Lockhart loving Good Things

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

Good things continue to come to small business owners Taylor and Austin Burge in Lockhart.

Good Things Grocery recently celebrated its first anniversary in Lockhart after first opening a business in Martindale (404 Main Street), and the start of the Soup Club will open an added dimension at the business located on the east side of the Lockhart square (110 S. Commerce Street).

A large back patio area that is fenced off from the Highway 183 traffic is a hidden gem where Taylor Burge plans for the club to enjoy an evening outside while discussing anything and everything over a hearty portion of soup with a baguette, cornbread or rice. There will also be dine-in by the glass (wine) specials.

“The Soup Club is going to help us activate the patio,” Burge said.

The Burges also own Chaparral Coffee on the southside of the Lockhart square.

“When the COVID shutdown happened, we pivoted Chapparal to become a little bodega market,” Burge said. “It was a success right off the bat. We knew there was a need in Lockhart for alternative grocery, but we didn’t know the need was as big as it is. It has always been a dream of ours to open a small grocery store, but it always felt like too big of an idea, like not attainable. COVID kind of shotgunned us into it and made it where it was attainable. We couldn’t find a space at that time in 2020 in Lockhart, but we had a space in Martindale.

“We opened in Martindale in August 2020. The goal was we just needed to get things out of Chapparal. Imagine not having any café tables at Chaparral. We had shelves and we just stacked them with groceries.”

Local artist Marie Tobola came up with the name Good Things Grocery, and the idea was discussed for several years.

The former toy store went out of business, so the Burges jumped on the space and leased it from the new owners, opening in Lockhart in December 2021.

“The response has been absolutely fantastic,” Burge said.

Some of the things that are particularly popular at Good Things Grocery are the ready-made breakfast tacos made every morning by 9 a.m. The business is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

“We have local eggs from Happy Chick Eggs,” Burge said. “They’re the only ready-to-go tacos with local eggs in town. I don’t know of anyone else that does local eggs. You can pop in and walk out with a ready-made taco.

“We also do a hot soup every weekday that comes out around 11 a.m. It’s served either to go or for here. Most of them are vegetarian and gluten free. People will get a soup and a half sandwich and call that their lunch. We really specialize in being the quick in and out lunch spot; grab some things for dinners. We have an array of local produce that you cannot find in Lockhart.”

The produce comes from farms across Texas. Some are small “hyper local” farms, generally 3-acres or less.

“And we have a supplier that connects us with larger Texas farms too,” Burge said.

Burge said kids are often told not to touch things in grocery stores, so she’s added a Kids Corner at Good Things Grocery.

“We’re proud of our little Kids Corner,” she said. “This is our touch zone for kids.

“Our core values are connecting people with people and connecting people with their food. Kids are included with that. We created a space where they can come over here and touch all of that.”

The espresso program uses organic oat milk with the following available: Americano, Cortado, Matcha, Turmeric Chai, Affogato, Golden Milk, and all types of Lattes. The smoothies use real fruit.

Good Things Grocery has a wide variety of items, including charcoal, candles, toys, gift items, and of course food products, including some dehydrated snacks.

“We try to keep a diverse selection, things you can’t get at HEB,” Burge said. “I’m not gonna call us a gourmet grocery. I think we’re a specialty boutique grocery. We’ve got a variety of gluten free items. We focus on things with a clean ingredient list or things that you just cannot get in Caldwell County.

“It’s an eclectic market. We also have a large, coffee by the pound selection from good roasters out of Austin. We’re gonna support local brands, the small guys. We also have a large natural wine selection along with budget wines under $20.”

Good Things Grocery Pastry Chef Gigi Maulone makes her treats out of the Martindale location and delivers to both Chaparral and Good Things Grocery in Lockhart.

“Gigi makes an eggless bread, and she has some gluten-free bakes goods,” Burge said.

Burge estimates the Lockhart business has between 60 and 80 customers daily.