AUSTIN, Texas — Another decades-old business is moving off South Congress Avenue.
Monkey See Monkey Do, which opened on South Congress in 2005, is moving west a bit to a new storefront. Starting this summer, the toy shop’s home will be 2810 Menchaca Road, off South Lamar Boulevard and near other long-time local businesses like Matt’s El Rancho and Broken Spoke.
The shop made the announcement on social media in late March. Owner Brandon Hodge told the Austin Business Journal (ABJ) that the move will put Monkey See Monkey Do in a part of Austin that caters to locals, not tourists, adding that South Congress’ flood of tourists works well for his other business, Big Top Candy Shop. He currently has no plans to move the candy store.
Hodge also said the move to Menchaca will allow Monkey See Monkey Do to get back to its toy store roots after trying to “shift and bend and fit in in an increasingly changing landscape on South Congress.”
Hodge, who is also the president of the South Congress Merchants Association, told the ABJ that he doesn’t know if a new tenant has been lined up to take Monkey See Monkey Do’s place on the street and that there may be pop-ups setting up there until a permanent tenant is chosen.
The changing face of South Congress
South Congress Avenue has been undergoing a transformation for several years, with many smaller, locally-owned businesses moving elsewhere or closing entirely and other national and international brands moving in.
In June 2022, Tesoros Trading Company announced it was “retiring” after 33 years on South Congress. In its former space now is a Tecovas store.
In December 2022, long-time costume store Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds closed up shop. It was later replaced with a store from Swiss sportswear company On.
In January 2023, South Congress Books moved off South Congress Avenue to Kerbey Lane, only to close for good in December 2024. In December 2023, South Congress boutique Maya Star closed its doors after nearly 30 years.
In 2024, Mi Casa, The Good Company and Sunroom all shut down or moved locations after seeing triple-digit rent increases on South Congress. The Good Company moved to West 12th Street, while Mi Casa moved 50 miles west to Johnson City, replaced on South Congress by Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott. Sunroom permanently closed its doors.