After a long renovation, operation changes and temporary closures, Teddy B’s has officially decided to close its doors. On Oct. 13, the local burger establishment announced they would be ending their operations at the end of the month — no specific date was mentioned.
Teddy B’s opening was the result of Teddy B’s owner, Edgar Cavazos, and an unnamed partner “[wanting] to be their own boss.” Since its opening in September 2014, Teddy B’s has had a larger-than-life menu with an equally charismatic staff. Cavazos has created their large menu to ensure there is “a little bit for everyone because not everyone likes burgers.” Their menu includes a range of options from veggie burgers, grilled cheese, funnel cakes, agua frescas and much more. Among their staff is the restaurant’s namesake — which is immediately evident from their logo — Cavazos’ eight-year-old English Bulldog, Teddy. He is alive and well, and turning nine in December.
From day one, the restaurant shared space with the gas station located at 6392 Babcock Rd, with outdoor seating and minimal indoor seating that bled into the main space of the station. While it worked for most of their tenure, they had to expand into a space that was their own. On May 1, 2023, renovations began on their own space, and operations were temporarily moved to their food truck outside the same gas station. With their facilities reduced to the food trailer, they had to switch to reduced hours that fluctuated heavily due to the high summer temperatures. Their food trailer operation had to cease because they were not turning a profit with the truck operating and bills continuing to pile up. “I ended up getting rid of [the food trailer] to get some money to pay some bills,” Cavazos stated. “Product prices [have] affected everybody. We’re still dealing with the main part, [which] is our meat, that went from $2 a pound to $4 a pound,” a harsh reality that many other business owners have to face, especially when the price of produce has doubled in recent years.
Although the restaurant has been struggling recently due to its location, Teddy B’s was very successful during the pandemic.
“We actually did pretty good during Covid,” Cavazos stated.
Gas stations being considered an essential business at the time played a hand in their unlikely success. Customers from the gas station were still able to order through the drive-through and across the counter, even at the peak of the pandemic. They were also assisted by the city, receiving grants that allowed their business to continue to stay afloat.
The problem Teddy B’s faced once they reopened was people and their memory. Although their customers were very loyal to them, as Cavazos stated, “People have short-term memory, and there’s so much competition, so if you’re not available, then people forget.”
All of these culminated in Teddy B’s announcement on Aug. 4 that “[they] have experienced a notable decline in customer traffic, which has significantly impacted [their] ability to maintain cost,” and “in upcoming weeks [they] will make the hard decision if [they] need to close [their] doors.” The message gained traction reaching local San Antonio food reviewers, some of whom made content for the restaurant to help revitalize their business. Cavazos was thankful for the wave of support, stating “just the way everybody rallied around us. It’s little things like that. Everybody coming through; we appreciate it.”
Aug. 7 Teddy B’s put out another announcement on their social media saying, “Every individual who has walked through our doors has brought back hope to us. The future is uncertain, but we are deeply appreciative of the immense support we have received. If we are able to keep our business afloat, we aspire to continue being your preferred choice for meals. Your backing of our small business has been priceless, particularly in these trying times. It’s important to recognize that many local businesses are facing hardships, and not all may have had the chance to convey their thanks. Each and every one of you has left a lasting impact that goes beyond words and expressing our gratitude. A genuine thank you, Teddy B’s.”
Teddy B’s rode the wave until they could no longer, and on Oct. 13, the owners announced their goodbye to San Antonio. On Facebook and Instagram, the bulldog-logoed restaurant thanked the San Antonio community for its loyalty and support.
“Teddy B’s customers, we are writing to inform you that our establishment will close its doors at the end of this month,” it’s Facebook page wrote. “We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our customer base for their loyalty over the past 10 years. We aim to preserve our menu offerings for the remainder of our operation. Thank you sincerely for your unwavering support.”
Fans of the gas station spot flocked to the comments to beg the establishment to stay and many others shared this sentiment. Luckily for fans, hope may still be on the horizon. “If I can find something else we’ll try to make it work. We have some locations that we’ve been looking at, but fingers crossed,” Cavasos stated.
