Q&A with Cooper's Austin

With word that Cooper's is planning to open for business in Austin, I reached out to the folks at Cooper's with some questions about the move. Below is our Q&A (Their answers are underlined.). Thanks, Cooper's, for taking the time to answer our questions!

Why are you opening in Austin?  Has this been in the works for a while? Or did you decide to capitalize off of the rising popularity of BBQ in Austin  & the growing population of Austin? . We have talked about coming to Austin for 20 years,  so it was not an overnight decision.   The right demographics and location  opportunity finally presented itself. Why the downtown location?  And what does it mean for how you cook your meats?  Will you still have a pit? It had to be just the right spot to be able to do the  original style with pits like the other 3 locations.  The way we will be cooking in Austin will be identical to  Llano, Fort Worth and New Braunfels.  The BBQ will be cooked fresh all day on site  just like the other 3 locations!  The staff of Cooper's Austin will be training  at all 3 current locations.  Will the Austin location offer the same menu as the other locations?  Yes. Do you not feel this will hurt the original location in Llano?  If people in the Austin area can get Cooper's in Austin, why drive to Llano? No, it will help Llano. Llano caters to locals and  people making day trips through the Hill Country.  Our Austin location will strengthen the  awareness of the Llano location. What will the interior of the restaurant be like?  Can you tell us a bit about the build-out? The Joseph Building, built in 1900, has  magnificent vintage painted brick  and original floors inside that you cannot buy.  We also have a back patio under an old Live Oak tree.  You can see our plans, pictures, etc. on  our Facebook page, www.facebook/coopersbbqatx  Will this location have a bar?  Live music? Yes. We will have two bars.   One you will pass before you reach the serving pit  and the other will be upstairs.  We will offer a variety of live music several days a week and  will have a few televisions to view sporting events.  What about parking?  Are you not worried that having to pay will turn away customers? These days, the reality is that anyone coming  downtown has to pay to park.  To help with this, there will be 3 valets  on our block for convenience.  There are also several new parking  garages  opening within a two block area.  Our demographic is not just people in cars,  it is also downtown residents, business people, and hotel guests.