Demolished piñata store business to return

Jumpolin, the East Austin piñata store that made national news as a sort of gentrification case study when it was unceremoniously demolished overnight in 2015, is back in business, according to a Saturday report by local ABC affiliate KVUE.

The owners of Jumpolin, Monica and Sergio Lajarazu, told the television station that they are readying a space at 2605 E. Cesar Chavez Street, approximately a mile east of their previous location, 1401 East Cesar Chavez Street.

The original site was razed by F&F Real Estate Ventures, which had been permitted for a South by Southwest event (later canceled after the demolition and protests became news) at the location. According to the Lajarazus, they received no warning of the demolition, and thousands of dollars’ worth of their inventory was destroyed.

The story quickly became a flashpoint for protests and a symbol of the gentrification that has pressured the East Cesar Chavez and other Eastside neighborhoods in recent years. The controversy continued to bubble over the years, with more protests from time to time. The Blue Cat Café—a coffee shop where patrons can interact with cats and have the opportunity to adopt them—was vandalized in October, although it was unclear if the action was related to the destruction of the piñata shop.

KVUE reported that all parties resolved the issue months after the demolition and agreed to keep the terms private. The story also noted that Jumpolin has been selling its goods at temporary locations in the interim, but that it has an “official lease” at its new location.

According to KVUE, Jumpolin’s grand opening will be Aug. 22.

• East Austin piñata store Jumpolin making a comeback [KVUE-TV]

• East Austin piñata store demolished without warning, owners say [CultureMap]