AUSTIN, Texas — A Rainey Street bar thought lost to time and demolition will return this weekend on the grounds of one of its former neighbors.
Bungalow opened on Rainey Street in 2012 and spent 10 years on the popular strip of bars before closing in late March 2022. The renovated home where the bar was located was demolished to make way for a tower.
It seemed like the end for Bungalow, but now the bar is back, moving across the street and taking over Icenhaurer’s former location after that bar closed in November 2024. At the time, owner Michael Icenhaurer told KVUE all the construction on Rainey Street had taken a toll on the bar’s sales.
“We’ve been losing money since April 2023, and it’s just not something we want to deal with anymore,” Icenhauer said. “Our best year, our best month … we were down 20%. Our worst month, we were down 70%. So the last year and a half has been brutal for us.”
On March 12, Bungalow announced its return.
“After a few years of silence, we’re rising from the ashes – an Austin rebirth, if you will,” Bungalow wrote in an Instagram post. “The beloved drinking spot that once captured the heart of the city is back … Get ready Austin. We’re back for round two.”
The following day, Icenhaurer confirmed Bungalow would be moving into the house his bar called home for 14 years.
“It was important to me to find a tenant that had history and knowledge of the street,” Icenhaurer wrote. “We hope you support them as they bring Rainey back.”
Now, almost exactly three years after Bungalow said goodbye to Rainey Street, the bar is poised to host its grand reopening on Sunday, March 23.