When Debbie Frank moved to Round Top in 2008, her only plan was to care for her ailing parents. After they passed away, she was left with no job and little family. However, store owner Stevie Smith-Thompson welcomed Frank with open arms, offering a job at her nearby business in Schulenberg: The Garden Company. This garden center, gift shop, and landscape design business allowed Frank to find community, and she soon fell in love with the company’s relaxed feel and unique designs.
The company grew, adding a cafe, and the eclectic marketplace began to garner attention. Demand prompted a satellite location in downtown Round Top, and Frank split her time between the two locations. Smith-Thompson added a second restaurant, The Garden Company - Feed & Firewater; a second nursery; and a home goods store, Gar Co. Goods. She says, “You can come as you are, or you can dress up. However you feel, it covers every mood.”
Frank, who manages the store, extends the same welcoming spirit she felt when she arrived, she says. “I’ve always liked talking with people and finding out where they’re from,” Frank says. “I’m able to give them suggestions about things to do and see. In that way, I consider myself a tour guide.”
They’ve put soul into it, says Smith-Thompson. “There’s an energy that says, ‘I want to bring my friends here,’ because the atmosphere, the food, and the employees are all really good.”
Smith-Thompson says she wanted it to have more of an Austin feel … “a sophisticated simplicity with a nod to Texas,” she explains. “I like to come up with something different that people wouldn’t expect but will remember, with natural elements but also a little bit of drama.”
The lighting installations at both restaurants are her favorites, crafted from petrified branches and tree roots, Smith-Thompson says. A close second is Feed & Firewater’s shou sugi ban wall, which incorporates the Japanese art of burning wood into its charred surface.
The Garden Company offers a lengthy wine list, a lunch menu with lighter fare, and a dinner menu that includes a variety of fresh salads, gourmet burgers, and a choice of entrees, including wild-caught salmon and sliced beef tenderloin, plus off-menu specials on the weekends.
Frank says she takes full advantage of the proximity of the adjacent restaurant, enjoying a cocktail after her shifts. “That’s when I get to see everyone getting off work,” she says. “Other shop owners come over, and we have our regular customers.”
This explains the additional element of The Garden Company’s successful trifecta: exceptional service.
“I just have great people who interact really well with the customers,” says Smith-Thompson. “People come back to see them, and our bartenders remember what they want. That’s just what we love: food and fellowship.”
“We’ve been doing this for 21 years,” she continues. “We’re passionate about what we do, we love these communities, and we’re so fortunate to be able to do all of this in a place where everyone helps everyone. I could have done something fancier … but this is me.”
To find out more, visit thegardencoandcafe.com.
