Inside Central Market: How a Grocery Store Became an Austin Institution

When Central Market first opened its doors in January 1994, the store stood out against typical Texas supermarkets. Plastic produce bins were swapped for sustainable cardboard crates, name-brand products were replaced by local goods, and the property featured a large outdoor patio where shoppers danced to live music. More than 30 years later, the Central Market on North Lamar remains a staple in the community, bringing Austinites together for good food, local bites, live music, and cultural events.

With its array of colorful fruits and glistening vegetables perfectly placed in rustic paper bins, Central Market emulates an open-air European marketplace. Hand-painted wooden signs advertising new products and recipe suggestions adorn the walls, informing shoppers of each food’s nutritional benefits. Experts in produce, Central Market employees sprinkle shopping guide cards among new products. Not only do these cards highlight local farms, they also prompt guests to sample items outside of their comfort zone. Thus, patrons are encouraged to be slow shoppers, taking time to enjoy selecting their produce rather than flying through a grocery list. The store’s forced flow model—the intentional design of supermarket aisles to control foot traffic—encourages shoppers to consider products as part of a well-rounded meal instead of just a list of ingredients. Greeted by seasonal vegetables, one is reminded to add more leafy greens to their plate. After passing by a section of exotic fruits and an in-store mushroom incubator, shoppers are guided to the meat and seafood department, where—like a bustling bazaar—they can pick their protein from cuts of meat, chicken, or seafood. With their main course wrapped in artisanal butcher paper, shoppers are led to rows of wine (over 2,500 labels!), which pair perfectly with a hearty meal.

Central Market’s layout underscores the store’s philosophy of promoting healthy lifestyles: only after meandering through fresh products are shoppers immersed in traditional aisles containing pasta, canned goods, frozen meals, and snacks. Yet even pantry staples support the supermarket’s mission of introducing Austinites to affordable, epicurean foods. While some products belong to the Central Market Organics brand and others, such as freshly baked bread, are made in-house, the majority of items stocked on shelves are sourced from small businesses. Instead of name-brand sodas, shoppers will find probiotic pop or kombucha—including Austin’s own KTonic Kombucha—lining refrigerators. The dairy department sports milk in glass bottles from Volleman’s Family Farm in Gustine, plant-based yogurt from Milk & Patience in Dallas, and Raw Cheddar from Mill-King Market & Creamery in McGregor, Texas. In the snack aisle, items with heavily processed ingredients are replaced by gourmet alternatives. Rather than Lay’s Chips and movie-theater microwave popcorn, Central Market features feta and dill potato chips and gochujang-flavored popcorn.

To demonstrate its commitment to supporting local businesses, Central Market frequently invites grocers to offer samples of their products to shoppers. In interacting with small business owners directly, shoppers learn more about their grocery suppliers. At Central Market, shopping is elevated from a chore to an immersion into the Austin community.

In addition to shopping for gourmet groceries, Austinites gather at Central Market to visit the in-house café. Operating from 7:00 AM-9:00 PM, the Central Market Café offers delicious bites for every meal of the day. In the morning, sip some locally brewed drip coffees or try out a more experimental drink from Central Market’s coffee shop. For those with a bit of a sweet tooth, I highly recommend the Cafe Mexicana, a chocolatey latte with a spicy, chili pepper twist. Pastries and smoothies are available for purchase at the coffee shop, but I suggest taking a look at the café’s breakfast menu, which features pancakes, migas, French toast, and oatmeal. If you’re hungry and on a budget, I’d point you to the $3 breakfast tacos—particularly the potato, egg, and cheese taco. But be sure to arrive before 10:30 if you are hoping to order breakfast.

If you wake up after breakfast is over (as I often do), you can order from the café’s lunch and dinner menu, which sports a variety of dishes, including a Mediterranean salad, the CM burger, and a delicious chicken sandwich smothered in avocado and aioli. I always love pairing my dishes with a side of sweet potato fries for a perfect mix of sweet and salty. If you’re in the mood for Italian, try one of the café’s signature pizza pies. Ranging from artichoke and olive to margherita to traditional cheese, these pizzas are as tasty as they are affordable.

Beyond its staple dishes, the Central Market Café hosts a rotating menu, utilizing seasonal produce and promoting local events. For example, get into the fall spirit with the new French onion burger, which is smeared with a savory thyme and onion jam and melted cheese, or the red curry lacquered salmon, served with glass noodles and toasted coconut. Previous seasonal dishes have included a New Orleans po’ boy, a Hatch chili-infused pizza, and a pecan-crusted catfish. During the passport series—an annual event in which Central Market transforms its supermarket into a foreign marketplace, highlighting international products—guests can enjoy bites from around the world without needing to reach for their passport. Previous countries have included Germany, Greece, Brazil, Italy, Portugal, and France.

Of course, no trip to the Central Market Café is complete without a visit to the gelato bar. Perhaps Austin’s best-kept secret, the gelato bar features scrumptious flavors such as almond, mascarpone and fig, caramel apple, mint chocolate chip, vanilla, and coffee. Lactose-intolerant guests can choose from an array of dairy-free fruit sorbets, like mango, watermelon, passionfruit, and lemon.

Central Market is not just “really into food;” it’s really into community as well. From Thursday to Sunday, the supermarket utilizes its wooden patio to host local bands. In a world of screenagers and phone addictions, there is nothing quite like watching members of your community come together to live in the moment. Gathered under a cool, starry night, patrons are invited to dance and enjoy live music for free with their friends and family. If your little ones are not in the dancing mood, they can play on the large outdoor playground, making Central Market the perfect place for a family-friendly night out. I personally recommend going to see Seu Jacinto play; this Brazilian forró band always draws an energetic crowd! Cultural celebrations are also commonly held at Central Market. In the past, the supermarket has hosted a Mid-Autumn Moon Fest, a pumpkin-painting Halloween event, a Hanukkah celebration, and the Feast of Sharing—a free Thanksgiving community dinner for low-income families.

For a more sophisticated date night, check out Central Market’s cooking school. Hosted in a private room on the upper floor, the cooking school offers daily classes on subjects ranging from perfecting your ramen to mastering meatless mushroom meals to sharpening your knife skills to making French macarons. The cooking school occasionally hosts international cooking demonstrations with specialty chefs, such as Özlem Warren (Turkey), Iliana de la Vega (Mexico), and Ginette Suissa (Morocco). Tickets to these events start at $85 and can be booked through Eventbrite.

Central Market also supports the Central Texas community through philanthropic endeavors. The store gives 5% of its earnings to charitable programs and houses a Community Investment Program that donates funds, products, or volunteers to causes such as hunger relief, education, and environmental initiatives. When the Central Market on North Lamar celebrated its 30th anniversary by setting the Guinness World Record for the largest charcuterie board (1,000 lbs of meat, cheese, and fruit!), the store commemorated the occasion with a $30,000 donation to the St. David’s Foundation. After the tragic Camp Mystic flood, Central Market and H-E-B responded within 24 hours, donating $5 million to flood relief efforts in Kerrville. The supermarkets also sent a mobile kitchen, which provided meals, water, food vouchers, and cleaning kits to Texans affected by the flood.

Central Market is more than a supermarket, it’s a community institution dedicated to bringing Texans together. So the next time you are looking for an elevated shopping experience, wanting to try chef-curated meals, or seeking great live music, swing by Central Market.