South Congress toy shop relocating after 20 years, hopes to 'sidestep' gloom of area changes
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There aren't many storefronts on South Congress Avenue that have been open for business for two decades anymore. The iconic, ever-buzzing strip of businesses and restaurants has proven to be ever-changing over the years.
That's a sentiment Brandon Hodge, owner of the toy shop Monkey See, Monkey Do! and confectionary Big Top Candy Shop, can attest to.
Hodge announced Monday that his toy shop will be relocating after 20 years of serving SoCo as the "purveyors of funky stuff you never knew you needed," in his own words. Hodge issued a press release announcing the relocation, emphasizing that this is a "voluntary and celebratory move" that the business is looking forward to. The store's Instagram posted about the move about two weeks ago, too.
"With the rapid changes we’ve all witnessed happen to the South Congress retail landscape, we’re hoping to sidestep the usual doom-and-gloom that has followed many of the closures of beloved South Congress businesses," Hodge said in the release, adding that his goal was to keep the announcement "fun, light, and focused on our new location."
Monkey See, Monkey Do!, which is currently at 1712 S. Congress Ave., celebrated its 20th anniversary just last month, and at the end of this month will move to 2810 Menchaca Rd.
“During our kitschy little toy shop’s two decades on South Congress, we have witnessed
extraordinary changes to the surrounding retail landscape,” Hodge wrote in the release. “When we first got our start down here, we were drawn by the cheap rent and amazing community of scrappy upstart businesses that didn’t quite fit in anywhere else, and we made the best of it
together.”
"Since that time, South Congress has exploded into an internationally famous shopping destination, and small businesses have experienced all the highs and lows that come with such attention," he continued.
Hodge's other South Congress business, Big Top, will stay put, and Monkey See, Monkey Do!'s new spot will open the first weekend of May.
Hodge assured in the release that the relocation is a positive change, though he didn't note an exact reason for it other than deciding to "explore new lunch options."
“While we will definitely miss having our fill of Gueros, Home Slice, and Magnolia Café every day, we felt it was high time to explore some of the menus South Lamar has to offer.”
When it came to choosing a new spot, Hodge and store staff felt there were two thing they could not do: leave the 78704 zip code behind, or be too far from Amy's Ice Cream. Lucky for them, the new location is right next to an Amy's and still within the same zip, just two miles away from the South Congress storefront.
Monkey See, Monkey Do! will remain open on South Congress until the last weekend of April and will celebrate their grand reopening the following weekend, beginning on Friday, May 2.
“We can’t wait to welcome all of our longtime customers and new friends to our amazing new South Lamar location, right on the corner of Menchaca," Hodge said. "Monkeys Always Welcome!”