don’t have much room to fulfill the aesthetic trend.
Photo Credit: Bianca Delmar of ATX FYI
Let’s not forget… ATX FYI was built on the mission of empowering local Austin. Local small business owners are my bread and butter and my absolute FAVORITE humans on the planet. So, overall I’m delivering this message to help future business owners to stop making the same mistakes. We want eclectic, not aesthetic. Austin is known for being weird, so let’s use that to our advantage y’all!
I threw a task at ChatGPT to give me some ideas for a weird, eclectic, delicious restaurant concept in Austin and this is what it came back with:
The Pickle Barrel
Theme: Everything on the menu involves pickling or fermenting.
Think pickled fried chicken sandwiches, kimchi tacos, or boozy kombucha cocktails.
Vibe: Rustic meets modern with barrel-themed decor & local pickling workshops.
The Odd Pantry
Theme: A menu celebrating unusual ingredients—think insects, exotic fruits, and edible flowers—presented in accessible, flavorful ways.
Food: Dishes like cricket protein empanadas, dragon fruit ceviche, & lavender crème brûlée.
Neon Noodlehouse
Theme: A vibrant, late-night spot with neon decor, karaoke rooms, and eclectic noodle dishes from various cuisines.
Food: Ramen carbonara, pho fries, and Thai drunken noodles with Texas brisket.
Smoke & SorcerY
Theme: A medieval-meets-modern barbecue and cocktail bar with smoky flavors and magical presentation (smoking drinks, edible glitter).
Food: Smoked meats served on swords, ale-based stews, & Texas-meets-fantasy comfort food.
oh boy and this is reaaaaal weird
Dumpster Delights
Theme: Highlighting food waste reduction with a funky, art-filled restaurant that uses “rescued” ingredients.
Food: A surprise rotating menu based on surplus produce, bakery goods, & other ingredients sourced locally.
To wrap it up, if you’re someone looking to open a restaurant in Austin, do us a favor and give us some spice… no more modern American please.