Dining
BY DACIA GARCIA
Maritza and Reyna Vasquez alongside Justin and Lakana Trubiana have launched their collaboration concept.
COURTESY LEONA BOTANICAL CAFE & BAR
The space is home to a cafe and bar, Thai restaurant Dee Dee and Mexican restaurant Veracruz All Natural.
COURTESY LEONA BOTANICAL CAFE & BAR PHOTO BY TAYLOR ELLIOT
COURTESY LEONA BOTANICAL CAFE & BAR PHOTO BY DIANA ROTHERY
Leona Botanical Cafe & Bar celebrates grand opening Natural. The experience is expected to gain a third dining option with the upcoming debut of Bun Bun Burger, a collaboration between the teams. The atmosphere
Leona Botanical Cafe & Bar has brought a new dining and community experience near the Sunset Valley neighborhood. Featuring Thai cuisine and Mexican dishes alongside specialty co ee and cocktails, the recently launched concept sculpts a local destination for all occasions. The backstory The new space is crafted by the husband-and- wife team of Thai restaurant Dee Dee, Lakana and Justin Trubiana, and sisters Reyna and Maritza Vazquez of Veracruz All Natural. The two duos rst met as food truck neighbors in East Austin in 2018. Reyna Vasquez and Lakana Trubiana bonded as they were women starting businesses after relocating from di erent countries. The pairs stayed close when the trucks were forced to relocate and partnered up to look for a space to build alongside one another. “As a food truck you get pushed around because you don’t own the land so you’re always renting and you always have a landlord,” Justin Trubiana said. “We always wanted to do something where we’re in control of our own destiny.” What they o er Austinites can enjoy Leona’s cafe options during the day and its bar menu at night. To pair with their drinks, diners can order food from one of the two counter-service eateries on site: Thai restau- rant Dee Dee and Mexican eatery Veracruz All
The 5-acre site crafts an outdoor oasis with over 170 trees across the property. Accompanying the natural foliage is a water stream owing through- out the outdoor area. “It’s so refreshing to come to a space where you can be here in the moment and just be with humans, for me, sharing what we love to do with people like sharing our food and our culture,” Reyna Vasquez said. Justin Trubiana said the team aimed to make the environment better than they found it by being mindful of the natural landscape. Lakana Trubiana said being able to share her culture’s cuisine in an outdoor setting has been a dream of hers as she comes from a generation of farmers in Thailand. The history The property holds historical signi cance as it once belonged to philanthropist and World War II veteran Betty Grubs. Grubs become a name through her advocacy for women’s causes as well as her scholarship endowment contributions to The University of Texas Women’s Athletics Department. The Leona team will host an annual fundraising event for UT’s Betty Grubbs Endowed Scholarship Program.
Co ee and cocktails can be paired with cuisine from one of the space’s two eateries.
COURTESY LEONA BOTANICAL CAFE & BAR PHOTO BY DIANA ROTHERY
LEONA Botanical Cafe & Bar o cially opened in Sunset Valley on Nov. 11.
COURTESY LEONA BOTANICAL CAFE & BAR PHOTO BY DIANA ROTHERY
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
6405 Brodie Lane, Sunset Valley www.leonacafebar.com
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