Rainey Street is about to get a new upstairs cocktail hangout, courtesy of one of downtown Austin’s buzziest speakeasies. Bar Hacienda is plotting a second location in the former Tipsy Alchemist suite, setting up shop in one of the block’s most recognizable elevated bar spaces and bringing its Latin-leaning cocktail game to a street that is trying to stay busy long before last call.
Owners announce expansion
According to the Austin Business Journal, partners Jack Hogan, Terance Robson, and Victor Bernal intend to open Bar Hacienda in the former Tipsy Alchemist space and are in the market for an operator who can serve food from morning through late night. The outlet reports that the concept is part of a broader push to position Rainey Street as an "18-hour hub" of downtown activity instead of a district that only wakes up after dark.
From downtown speakeasy to Rainey
Bar Hacienda already runs a downtown speakeasy in the basement of Tiger Lily at 400 Colorado Street, where the cocktail list leans tropical and playful, with drinks like a horchata milk punch and a chocolate Old Fashioned, as detailed by Eater Austin. That original bar has built a following around rum- and mezcal-forward creations that could translate neatly to a livelier, dance-friendly room on Rainey.
What it means for Rainey
The Rainey District’s online directory already lists "Bar Hacienda" as "Coming Soon," a sign that promoters on the block see value in adding recognizable cocktail brands to the corridor. VisitRainey and other local destination guides have documented a gradual shift toward venues that can attract both daytime and evening crowds, a strategy operators say helps smooth out the boom-and-bust cycle of relying on weekend nightlife alone.
When it could open and what to expect
The Austin Business Journal has not reported a specific opening date, and the partners appear focused on locking in a food and operating plan before planting a firm timeline. For now, the move into the former Tipsy Alchemist’s upstairs space at 70 Rainey St signals what Bar Hacienda will replace and hints that Rainey Street is in line for another room built for cocktails and dancing, according to The Tipsy Alchemist.
