Aussie Cafe Proud Mary Finally Opens in Austin With Brekkies and Frozen Coffees

Australian breakfast slinger Proud Mary, which has locations in Melbourne and Portland, Oregon, is finally opening its first Texas location in Austin this month. The Zilker neighborhood restaurant on 2043 South Lamar Boulevard had planned on opening on Saturday, September 10, but is now pushing the opening to either Sunday, September 11, or Monday, September 12.

The restaurant focuses on an Australian cafe menu, which means daytime-friendly breakfast dishes such as toast topped with vegemite or avocados, pavlova with fruity creams and syrups, ricotta hotcakes, shredded potato hashes with pork belly bacon, sausage rolls, omelets, desserts, and more. There will be morning cocktails like bloody marys and mimosas, along with smoothies, teas, and juices.

Coffee is another huge component of Proud Mary, which roasts its own beans to be used in assorted espresso drinks. There are flat whites, of course, as well as pour overs. The Austin menu will include very specifically created house-made frozen coffees.

The space will feature a coffee bar similar to Proud’s sibling Melbourne cafe Aunty Peg’s. There will be indoor and outdoor space, as well as a retail component.

Proud Mary co-founders and co-owners husband-and-wife Nolan Hirte and Shari Hirte opened the original cafe in Melbourne in 2009. They then opened the Portland one in 2017. They moved to Austin for the purposes of the Texas location. Proud Mary chef Sean Henley, also relocated into the city for this location. They announced their intentions of opening in Austin back in 2019 and had been delayed due to the pandemic.

Proud Mary Austin took over the modern building — designed by restaurant architect Michael Hsu — that previously housed upscale New American restaurant Olivia and then a location of casual chain Lucy’s Fried Chicken.

Another out-of-town Australian-style cafe opened in Austin semi-recently. Two Hands, which is based in New York, opened on South Congress in October 2020. And, actually, Two Hands chef Barney Hannagan is a Proud Mary alum and was pegged to originally open the Austin location.

Proud Mary’s hours will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Update, September 9, 9:08 a.m.: This article, originally published on September 8, has been updated to reflect Proud Mary’s delayed potential opening date.

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