COATED: Good Things Grocery
Coated is our series of interviews and photo essays featuring small business owners who are modernizing traditional businesses and bringing high quality goods to their community. We want to highlight these folks and the Work they’re doing, share our love for refreshing + modernizing tradition, and show our quilt coats on a wider variety of bodies and genders.
We spent the morning with Taylor Burge, the warm and welcoming owner of Good Things Grocery and Chaparral Coffee, while she opened up shop on the quaint main street of magical, mystical Martindale, TX, just 35 miles south of Austin. As she made coffee, casually put together the most stunning flower arrangements (she’s a former event planner/florist), and looked over the week’s produce delivery (they offer the largest selection of local produce in Caldwell County), we chatted about the journey it’s been to open up a specialty grocery in a sleepy small town Texas during a pandemic, the positive impact she’s making on her community, and the grocery empire she hopes to build.
How did you decide to get into the grocery game?
Me and my husband (and life partner) have been passionate about where our food comes from for years. We moved to Lockhart, TX 5 years ago and we would daily dream about having access to a small, local grocery shop. When the pandemic took us down a different path, we pivoted our little hearts out. We turned our 600 sq. ft. coffee shop in Lockhart into a full blown organic bodega market. When I lost all of my weddings due to COVID, I needed a new job.
How’d you land on the name?
We’ve been bouncing this idea off so many of our friends for years now. Our good friend, Marie Tobola (an incredible painter), helped with the inspiration. During one of our many conversations, she said the name Good Things Grocery. We might have been stoned. It didn’t matter. It was perfect. The name was always Good Things.
Did you have any models or businesses you looked to when creating Good Things?
We paid a lot of attention to our inspirations - The Get Go in Marfa, The French Co. in Marathon, Cook Book Market in Los Angeles, and Demeter’s Common in Lebanon, TN. That said, Good Things serves our community so it is a direct reflection of what our stakeholders want and need. The model of a small grocery shop is age old and timeless. It’s been done before and it’s time for it to be done again.
Why Martindale?
Originally, we were looking for a space in Lockhart to make this dream happen. When we couldn’t find anything in our budget and anything that didn’t need a ton of remodel, we pitched the idea to several friends. One of our friends was Katie from Martindale River Cafe. She suggested Martindale. We looked at the space. It fit all our needs - a green space next door, beautiful windows and natural light, a small kitchen, etc. And it was affordable. So we took the risk. And it’s working!
You started a new business in a small town during a pandemic - what’s that been like?
You know, during hard times in life, you get to see the best and worst in people. We’ve seen and dealt with so much this past year. It’s reminded us that we are all human and all just trying to live our lives. So we’ve learned a lot of compassion and grace towards ourselves and people. It’s been very challenging. We’ve faced so many different obstacles, as you could imagine. But we have a strong community and we’re not scared of a challenge!
What do you think this area will be like in 10 years?
Caldwell County is growing tremendously. We are seeing so many new faces in and around town. I believe it will continue to grow and we will have new neighbors before long.
“Good Things serves our community so it is a direct reflection of what our stakeholders want and need. The model of a small grocery shop is age old and timeless. It’s been done before and it’s time for it to be done again.”
What’s been the biggest challenge?
I come from an event coordination background and am accustomed to knocking through an event and being done. This has been a different pace that I’m not familiar with. Thankfully my husband has been a great help as he’s been managing shops for eons.
What about the most satisfying moment?
The great Snow-Apocalypse was the craziest week of our lives but when it was all said and done, we saw the value in what we are offering. When no one else had food, we had direct, local food for our community. We worked with our egg farmers directly, our milk folks, and meat producers to provide essentials for those in need. It was the most rewarding and draining week of our lives.
What’s next for Good Things? Anything exciting in the works?
We’d love to duplicate this model in other towns. We’d like to start small and grow from there. Hopefully opening a second location this year, but it all depends on the right doors opening up.
What’s your go to meal or recipe?
Every week we have an Asian Night. I use ground beef or chicken or beef cuts to create a bulgogi inspired stir fry. I whip up a quick sauce of soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger and Mamo’s Garlic Sauce (which we adore and carry in the shop). Then I roast whatever vegetable is in my fridge - often carrots and/or broccoli and steam some rice. Our kids love it and we add some kimchi for the adults. It’s a great, full-filling meal that is done in about 30 minutes.
Favorite thing in the shop right now?
Luv Fat’s Dairy Free Ice Cream! We found out about this woman, Chi, who was using our coffee roaster’s kitchen (Barrett’s in Austin) as a commissary during their shutdown period. We obviously were eager to get her on our shelves and we keep selling out! It’s fantastic.
What are some of your favorite local spots?
In Martindale, obviously we love our neighbors, Martindale River Cafe. They host live music in the field next to our shop every weekend. AND karaoke on Thursdays. This week I’m bringing my kids and my 5 year old son is really pumped to sing “We’re Not Going To Take it” by Twisted Sister. The San Marcos River is right behind us, too, so during the summer you’ll find us taking quick river breaks. Just a short drive down the road is Lockhart - where we live - and there are so many amazing spots there. I just recommend folks to come out for a First Friday experience on the square. It’s so fun!
How do quality handmade products fit into your daily life?
To me, what I wear and use reflects who I am. I make big strides to support woman makers in particular. In the home, I love to use products that have a story behind them Life is so full of droning tasks, so when we can do things with beauty and intention it really helps to get through those humps. As a mother of two young children, I do have to be careful about bringing some quality products in our household as my kids tend to love to destroy my treasures. Ahhh, mom life. One day we can have nice things again.
What does supporting small business mean to you?
Supporting small business causes a ripple effect in communities. When you shop at Good Things, you are ensuring that farmers have a livable wage, that mom and pop makers are allowed to flourish and grow their business so they can quit their corporate jobs, you are literally paying for the light bills. When we get paid from our small business, I take my money to other small businesses. A $20 purchase can be recycled literally dozens of times within one community. Every dollar matters to small businesses and when a business owner sees success, the whole community sees success.
