South Austin’s beloved honky‑tonk Giddy Ups, which has sat dark since losing its Menchaca Road lease in 2024, is gearing up for a comeback a little farther down the road on Old Manchaca. The ownership group, led by Roy Antognini and joined by Carissa Bunker and Anna Bosworth, is planning a much larger footprint with an expanded outdoor area and space for a bigger stage while promising to keep the community‑first, live‑music soul that made the place feel like a second living room. Regulars and Austin musicians who treated the bar that way are already buzzing about the return.
According to the Austin American‑Statesman, the revived Giddy Ups will operate at 10509 Old Manchaca Rd and will be managed by Bosworth, who served as general manager at the old location, alongside Antognini and Bunker. A filing in the Austin American‑Statesman classifieds shows that Giddy Ups LLC has applied to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a change of address or reinstatement of a surrendered license, listing the three as owners or managers. The move follows the bar’s forced departure from 12010 Menchaca Rd in August 2024.
Roots and a Rough Summer
Giddy Ups traces its lineage back to Dotson’s in 1934 and took the Giddy Ups name in the early 1990s. Nancy Morgan bought the bar in 1998 and ran it for decades, remaining its recognizable steward until her death in 2023, according to local coverage. The bar’s closure last year after losing its month‑to‑month lease drew attention to the pressures longtime Austin venues face as landlords repurpose properties, as well as reporting by Eater Austin. Musicians and regulars say the venue’s “biggest little stage” has been vital to the South Austin scene.
New Owners, Bigger Stage
The new building is roughly 150 percent larger than the old space and includes a sprawling patio and a much larger stage to accommodate bigger acts and crowds, the Austin American‑Statesman reports. The paper notes, citing reporting by the Austin Business Journal, that the group has secured a long‑term lease said to run 10 years with two five‑year renewal options, giving the operation the stability it lacked at the Menchaca Road address. Antognini told business reporters he hopes the new spot could “come together by June,” though a formal opening date has not been announced.
What to Expect and Next Steps
Giddy Ups’ official site says the team is “gearing up to reopen soon” and promises to preserve the bar’s heart while rebuilding a space for community shows and live music, Giddy Ups says. Final TABC approval for the license move and completion of renovations remain the last steps before full operations can resume, and the classified filing provides regulators and neighbors a formal point of contact for the transition. Musicians and regulars say they are eager for the return of weekly shows, open‑mic nights and the bar’s laid‑back neighborhood atmosphere.
Keep an eye on the venue’s official channels for a formal opening date. If the team’s timeline holds, Giddy Ups could be welcoming crowds again as early as June.
