OCTOBER 2019 79
could go toe-to-toe with my boy Aaron
Franklin,” he adds with a laugh. Barbecue
is served on Friday evenings to go
alongside live music.
Four to five nights a week you can hear
everything from psych-rock to country
and polka on Scholz’s outdoor stage.
Northcutt has worked to expand the
crowd with diverse bands and a variety of
events, from political rallies to the Bloody
Mary Fest, a celebration of the brunch
cocktail held in April.
Growing new business may be an
even bigger challenge for Scholz’s than
appeasing longtime customers. Located
on a stretch of San Jacinto Boulevard,
the historic building is tucked between
nondescript state office buildings
and frequent construction. However,
Northcutt doesn’t seem too worried.
“The spirit of the beer garden, and
friends and family and community hav-
ing a good time, are what’s going to keep
this place alive,” he says. As the battle
between “new Austin” and “old Aus-
tin” continues to rage among residents
and expats, Scholz’s and its proprietorsare content to just be Austin. As North-
cutt says, “If you want to keep it weird in
Austin, that’s great. But we want to keep
Scholz stable and fun.”