Cactus Cafe closing

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Well the place should be self-sufficient... if the Union can't manage it properly they should find other management to run the place instead of shuttering it. I'm shocked almost as much as when Steamboat closed down.

I guess this officially removes the moniker Live Music Capital of the World
 
Sad. Yes, Nanci Griffith, Riders in the Sky and many others... Long Island Teas that didn't stay down...

What will make the U. money there?
 
Something in this story doesn't add up. Every show I've ever been to at the Cactus ended up being standing room only. The Cactus sells plenty of alcohol in the evenings and coffee during the day. And it doesn't have to pay rent. How could it not have been making a huge profit?
 
I hate this, and the dropping of informal classes. And the killing of stuff like the Texas Union film program years ago. The University is losing so much that made it unique and special, and made it not just a school but a major part of Austin life and culture. The drag and most of the Union is all corporate now. Everything is all about money. They'll probably let a <censored> Starbucks set up where the Cactus used to be.

I love the UT football program but couldn't they take a tiny fraction of that massive revenue stream to keep functions like this going?
 
seems really strange - gotta be something that can be done.

contract operations out and charge some rent, do something.
 
This is truly sad. I agree with how they can be losing that much money a year. What is the over head? It is a small room that has to be tiny in utility costs compared to just about any other place on campus. So what is the overhead? Surely, they make enough to pay the 4 workers they have at each show. (I think they have 2 tending bar, and 2 at the door.)
I will probably call and complain.. hacks me off.
 
I think there is something fishy about lumping the CC with Informal Classes. I hate the University's single-mindedness about money. These are both programs that tie the University to the community.

I've hated watching the Union go from a place for students to eat, study in non-TV rooms or congregate in various ways into a giant, soul-less food court.

I do sometimes think the administrators and staff at Texas think it would be a great place to work if there were no students.

Rant over. I got gouged by UT one too many times over the years.
 
if they ran it like a business they would make money. i could put any establishment on campus free of university intervention and make a fortune. of course, the university skims from it so it loses money. idiots..
 
Sad-I've seen many a good show there, although don't go see live music much anymore. The informal classes were a great thing too. I took country dancing there, and several other things over the years. It was a fun way to stay connected to campus as an ex-student, although again, not much time recently to take any classes.
I wonder how the financial picture really was for those two budget items. How bad could they have been?
This news sucks.
 
The upside? I don't think anyone under Informal Classes was let go. I believe they are all being moved around to other divisions.
 
After listening to portions of today's open budget meeting where Powers was defending the decision and basically said it's a budgetary choice by the students to shut down the Cactus Cafe and there's no going back, I definitely think there's something fishy going on.

They know what's going to happen to space and don't want to divulge the plans because it would cause a bigger public fubar than already exists. This has been in the works for a while and it was kept quiet as long as possible.

As of today, there's over 14,000 people on the "Save the Cactus Cafe" FB page.

Musicians love that place. It's nationally known and appreciated. Closing the Cactus Cafe is just moronic.
 
It's probably #3, but we'll see what happens to that space a year from now.
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10 bucks says a large food chain of some sort is moving in with big bucks.
 
ugh. That it was students making this decision makes it all the more upsetting. I just can't understand why they just want to do away with something so iconic. WTF are they gonna put there instead? Expanded Wendy's? I wish they would have thought a little harder. Raise tuition for the informal classes. See about a capital campaign for the Cafe. Anything but just axing them off the top.
 
I'm really surprised that this thread hasn't received more attention. I guess I misjudged my fellow hornfans. This music venue is truly a jewel that deserves protecting. If you've never been there, go. Best $15-$20 you will ever spend.

I have heard some great music there in recent years (Tony McManus, Jake Shimabukuru, Beppe Gambetta, Sonya Kitchell, Bob Schneider). This decision is a big F-YOU to the live music community in Austin, And not just the musicians. Music lovers will lose a unique treasure? The arts community really needs to stick together on this. Today it's the Cactus Cafe. Who knows what it will be tomorrow?

Please do something to help.
 
There must have been 500 or more people at the Town Hall meeting yesterday, including Guy Forsyth etc... I don't think Powers was prepared for that.
 
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