South Austin Small Business January 4, 2018

Independence Fine Foods Has My Heart

Independence Fine Foods offers a rotating dinner menu with the finest ingredients.

A Perfect Balance

Every time I need to get hours of serious work done, I find myself back at Independence Fine Foods on Manchaca Rd. in South Austin. The ambiance is perfect for digging into whatever project requires my uninterrupted attention.

It’s easy to snag a table in the corner, plug in and spiral into hours of nonstop laptop tedium until finally looking up to realize the breakfast crowd is long gone and the dinner crowd has migrated in.

This respite isn’t huge in size, located on the corner of an unassuming strip center. Regardless, there is always the perfect table-to-customer ratio. It’s not ever empty, but I’m also never anxious about where I’m going to sit. Walking in I’m greeted immediately by a friendly barista, local artwork and wafts of freshly brewed Cuvee coffee.

Healthier Options, Healthier Community

The advertised dedication to locally sourced scratch cooking initially got me through the doors. While our culinary scene is diversifying and growing here in South Austin, IFF was the first in my neighborhood supporting ethically farmed ingredients and healthy cooking in an everyday café style environment.

I wondered what drew the owner and chef, Casey Livingston, to pick this location for his business.

Lucky for me, he was willing to tell.

Heidi:  I just love what you bring to my neighborhood. What drew you to this side of town?

Casey:  This area chose me. I grew up in South Austin. In fact, I went to Menchaca Elementary down the road. By choosing this area of town, I hoped to expose the concept of scratch cooking to my community. This is a culinary concept often offered and afforded by people living near downtown. There were a lot of fast food options here in my neighborhood, and I wanted to provide quality food from quality ingredients where I live, in my community.

Heidi:  What sparked your passion for scratch cooking and local sourcing?

Casey:  I started out cooking at Onion Creek Country Club where I realized the value of providing quality food without short cuts. The end result of using quality ingredients looks and feels better as opposed to using ingredients with 5 syllables. We like people to question what they eat, and we find people are doing this more and more.

Customer Relationships

Heidi:  What is the most rewarding part of being a small business owner in South Austin?

Casey:  Having a place where people can gather and watching them enjoy my work. Seeing a couple dating, then possibly coming back married or with their kids, and everyone just growing with us. Most importantly, these families sharing our mission of healthy eating with each other.

Heidi:  What are the greatest challenges to a business like this?

Casey:  When I first got started, I thought I knew what would be successful for our model. I found that I needed to be flexible in adapting to the needs of our guests. I had a clear-cut concept for my business, but I found that I really needed to listen to our customers to see what works and what doesn’t. It’s difficult but important to be flexible to your customer’s needs.

A United Front

Casey has aligned himself with vendors that preach a similar code of culinary ethics. Vital Farms for example touts ‘Bullsh*t Free Eggs’ from their pasture raised hens through the use of over 100 family farms. Their story is pretty cool, I recommend a visit: https://vitalfarms.com/.

Heidi:  You advertise that you source from like-minded Texas Vendors. How did you gain experience in utilizing locally sourced products?

Casey:  I’ve been a chef since 1995. When I joined the team at Whole Foods, I got to visit many of these local farms providing local ingredients. I grew up knowing where my food comes from, how it can be raised humanely and how food can be harvested responsibly. My grandparents own a farm in Llano, Texas where I spent my childhood learning how to care for cattle. To this day I still go out to the cattle farm 5-6 days a month. It’s always been a part of my life, and still is.

Other local purveyors include:

Cuvee Coffee Roasters – Austin, TX

Gundermann Acres – Wharton, TX

Solstice Farms – Driftwood, TX

Oak Hill Farms – Poteet, TX

BellaVerde Farms – Dripping Springs, TX

Village Farms – Marfa, TX

My conversation with Casey completely blew me away. I love his sense of purpose in the community he grew up in and how he has taken on a mission that benefits everyone around him, from the environment to his customers. His sense of responsibility is inspiring.

When you come by to check this place out, I highly recommend ordering an almond milk latte. Even if you’re a die-hard dairy snob, it won’t disappoint. The combination of the velvety steamed almond milk and the dark espresso makes this drink perfection in a cup, not to be soiled by sugar or other condiments! Don’t do it!

Check out their ever-rotating menu on their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/independencerestaurantsouthaustin/

Independence Fine Foods,  1807 W. Slaughter Lane, Ste. 100,  512-363-5672

www.independencefinefood.com

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m.