Kinky sigh.
A familiar icon of Austin small business, a lone downtown Austin retailer amidst a sea of E 6th Street bars, is shutting its downtown doors on August 28th. The ABJ reports that Forbidden Fruit is redirecting its efforts on a better performing store. From the article, owner Lynn Rairden says:
“We have seen a dramatic shift in customer base away from this location, with more of our patrons shopping at the store at 108 E. North Loop”
So, is North Loop just kinkier than downtown? I doubt that, but Forbidden Fruit is crowd sourcing their next location.
I will be sad to see it go. I stepped into the store a couple of times in college, and since then I just enjoyed knowing it was there. Forbidden Fruit’s downtown store was a beacon of hope for Austin small businesses anticipating that 6th Street can rebalance its mix of commercial use to include more retail.
My work is the last sexhop in downtown (Tapelenders). THIS SUCKS…AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY!
I guess enjoying their presence did not help them pay rent… Although I do think that you are on to something in a search for austins kinkiest hood… Its has a very viral feel to it..
That’s a shame. 6th Street just got a little bit less interesting.