Hold Out Brewing Is Expanding to North Austin This Fall

Long before Hold Out Brewing existed, brothers Grady and Matt Wright were regulars at Frank, the now-closed downtown hot dog joint that also happened to serve really good coffee.

They would stop in before work and talk about two things they loved: coffee and beer. The barista behind the counter, Matthew Bolick, was in on the conversation.

In 2013, the Wright brothers left their corporate jobs, and the three of them opened Wright Bros. Brew & Brew on Austin's east side: a specialty coffee shop with 39 taps of craft beer. Better Half Coffee & Cocktails came next, then Hold Out Brewing, both on a former rental-car lot just west of downtown.

Today the group employs 110 people and is looking to expand further.

In March, the team took over Turnstile, the neighborhood bar at 10025 Burnet Rd. near Q2 Stadium. This fall, the space will relaunch with two concepts: Never Better and Hold Out Bar & Grill.

Grady told Austin Founders Feed the timing came down to three things. Their existing locations had reached a revenue ceiling, there was pent-up demand to grow, and Turnstile founder Mark Harris was willing to stay on and operate the location day-to-day.

The location also gives Hold Out something its downtown brewery doesn't have: proximity to a stadium that regularly puts 20,738 people into the neighborhood. Austin FC has sold out every MLS home match at Q2 Stadium since the venue opened.

Grady's advice for founders trying to scale in Austin: hammer out your core values before anything else. The org chart, expectations, brand, and vision all come after. Values are what unite the people you'll need to build the business.

The expansion is being financed through private lending, and Grady says the current round will remain open for roughly another 30 days.

Hold Out Brewing is open daily at 1208 W. 4th St. And keep an eye on Burnet Road this fall.