A "Neighborly" Spot With a View
Take one commercial real estate developer and add a graphic designer. Mix well and you get… Neighbor’s Kitchen and Yard. Although it wasn’t quite this easy, this was the end result of the beautiful partnership (both in business and in marriage) of Chris and Katie Allcorn.
As an 8th generation Texan, Chris has always loved Texas history, heritage, and culture. His love for old buildings is now a self-proclaimed obsession. But after working in a high rise office building in Austin (what Chris calls “Marshmallow Land”), Chris and Katie found themselves wanting something more. Something authentic. So off they went in their restored Airstream on a trip to “re-fall in love” with the historic towns of the southwest. Chris and Katie found several towns with the right mix of history and culture, but none of them felt quite right. Not until they found themselves in Bastrop, that is. “After 30 minutes in Bastrop, Katie and I looked at each other and said, ‘This is it!’” said Chris. Knowing they wanted to move to Bastrop, the Allcorns began looking for ways they could work in their new chosen town. The opportunity to re-develop the old Bastrop Brewhouse property in The Crossing area of downtown Bastrop literally fell into their laps. And even though it wasn’t they’d planned to do, “we realized it was what we were looking for all along”, Chris said. They moved to Bastrop in March and opened Neighbor’s Kitchen and Yard on August 1st.
Chris and Katie went right to work building their dream. With help from the brains behind Austin’s Home Slice restaurant’s menu, the hiring of General Manager Nick Barrera, and the hiring of a team of good people who could do what they couldn’t, Chris and Katie have complete creative control at Neighbor’s. They are able to put the exact feel into the business that they want and that reflects their dream. This authenticity was very important to the Allcorns at the beginning and remains true today. Before they opened, Chris and Katie sat down together over a bottle of wine and asked each other, “What does this building mean to us?” The business developed around that. Neighbor’s Kitchen and Yard is one part restaurant and one part live music venue. “The restaurant is the core, but the music is the reason we’re doing this”, said Chris. “The music just adds so much.” The restaurant is known for its hand-made signature pizzas, but also serves delicious salads, sandwiches, and calzones, and a large selection of beer and wine. The live music focuses on “Americana” like blues, bluegrass, country and western, and western swing. The bands come equally from Austin and Bastrop.
Bands play on the main stage outside and on the decks overlooking the beautiful Colorado River and the yard area. The Allcorns are developing the yard area as a cool “hang out” and bar. We don’t want this to be our space,” said Chris. “We want to be part of the community.” The Crossing is such a unique part of downtown and Neighbor’s Kitchen and Yard has become the “go to” place for many locals and visitors alike. Because of Neighbor’s beautiful location, Chris and Katie have also begun booking events there and recently even hosted a wedding. Chris and Katie have worked hard to breed a culture of family among the staff. They do things together like barbecues and float trips down the river. In fact, Chris says his best day on the job so far was when a staff member told him that working at Neighbor’s was the best job he’d ever had. When you visit Neighbor’s, you’ll notice that it has a heart and a soul. And it’s because the owners do. Chris and Katie Allcorn are partners in business, but they’re partners in marriage first. Their love for each other has fostered a family feel at Neighbor’s, and you’ll notice it right away. As it says on their website, the Allcorns believe in good food in good company. Neighbor’s Kitchen and Yard is located at 601 Chestnut Street in The Crossing. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 11am to 9pm, and Friday and Saturday from 11am to 12 midnight. Neighbor’s is closed on Tuesdays. Find them online in the following places: Website: http://neighborstx.com Phone: 512-988-7036 Email: info@neighborstx.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/neighborskitchenandyard Instagram: http://instagram.com/neighbors_tx Twitter: http://twitter.com/neighbors_tx
