Nestled amongst the leafy oaks and Hyde Parks homes sits Tiny Grocer and its
adjacent outdoor restaurant, Bureau de Post. With a nod and wink to the United
States Post Office that formerly occupied the space, owner and founder Steph
Steele reminisces, “I named the restaurant post office (‘in French since I love French
bistro food and that’s what is served here’). She moved to Austin from the Bay Area
and began Tiny Grocer on Congress about four years ago but quickly realized that
what was missing was an outdoor space for the community to gather and say hi to
neighbors and people one knows.”
“When the opportunity arose to get this space, I took a leap of faith and dove head
in, just like years ago when I left Whole Foods after growing up and learning
everything there was to know about being a buyer in the grocery business for over
twenty years,” admits the fearless Steele. She started in 1995 when Whole Foods
had 70 stores, which felt like a fantastic amount, but it offered opportunities to
grow. She loves delis. She started in the deli department and loved making
sandwiches. {Pastrami is her favorite deli meat}.
She admits, “Austin doesn’t understand a deli. New York does, and S.F. does, but I
want to help them understand it, which is why I do this.” The menu is her favorite
things, and “if I’m going to be in a place most of the day, it should have my favorite
items, such as pastrami, french dip, ham and cheese croissants out of our day old
croissants that puff up beautifully when reheated.” Their deli counter has East
Coast favorites you won’t typically find, such as shrimp salad, smoked trout salad, a
Waldorf salad, egg salad, multi-colored beet salad with chevré, macaroni salad, and
breakfast bacon, egg, and cheese made with homemade buttermilk biscuits, plus
some outrageously delicious empanadas.
Like typical delis on the East Coast, you’ll find warm food such as breakfast omelets,
lunch soups, and sandwiches.
Everything goes beyond food procurement. Steele eventually rose in position at
Whole Foods to become the food buyer for HQ in Austin and opened up Whole
Foods near the Arboretum. The company was growing far more prominent than its
original mission, with Amazon purchasing heading its way. Fortuitously, Steele saw
the writing on the wall and left before the merger happened. She wanted to get
back to what she loved most about her original job, “to find local purveyors and
help promote their brands at the initial stages of their development before they go
statewide or national. Working closely with the CPG community is a labor of love,
and it’s my joy to help them get their products on our tiny shelves.”
A typical grocery store has nine departments. Steele made all those departments in
Tiny Grocer’s small setting. She used the example of mustard. In a supermarket,
‘there are four feet of mustard, but who needs that? She curates one brand per
type of mustard: Dijon, yellow, whole grain, and horseradish, which we sell.’
In addition to canned and frozen food products, Tiny Grocer sells fresh perishables
like arugula (all fresh products are from local purveyors). Another section features
high-end housewares, tableware, kitchenware, beauty, and home products, which
sets Tiny Grocer apart.
She explained one of the significant differences between being an employee and an
entrepreneur, which is to be eternally curious. This is why her concept for a French
bistro restaurant works very well. Although Austin has seen a couple of good
French restaurants, The Bureau de Post Dinner stands out for its quality and
ambiance. It serves classic bistro favorites like beef tartare, French onion soup,
escargot for starters, steak frites, moules et frites, ratatouille, and duck leg
cassoulet for main. They have an extensive French wine list and serve dinner
indoors adjacent to the coffee bar, deli counter and outdoors under the covered
white canvas tarp.
Reserve your table at
Open Monday – Sunday from 5:00 – 9:00 pm
Open for brunch on weekends from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm