The Viral Construction Guy Instagram Account Was Just a Coffee Marketing Stunt

Viral Instagram Account
It turns out that recently viral Instagram account of an Austin construction worker named Omar who called himself a “lifestyle influencer” with 436k followers was actually just a marketing ploy by Cuvee Coffee. It started because founder and owner Mike McKim thought they “need[ed] a different type of influencer,” as he told BuzzFeed, “a hard worker, blue-collar guy.” It started when a now-private Twitter account by the name of @barbzlovescarbs explained that her “father” (aka Omar) said he could be an influencer while sharing screenshots of his Instagram account. It blew up when the tweet was picked up by meme aggregators and Reddit. Omar is an actual Austin-area construction worker who posed for the photos.

New Brunches
Hyde Park Italian cafe Uncle Nicky’s started serving weekend brunch last week. Dishes include lots of eggy ones, from truffled eggs to omelets with cured meats and cheese as well as Italian sausages with fried eggs, griddled peaches with ricotta and crispy ham, miniature ricotta pancakes, and more. Brunch cocktails will include bellinis, mimosas, and the Saturday Morning ‘Toons with Cinnamon Toast Crunch-infused cream and bourbon. It’s available from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sundays.

Then, New American restaurant Emmer & Rye is switching up its Sunday brunch series theme, going from Caribbean to “American diner.” Dishes will include classic American dishes, like patty melts; waffles with shaved chocolate and whipped cream; Johnny cakes with fermented potatoes, maple syrup, and pickled onions; and ice cream floats. Drinks will include Midwest Old Fashioneds, bloody marys, martinis, and more. The staff will be decked out in themed uniforms as well. It begins on Sunday, June 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will be available for the following three months through September.

Domain-Area Restaurant Openings
The far north area welcomed two new restaurants. First, the third Austin location of Taiwanese bubble tea chain Gong Cha at the Domain Northside on 3210 Esperanza Crossing opens tomorrow on Saturday, June 15. During its opening, it will offer buy-one-get-one-free drinks on Saturday and Sunday.

Then, fast-casual Mediterranean chain Cava opened its fourth Austin location at the Domain on 11410 Century Oaks Terrace. This is the first Texas location to offer pick-ups by cars through a designated window.