WELCOME!
To
The Local Stay
"Stay Local, Explore More."

Our
Story

Our Mission

Our long-term vision extends beyond catering to create a destination that brings together hospitality, education, and sustainable plant-based cuisine under one roof. We aim to acquire property for a bed and breakfast that serves as both a welcoming retreat for guests and a living classroom for the next generation of culinary professionals.

This vision represents the natural evolution of Velvet Whisk from a catering company into a comprehensive hospitality and education center. By creating a space where guests can stay, dine, celebrate, and learn, we're building a model for how food businesses can nourish both people and community while training the culinary leaders of tomorrow. Our employee-ownership model will ensure that those who help build this dream share in its success, creating lasting opportunity and stability for our team.

The bed and breakfast will become a destination where sustainability isn't just practiced but celebrated, where education happens through hands-on experience, and where every guest leaves inspired by what plant-based hospitality can be.

The Local Stay isn’t just a hotel — it’s a local ecosystem where people stay, work, learn, and thrive.
It builds community while remaining profitable through diverse, sustainable revenue streams that reinforce each other.

"The Greatest Thing You Will Ever Learn Is To Love & Be Loved In Return."

The Heart

Brand Overview
The Local Stay blends modern hospitality with community energy.

Guests experience more than a room — they engage with Austin’s local food, culture, business, and creativity.

Core Values

Authentic local connection

Comfort with Sustainability
Community partnership

Support for local entrepreneurs

At the heart of the property will be a full commercial kitchen designed not just for production, but for education. We will partner with culinary schools and training programs to provide internships that give aspiring chefs real-world experience in plant-based cooking, hospitality operations, and sustainable kitchen practices. These interns will work alongside our experienced team, learning everything from breakfast service and event catering to menu development and kitchen management.

The property will include versatile event spaces capable of hosting weddings, corporate retreats, cooking classes, and community gatherings. This allows us to continue our catering legacy while expanding into full-service event hosting, where guests experience our commitment to sustainability from the moment they arrive until their last bite of dessert.

Our Core Services

At The Local Stay, we invite you on a journey where nature, craft, and community converge. Each dish is an invitation to explore the landscape of plants, light, and memory — grown, harvested and prepared with intention. Rooted in Austin’s local ecosystem and guided by sustainability and hospitality, this tasting menu is more than cuisine: it is a living story of our place, our people, and our promise.

Accomidations

Hotel & Suites
(standard + premium) Daily stays, extended stays, event packages

Student Housing

40 rooms reserved semesterly “Live Local. Study Better.” housing program.

Main Elements of a Hotel

These are the core pillars that define how a hotel operates and what it offers.

1. Accommodation

Room Types: Standard, Deluxe, Suite, Penthouse, etc.

Comfort & Cleanliness: Quality of beds, linens, amenities, and housekeeping.

Design & Ambience: Interior aesthetics, lighting, layout, and technology.

Food & Beverage

Dining Room & Café

Farm-to-table menu, brunch, catering Local ingredients, delivery, special events

Event Hall

Weddings mixers, corporate retreats In-house catering, audio-visual, décor options

2. Food & Beverage (F&B)

Restaurant(s): In-house dining options (casual, fine dining, buffet).

Bar/Lounge: Social space with signature cocktails or local craft drinks.

Room Service & Catering: 24/7 convenience or event dining.

3. Guest Services

Concierge & Front Desk: Personalized assistance, check-in/out efficiency.

Housekeeping & Laundry: Consistency and attention to detail.

Transportation Services: Shuttle, valet, or parking convenience.

Amenities

Facilities & Amenities

Leisure: Pool, spa, fitness center, gardens, rooftop terrace, etc.

Business: Conference rooms, coworking spaces, high-speed Wi-Fi.

Extras: Pet-friendly services, family play areas, eco-features, etc.

5. Safety & Cleanliness
Modern security systems, emergency plans.

6. Technology
Smart check-in, in-room tablets, mobile keys, and app-based service requests.

Coworking / Co-Op

Space Shared work & meeting zones Memberships, private offices, creative studios

Spa & Wellness

Independent professionals lease space Massage, nails, facials, therapy sessions

Boutique Retail

Curated local businesses Gift shop, florist, gallery, sustainable goods

Departments:

1. Front Office & Guest Services
2. Food & Beverage
3. Event & Catering Management
4. Student Housing Coordination
5. Coworking & Corporate Accounts
6. Retail & Vendor Relations
7. Spa & Wellness Partnerships
8. Facilities & Maintenance

The B&B Bistro At The Local Stay Hotel

The B&B Bistro Menu

Narrative & Concept Integration

This meal reflects The Local Stay’s mission: a place where hospitality, sustainability, and education meet, and where each guest becomes part of the local ecosystem (plants, producers, community).

The seven courses mirror seven seasons of growth and transformation — from awakening (light, cold) to transcendence (rich, reflective).

Each dish uses plant-forward, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, consistent with Velvet Whisk’s value of “100 % Plant-Based | Locally Sourced | Sustainably Packaged”.

The presentation and service are elevated: sugar dome reveal, temperature contrasts, artful plating, and meaningful ingredient back-stories (for example, “heirloom beets from our partner grower”).

The beverage pairings span sparkling, light whites, rosé, red, sweet wine — offering a full arc of flavor just as the food does.

Main Dishes

Tasting Menu: “Seven Seasons: A Landscape in Seven Courses”

1. Awakening – Tri-Cold Prelude

A trio of chilled shooters:

Cauliflower & white truffle velouté with micro-greens and foam

Sun-dried tomato & roasted red pepper gazpacho with lime, cilantro, jalapeño and basil pearls

Cucumber-melon fresca with half lime-infused salt rim and half chili-lime salt, garnished with a lime wedge
Paired with: Champagne Brut Nature

2. Emergence – Asparagus & Mushroom Crostini

Herb-cashew cream-filled cherry tomato, asparagus ribbons, cultured mushroom cream quenelle, micro-greens, edible flowers, basil oil and finishing salt. Served with cucumber-water gel accents on a chilled white plate.
Paired with: Sancerre or Grüner Veltliner

3. Vibrance – Artisan Garden Salad

Baby heirloom lettuces, frisée and pea tendrils interwoven with compressed watermelon & cantaloupe cubes, shaved fennel, pickled radish rounds, avocado rose, candied walnuts, dried edible flowers, micro-greens, champagne vinaigrette droplets and aged balsamic pearls (spherification). Herb tuile as finishing flourish.
Paired with: Rosé Champagne or Provençal Rosé

4. Depth – Heritage Beet Wellington

Rainbow beets wrapped in walnut-porcini duxelles and golden vegan-butter laminated puff pastry. Accompanied by port-wine reduction, parsnip purée, pickled pearl onions and baby carrots crowned with micro-greens.
Paired with: Pinot Noir (Burgundy)

5. Reflection – Celeriac “Scallops” & Cauliflower Silk

Seared celeriac rounds forming caramel-crust “scallops”, atop a smooth cauliflower purée. Topped with vegan seaweed caviar, brown-butter sauce (cultured vegan butter with capers) and micro-herb garnish.
Paired with: White Burgundy or Aged Sauternes

6. Renewal – Lemon Verbena Granita

A palate-cleansing frozen granita infused with fresh lemon verbena, finished with fleur de sel and candied lemon-zest shards. Presented in a chilled glass vessel.
Paired with: Moscato d’Asti

7. Transcendence – Tahitian Vanilla Panna Cotta

Coconut-based vanilla-bean panna cotta, crowned by a liquid passion-fruit sphere (spherification), dark-chocolate soil (cocoa nibs with tapioca-maltodextrin), micro-mint sprigs and gold-leaf accents. Encased beneath a sugar-glass dome for tableside dramatic reveal.
Paired with: Sauternes or Late-Harvest Riesling

Desserts