South Austin is getting a new spot to linger over a drink and a snack, as Boni’s, a Spain-inspired neighborhood bar from the team behind Lenoir, opens Friday in a low-slung bungalow next door. Inside, the cozy house pairs Spanish-leaning cocktails and natural wines with Lenoir-style small plates reworked as unfussy bar snacks. Owners Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher kept the building’s original bones intact and layered in reclaimed wood, family photos, and, yes, a TV tuned to whatever local game is on.
When and where
Boni’s will open Friday at 1805 S. First St. and will operate every day except Tuesday from 3 p.m. to midnight, as reported by CultureMap Austin. The project turns a 1934 bungalow into a compact bar and patio and was announced after Duplechan and Maher purchased the properties in 2024.
What to order
The snack menu leans salty and shareable, with head-on shrimp in garlic butter, pork meatballs, barbecue-spiced pork rinds, and softshell crawfish chips all in the mix. Cocktails are expected to land in the $12 to $16 range, per the Austin American-Statesman. Drink highlights from the paper include a Gin y Tónica, a Carajillo, and an El Viejo, and the bar will also pour a short list of Spanish natural wines alongside draft beer.
Who’s behind the bar
Boni’s tapped Jessica Sanders of DrinkWell to design the cocktail program. Sanders is a long-running neighborhood bartender and operator in Austin, according to DrinkWell. The team built the menu to pair a full coffee service with Spanish-style after-dinner drinks, so guests can drop in for an espresso, a late-night cocktail or both.
A neighborly complement
Lenoir has been a South First fixture since opening in early 2012, and Duplechan and Maher purchased the Lenoir and adjacent properties in 2024, moves that let them build Boni’s as a more casual counterpoint, according to Lenoir. Maher, who studied in Spain and pulled from family recipes for the menu, told the Austin American-Statesman she was “super nervous, but really excited” about the bar’s debut.
Expect a worn-in, approachable room that shows off the building’s character instead of flashy finishes, and an atmosphere meant to feel like a neighborhood hangout rather than a destination tasting menu experience. For additional coverage and details on the menu and hours, see CultureMap Austin.
