The 24 Coolest Small Businesses In Austin

Based in Austin, found online

What it is: An iPhone case and tracker system.

Why it's cool: A product of Treehouse Labs, BiKN turns your iPhone into a tracker for all the things that are important to you — pets, keys, bags, or anything, really. The tracker is mostly run out of an app, but it is based on your use of the protective iPhone case and the BiKN tags. The case tracks your things even when your phone’s battery dies, and the color-coded BiKN tags attach to the things you want to track.

7020 Easy Wind Dr., Ste. 100

What it is: A beer co-operative and brewpub with a no-tip policy.

Why it's cool: Black Star is "the world’s first cooperatively-owned and worker self-managed brewpub," sustained by a community of more than 3,000 "member-owners" who buy shares for the chance to drink exclusive local beer, eat great food, and receive other perks.

Unlike many food establishments, Black Star pay their workers a livable wage and benefits. They believe that tips should not motivate workers to provide excellent customer service, so they don't accept them (and still provide great service!).

314 Congress Ave., Ste. 200

What it is: A yoga studio that teaches classes while suspended in the air.

Why it's cool: Yoga can sometimes be challenging enough on solid ground, but Four Elements raises the bar, literally, and hosts their "aerial" yoga classes on silk hammocks suspended from the ceiling. Aerial yoga gives its students a wider range of movement than floor yoga, and increases blood flow and circulation while allowing for bigger stretches.

Aerial yoga is becoming increasingly popular throughout the country, but Four Elements is the first (and so far, the only) studio to offer this yoga form.

801 Rio Grande St.

What it is: A brand new language school aimed at adult learners.

Why it's cool: Located in a beautiful house in the Austin area, the school combines small size traditional classes with events that emphasize food, wine, culture, and conversation. They teach Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese, and offer specialized classes for people in specific professions, like in the legal, health care, and business management fields.

1503 South 1st St.

What it is: A mind-blowingly weird donut shop.

Why it's cool: Gourdough's Big. Fat. Donuts. (yes, that's their full name) is known for having the oddest donut creations in Austin. And the biggest: Some of their donuts are so big that they're better eaten with a fork.

Based out of a vintage Airstream Trailer, donut aficionados can line up for donut delicacies like the Boss Hog, a donut with pulled pork and potato salad drizzled with honey barbecue sauce, or the Mother Clucker, a donut topped with fried chicken and honey butter.

Follow them on Twitter for locations

What it is: A vegetarian, Mexican food truck with a mohawk.

Why it's cool: Owners Benjamin and Ashlea Miller painted an old mail truck green, gave it a spiky black mohawk, and now serve some of the city's best veg food in Austin. The Mexican-inspired fare is served with fresh ingredients like avocado, jicama, mascarpone cheese (for vegetarians), or their special hot carrot habanero sauce (for vegans).

In 2013 Guac N Roll was named by The Austin Chronicle as the city's Best Food Truck With A Mohawk, but as far as we know it's the only food truck with a mohawk.

1309 Rosewood Avenue

What it is: A combination art gallery and salon that also treats hair as a work of art.

Why it's cool: Hearts & Robots hosts a rotating selection of art by local artists and photographers amidst the barber chairs used by their talented, rockin' stylists. Seeing some pink or blue ombré doesn't surprise anyone here; the mission of the salon is to provide a place for independent stylists to style "badass hair in a 'diy' and craft-inspired studio."

Hearts & Robots also encourages socially conscious business practices by decorating the salon with 90 percent up-cycled furniture and equipment.

2121 East 6th St.

What it is: A public house with tasteful wines, an incredible selection of craft beer, and great food.

Why it’s cool: Their creative small plates — nuts, cheese, charcuterie, and even duck confit nachos — are the perfect accompaniment to beer or wine. The name comes from the "hi hat" cymbals on a drum set, and Hi Hat pays its tribute with a drum set on the ceiling.

2610 Manor Rd.

What it is: A grocery store that sells fresh, local, organic produce.

Why it's cool: In addition to great produce, the store showcases some local favorites, like mango chile paletas (Latin American style popsicles) from Mom & Pops. The store makes a point of giving produce and products directly to you, doing away with the often excessive packaging you see at your local chain store.

Each product has to fit their ethos, which emphasizes reducing waste, reusing things, and avoiding artificial additives.

An app based in Austin

What it is: The first fully mobile secondary market for tickets.

Why it's cool: MeetMe Tix connects people looking for tickets with those looking to sell them, on the go and right up to game time. Sellers list their extra tickets and approximate location, you arrange a meeting through their anonymous text message service, meet up, and make the swap.

Corner of 53rd and Duval Rd.

What it is: A food truck specializing in big, deli-style sandwiches.

Why it's cool: All of the meat used in Melvin's delicious sandwiches are cured in-house. While they do have a few veggie options, carnivores will love Melvin's, which has been called a “meat-tastic sandwich truck" by Yelp reviewers.

1309 Rosewood Ave.

What it is: Amazing BBQ sold out of a refurbished trailer.

Why it’s cool: Tom Micklethwait has always loved cooking and eating barbeque. His dream of opening his own barbeque pit came true thanks to the help of an old trailer that he refurbished, and a Kickstarter campaign.

Micklethwait specializes in Hill Country-style barbeque, an old German and Czech traditional method for smoking meats with oak. Micklethwait makes everything himself, from sauces to sausages.

1614 Lavaca St.

What it is: A private “alternative entertainment venue.”

Why it's cool: Built in 1890 as a fire house, Palazzo Lavaca has lived several lives since then, but still retains its vintage charm and makes a beautiful backdrop for any kind of occasion. They host private events like engagement parties, shows, and photoshoots, but also more unique events like a recent Johnny Walker House of Walker whiskey tasting.

11525A Stonehollow Dr., Suite 100

What it is: A company that turns photos and snapshots into large, canvas wall pieces.

Why it's cool: You can take a random picture and turn it into something you'd be proud to display, in large format and on gallery quality canvas or acrylic. A particularly cool feature is a tool that allows you to upload photos from Facebook or Instagram to the service and create prints.

202 Colorado St.

What it is: A store that sells jewelry, accessories, art, and other giftable things in the popular 2nd Street District.

Why it's cool: PRIZE offers a truly eclectic selection of luxury gifts and accessories, with a focus on offering handcrafted items that reflect what's unique about Austin. They also offer interior design services and resources for people looking to change up their home or office.

1111 Chicon St.

What it is: A retail shop run by and based on the edgy erotic magazine Pure Filth.

Why it's cool: How many naughty magazines have retail locations that sell more than just recent volumes of the publication? Not many, and Pure Filth uses their brick and mortar location to sell a growing collection of local self-published books, magazines, and badass streetwear.

The magazine, which celebrates girls, graffiti, and sexual empowerment, just opened the store this past March in Austin's Foster Heights neighborhood.

6800 Burnet Rd.

What it is: A new adult toy store that openly celebrates all different sexualities.

Why it's cool: Q Toys is a safe, friendly, sex positive and non-sleazy boutique for people to buy high-end and high-quality adult toys.

Originally a mail order business based out of Phoenix, they chose to make their home — and first storefront — in Austin. They also throw parties.

Based in Austin, found online

What it is: A website that offers one central place for volunteer groups to get organized online.

Why it's cool: Started in the spring of 2012, Rallyhood is already being used by organizations like the Susan B. Komen foundation, the Girl Scouts of Texas, and Habitat for Humanity in Austin. It works to make it easier to run and organize large groups, and to create a better experience for them.

Founder and CEO Patti Rogers created it after seeing her own community rally around her after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

800 West 6th St., Ste. 100

What it is: An elegant, upscale restaurant that personalizes the dining experience with custom meals.

Why it's cool: Wait staff at Restaurant Jezebel will ask you about your dietary preferences and favorites, and create a customized, delicate dinner menu just for you, paired with wine, cigars, or both.

Owner and Executive Chef Parind Vora was originally pursuing a medical degree in the top 15 percent of his class at St. Matthews University School of Medicine, but his love of food drove him instead to travel the world and open a restaurant full of the culture he soaked up along the way.

502 West 30th St.

What it is: A funky shop that sells more than 80 different artists’ crafts and wares.

Why it's cool: Burlap sells gorgeous and craft handmade clothing, eco-friendly goods, home decor, and more. Their items make great gifts; the products are reminiscent of items sold at Urban Outfitters, only a lot more unique.

Follow them on Twitter for locations

What it is: Outrageously-topped hot dogs.

Why it's cool: You get your franks from a completely different kind of hot dog cart at The Evil Wiener. More people come for the toppings than they do for the dogs.

The toppings are inspired by cuisine from all over the world — New York deli lovers can opt for the Uncle Reuben (a hot dog topped with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, grilled onions, and thousand island dressing) while those looking for Japanese can try the Samurai (a hot dog inside a sushi roll that's been deep-fried, tempura style, topped with shiitake mushrooms, daikon radish, and wasabi peas).

1900 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.

What it is: A corner store that goes above and beyond for East Austin residents.

Why it's cool: Wet Whistle isn't your typical corner grocery. In addition to staples, the store has great espresso, farmers market produce, vegan snacks and aguas frescas. The store knows its hip clientele: it even has a bike-through window for people looking for groceries or coffee on the go.

11900 FM 812 in Del Valle, Tex.

What it is: A full-service apparel manufacturing facility near Austin.

Why it's cool: WhiteStar can put together single garments for one person, or it can manufacture several hundred garments for a local designer. It serves as a sort of incubator for designers, with studio space and staff available to help move from sales sample to final production.

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