Seguin treasure trove of hidden gem boutiques, shops

Katy O’Bryan The Seguin Gazette

Seguin is home to box stores, thrift shops, boutiques and more, all accompanied by a few hidden gems nestled here and there.

Among them are some unique and different avenues in which to find gifts for this year’s holiday season.

While on the road searching for the perfect item, BZ’s Tire Shop offers an assortment of imported goods from just across the border.

“It’s like a little part of Mexico here,” said Blanca Zoll, owner of BZ’s Tire Shop, 4146 S. State Highway 123 Bypass.

Established in 2002, BZ’s mainly focuses on tire repairs, but in 2013, they converted extra space into a shop where Zoll sells Mexican imports.

“All these come from different places in Mexico,” Zoll said. “I have things from Jalisco, Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende, Guatemala, from all different areas. We do have a few people that come here. It’s been quiet lately because of COVID effecting everybody.”

In the marketplace-style shop customers can find cookware, vanilla, outdoor pieces and fashion. It also carries a wide range of decorative clay pots and ceramic animals to decorate any outdoor space, alongside Cazuelas and other dinnerware.

“To me, instead of giving a scarf every year or gloves like every year, you can give something that’s unique and different,” Zoll said. “It’s like, you can go to Mexico, but you can come here and get what you need.”

Shopping local also means eating local, and at the Grain Bin Cafe and Store, 121 Dennis Drive, you can do both.

Tammy and Darrell Harborth built the Grain Bin from the ground up more than 10 years ago and haven’t looked back since, even through the pandemic.

“The Grain Bin Cafe and Store offers one-of-a-kind boutique items,” Tammy said. “Especially during this COVID time of people not getting out, supporting small businesses are extremely important this Christmas season, because we are all just barely getting by.”

With friendly staff and pictures that cover nearly every inch of wall space, the Grain Bin emits a home-style feel to complement their expansive menu options and beloved Biergarten.

Adjacent to the restaurant is the vibrant store. Defined by trending women’s fashion and various local creations, the boutique offers everything from women’s blouses, ball caps, accessories and handbags to handmade Prickly Wicks candles and Anita’s spices.

In times where the pandemic has given online stores a leg up, Tammy says shopping local is important for an important reason.

“The big box stores are the ones making the money,” she said. “Support local because local supports you, and we so appreciate everything that the community does for us and for the other small businesses.”

In the back of the Hair Forum, 703 E. Kingsbury St. sits a small shop within the salon.

Created by Matline Clemons, owner of the Hair Forum and managed by her mother, Zeffalon Brooks, the duo created the boutique in August.

“We still had to pay all the bills when we were shut down. That’s where the idea came,” Clemons said. “This room was empty so we said ‘ok lets do a little boutique,’ because people will still buy stuff even if we are in quarantine. So we’re having our website done and we do Facebook live, and we sell things like that. So that’s what it was, just wondering how to generate income if the salon has to shut its doors again.”

Selling women’s fashion and accessories that speak to a budgeted city chic, the pair pride themselves on their inexpensive yet fashionable products.

“We’re also trying to keep things affordable for the every day working person — somebody who might not have $100 to spend on an outfit,” Clemons said. “So we keep our prices low.”

Selling accessories like sunglasses and earrings across from blouses and faux fur coats, the mother-daughter duo plan to grow the boutique side of the salon in the coming future.

Whether shopping local or eating local this holiday season, every shop owner speaks passionately about the importance of shopping at locally owned businesses in the coming weeks.

“Shop Local. Eat Local,” Tammy said.

Katy O’Bryan is a staff writer for the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail her at katy.obryan@seguingazette.com 

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