Businesses along The Drag have served the UT community for decades. Many students, staff, and tourists see these businesses as part of UT’s culture. However, UT’s move to buy out businesses on the intersection West 20th Street and Guadalupe Street causes UT to disconnect from Austin’s culture.

The businesses affected by UT’s purchase have little to no affordable options for relocation and return on investment for their contribution to UT’s atmosphere. Some businesses have already closed their doors for good. Other businesses, like Kung Fu Tea, are fighting closure and trying to negotiate with UT to receive assistance with relocation, financial leniency or compensation. 

UT should help the owners of these bought-out businesses by providing them with aid, whether that be financially or by helping them find new locations. 

This situation captured attention in May when the daughter of Poke Bay owners posted a TikTok that went viral overnight about the buyout. The comments were filled with the Austin community sharing their disappointment with UT’s decision. The decision not only changed the lives of the tenants, but it changed the community that many have grown to know and love.   

Matt Gong, the owner of Kung Fu Tea, was shocked to receive documentation in April that his lease would end at the end of October when he still had a year left on his lease. He had planned to recover Kung Fu Tea from the effects of COVID-19.

“I’m still trying to make up for our initial investment, which was almost $100,000,” Gong said. “That’s part of the problem with me saying, ‘Let’s just open another location.’ I don’t really have that much money, especially after COVID.”

These businesses have already suffered through COVID-19. Now the added hurdle of relocation is causing additional stress to the minds of the owners. 

As a UT alumnus, Gong feels hurt by the way UT treated him and the other businesses along The Drag. He is now faced with decisions he did not see coming, like whether to close down for good or find a new location.

Austin has recently been the marker for extremely high rent increases. In the past year, rent has risen over 48%. This rent hike makes it difficult for tenants on The Drag to find new locations because rent has increased significantly since the start of the leases. 

Shilpa Bakre, executive director of communication and marketing for UT, said that the University will be in contact with the businesses affected soon.

“We appreciate the role local businesses have in our campus community, and we will engage them in discussions about other University options for relocations,” Bakre said in an email. 

This statement is almost identical to the University’s previous statement from almost a month ago. After media pressure from the Austin community, UT announced that they would talk to the tenants about options moving forward. However, according to Gong, there has been no communication about relocation or financial compensation since receiving news about his lease ending. 

The businesses along The Drag have been an integral part of UT’s campus since the ‘90s. Unfortunately, the loss of these businesses also contributes to the loss of culture around Austin.

UT should give retribution to the affected businesses by either providing financial or relocation assistance. 

The businesses that make the UT campus rich and diverse do not deserve to be treated this way. UT needs to right their wrongs by giving back to the community that has given back to UT for decades. 

DuBois is a public relations and sociology sophomore from Killeen, Texas.