After nearly 30 years of serving comfort food to the East Austin community, Hoover’s Cooking is preparing to close its doors, leaving behind a rich legacy that will continue to resonate with its patrons.
Hoover Alexander, the restaurant’s founder, has a remarkable journey that spans over five decades in the culinary world. Reflecting on his career, he noted, “It’s amazing when I look back on how many years it’s been, like 50 years, when I did not plan on making this a career.” He describes himself as a caretaker of the restaurant, which he opened in 1998 with the vision of uniting people through food.
Alexander’s culinary path began in 1973 at the iconic Night Hawk restaurant, where he initially sought extra income. What started as a part-time job evolved into a foundational experience that honed his skills in both front-of-house and back-of-house operations. “It ended up being my parallel training,” he recalled.
As a native of East Austin and a fifth-generation Texan, Alexander’s philosophy revolves around the idea of using food as a means to foster community. “One of my message statements is to let’s raise our forks, let’s lower our swords in differences,” he stated, emphasizing the inclusive atmosphere his restaurant has cultivated over the years.
Hoover’s Cooking is known for its dedication to comfort food, utilizing family recipes and from-scratch cooking methods. “We do a lot of chopping and slicing and dicing and marinating,” Alexander explained. “Some of the things may take a day or two to be ready to finish executing. I take real pride in just doing those little extra steps from scratch.”
However, a combination of pandemic-related challenges, staffing shortages, and a desire for work-life balance has led Alexander to make the difficult decision to close the restaurant. “COVID has turned us upside down. We have yet to recover from what we did before then as far as sales,” he noted. The sacrifices made throughout his career, including missed family events, have prompted him to seek a new direction.
Despite the closure, Alexander is not stepping away from the culinary world entirely. “I ain’t done yet, I’m telling people. But I want to see what lies ahead beyond the four walls of Manor Road,” he stated, hinting at future endeavors that will keep the Hoover’s name alive.
Hoover’s Cooking will officially close on May 31, and the community is encouraged to visit before then. A citywide celebration is also scheduled for June 15 to honor the restaurant and its impact on the East Austin community.
