'Uncomfortably busy': Some Austin businesses see spike amid water woes

As Austin's boil water notice spilled into the workweek, some local businesses saw a bump in sales.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As Austin's boil water notice spilled into the workweek, some local businesses saw a bump in sales.

Lucky Lab Coffee, a West Campus bakery and café near the University of Texas at Austin, told KXAN its Monday was busier than usual, thanks to some extra cold brew coffee, kegged ahead of last week's ice storm, and the closure of a nearby competitor.

"We've had a lot of traffic since the Starbucks is closed on the corner," said owner Courtney Natenstedt, adding that her mostly-student clientele has been understanding.

"We've been able to tweak the menu so that we can do most of our seasonal menu...just in a different form like iced or drip coffee," she said.

Local ice distributor Ice Works in North Austin said Monday was unusually busy, too. With many local restaurants and bars unable to make ice on their own, hundreds scrambled to place orders for prepackaged ice, on-hand before the water emergency.

Owner Aric Jordan told KXAN his drivers made roughly 300 deliveries compared to the average of 50 for this time of year.

"It's been crazy. It's uncomfortably busy," Jordan said. "We're happy to have the business in February, but when every one of your customers calls on the same day, it's a little overwhelming."