Southtown restaurants see little change after South Alamo opened

April 2026 marked the end of a years-long construction project that obstructed the intersection of South Alamo Street and Durango Boulevard, barricading Southtown off from the rest of downtown. Six months after the construction wrapped, it appears that the newly open streets haven’t led to significant gains for some neighborhood businesses. 

The $59 million street project began in 2022 and was finally completed in April of this year, extending well beyond its projected 2024 completion date. In the time between, nearly a dozen businesses in the area folded or left Southtown for greener pastures, including Künstler Tap Haus, Cascabel and Barrio Dogg. The businesses that did stick around had to endure extended closures of two major streets that previously led to their businesses. 

In 2024, MySA spoke to a number of local business owners, including chef Rene Fernandez, whose restaurants, Azuca Nuevo Latino and Hola!, were on the brink of closing as construction dragged on. We checked back with the chef six months after the roadways opened, and Fernandez told us that, despite the streets being cleared, foot traffic for Southtown businesses hasn’t improved much.

“We see a lot of local people on Fridays and Saturdays, but during the week we normally bank on the tourism and the conventions,” Fernandez said. “We don’t see [tourism] bleeding into the restaurants over here.”

Fernandez also noted the lack of readily available, affordable parking for customers, adding that more free and less expensive parking options could entice people, especially locals, to visit Southtown more often. The chef recently opened Park @ 510 Deli & Market at the Pereida House in Hemisfair, which has access to on-site paid parking.

Blush Restaurant & Bakery opened on South Alamo Street in March 2023, a few months after the street project broke ground. Owner Efren Moreno sat down with MySA at the restaurant on Thursday, October 15, to discuss the impact, or lack thereof, of the construction ending just a few blocks away. Like Fernandez, Moreno hasn’t seen much of an uptick in diners coming in from the convention center or other downtown attractions, aside from special events, which do play a part in bringing people out.

“You could definitely tell when there’s concert days or something like that. We’ll see a lot more foot traffic for sure,” Moreno said.

To stave off stagnation, Moreno said that Blush is adapting and finding new ways to serve customers, including extending hours at the brunch-forward restaurant to cater to dinner crowds, a change that will take effect by the end of the month. Later in the conversation, he commented on the incoming Project Marvel, which is supposed to bring revitalization and more construction to nearby streets.

“I think every metropolitan city is looking for ways that they’re continuously evolving and bringing things that are attracting people from outside to enjoy, whether it’s locals or tourists,” Moreno said. “I think us as a city investing in the area just makes sense for progress. I know not everybody is for the way it’s going down, but I think it’s necessary to keep growing.”

Similarly to Blush, Stranded Coffee opened its brick-and-mortar location while South Alamo Street construction was already underway, but the business had the advantage of building its following with a well-loved coffee truck. Co-owner Jorge Codina, who was working at the truck when MySA stopped by, said that Stranded has relied on its pre-existing customer base, though the occasional group of tourists will find their way to the shop. 

“I have noticed new faces during, like, the touristy times, like in summer, and around sports events. We get a lot of people walking from the Kimpton or the other hotels,” Codina said.

Southtown isn’t the only restaurant-dense area in San Antonio, but it is a neighborhood long associated with rich history and culinary excellence. It’s where Mixtli earned the city’s first Michelin Star and where places like Liberty Bar and Bar America have operated for decades. All of this is only possible if customers continue to come in and support local businesses.