The Wilder Family Farewell

It’s with a heavy heart that I have to announce Wilderwood, Texas’s first gluten free restaurant, will be closing after 22 years. We were able to survive the pandemic and the great freeze, but this last year, we’ve been barely able to stay afloat.

A restaurant from NYC has already agreed to take over the lease.

As you know, Austin is changing drastically and survival for small restaurants in a quickly gentrifying neighborhood without the backing of a multi-million dollar restaurant group is becoming more impossible.

Wilderwood has been locally owned and operated since August of 2001. It’s been a very special place to many and it was always more than just a business to Joan, the owner, as she honestly believed in ensuring that people had a place where they could eat without fear of becoming sick. Not many know, but she has selflessly been forgoing any profit and keeping our doors open for sometime with her own money and she did it because she really cared about our clientele and what we could offer them. Wilderwood was a community, a safe place for dozens of regulars and a home for our staff, most of which have been with us for 2-6 years.

It is heartbreaking that we must say good bye and so abruptly, but unfortunately, that is just the hand we’ve been dealt. The sad reality is that many of our staff will be without an income for some time and Joan will have no easy way to recoup her losses. This gofundme campaign’s goal is to provide financial support to the people that kept Wilderwood going. We couldn’t have asked for a better staff and want to ensure they’ll be okay while they find their next spots and would also like to help take care of Joan as she always took care of the staff.

It has been an honor and a pleasure serving y’all.

Jake