Popular San Antonio vegan bar and restaurant La Botanica will close after losing lease

Though La Botanica — Texas' first vegan restaurant and full bar — survived the initial wave of COVID-19 closures, the local favorite was denied a new lease by its landlord and will close October 20.

“We have reached the end of our building lease and have been denied a new contract. This means that La Botanica’s doors at 2911 N. St. Mary’s St will permanently close,” founder and executive chef Rebel Mariposa said in a release.

“We knew from the beginning, it would always be a risk if we didn’t own the building, but under these pandemic circumstances, we see we are not alone.”

Since it's opening in 2015, La Botanica has served the community thoughtful, nutritious vegan eats and drinks. It's also provided a safe, inclusive and LGBTQ-friendly event space.

“We didn’t create La B so we could sell our soul for money and power. We did it to build community, foster creativity, and challenge the status quo,” said Mariposa. “From the beginning of this venture, we have fought every single step of the way to reclaim and demand space as queer Latinx/Tejanx womxn, and we are proud that the original St. Mary’s location of La Botanica will go down in San Anto and Tejanx history for the impact it has made.”

To date, there is no confirmed plan on when and where La Botanica will reopen.

However, the owners are hopeful that a grant from San Antonio micro-business lender LiftFund can allow them to keep the business alive and thriving in an equitable way. La Botanica applied for the grant this summer and is still waiting on the outcome.

La Botanica will remain open for patio seating Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to midnight and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. until it closes.

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