Bubba’s Country Store, Inc.

Bubba’s Country Store, Inc.

Written by Katie Gutierrez Thursday, 08 May 2008

Austin — Located at the intersection of Hwy. 45 and FM 1826, Bubba’s Country Store, Inc. is a startling juxtaposition of old and new.With several Diamond Shamrock gas pumps in front serving as a reminder of times past, the store itself is located inside an old-fashioned log cabin—whose roots date back to the 1950s.

“The two original log cabins belonged to Friday Mountain Camp,” owner Wes Johnson said. “Girls would camp for a week or so and stay in those cabins. I’ve had people in my store who said they actually stayed in it way back then.”

Johnson purchased the structure in 1989, when it had already been converted to Dickson’s Country Store. He then renamed the business using his nickname, “Bubba,” and as a former welder, decided to make some improvements to the building. He had one problem.

“I bought the store around the same time all those banks were going under,” Johnson said, referring to the U.S. savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s. “The bank that we got our loan from went under, and [times] were pretty terrible.”

With little money to spare for renovations, Johnson withstood the store’s leaky roof, inferior walls and flooring. Though business was tough for the next 10 years, Johnson speaks of that time with affection.

“It was such a good country atmosphere, with a lot of nice people that lived out there,” Johnson said. “Back then, there were hardly any subdivisions nearby, and I could sit outside and smoke a cigarette between customers. Now you can’t do that.”

The store’s newest cashier, Janice Garraway, agrees.

“It can get pretty crazy around here,” she said, “especially around four or five o’clock, when everyone gets off work. There’s a line of like 30 people that stretches all the way to the back of the store.”

Part of the reason for the growth is the surge of new construction near Bubba’s. Builders such as D.R. Horton and KB Home are capitalizing on the rural beauty of Southwest Austin and creating subdivisions like Circle C West and the master-planned community of Meridian.

“I think a lot of the [new] subdivisions gave us more business,” Johnson said. “A lot of folks don’t like all the traffic coming through here now, but you really can’t stop growth. You can do things to slow it down, but you can’t stop it.”

Bubba’s now employs a team of five, including Garraway and manager Vic Patton, and boasts the modern touches Johnson wanted to implement almost 20 years ago. He added new walls and an ATM machine, as well as a large walk-in cooler that connects the front and back cabins.

Amid the new, however, remains the charm of the old: Bubba’s Legendary Coffee, served from a coffee pot; yellowed newspaper clippings taped to the walls and slanted roof; and the staff’s small-town friendliness.

Johnson admits he’ll always have a soft spot for Bubba’s.

“I had my regular customers that would come in everyday,” he said. “I saw their kids go from little babies to driving. That’s how long I worked there.”

Bubba’s Country Store, Inc., 11606 FM 1826, 288-5524