Fueled by an abrupt move to College Station and a casual conversation with a friendly stranger, Mad Cowboy Vintage & Goods is a business dream come to life for young couple Sarah Eli and Thomas Messenger.
Sarah and Thomas opened their doors last November with dreams of a fresh, Western-branded business and a love for vintage streetwear. Now, the shop will celebrate its grand opening with free cocktails and community fun on Saturday, March 23.
Mad Cowboy is the newest boutique-style vintage clothing shop in Bryan that harmoniously combines streetwear and Western style with a wide selection of outerwear, hats and other carefully curated trinkets and goods. Rather than a bulk vintage store, each piece is carefully picked for resale by the owners to ensure quality and character, Sarah says.
By Sophie Villarreal
“We are not a thrift store,” Sarah says. “I always try to emphasize that. We're a more high-end vintage store. Thomas handpicks every single piece. We don't buy wholesale or go to Goodwill. [Thomas] knows every single piece of clothing that comes into the store.”
Back in 2023, the couple lived in Dallas, attending market and local pop-up events to set up their few vintage clothing racks. Sarah left her high-stress job and brainstormed what business venture was next for her and Thomas, not knowing how quickly things would soon change.
“We were actually planning on moving to Arizona,” Sarah says. “We went on a week-long trip to Scottsdale. Then the very next day after we got back, we found out we were pregnant!”
Mad Cowboy was a name that Sarah saved in the back of her head for quite some time for a digital marketing business idea. However, when the couple found out they were expecting a child in May 2023, they moved to College Station to be closer to Sarah’s family in Madisonville, and the business idea was curbed with the abrupt move.
“We came here still not knowing what we were going to do for sure,” Sarah says.
Soon after their move, Thomas went to 101 Barber Shop in Bryan for a haircut and struck up a conversation with a friendly stranger, Luke Knowles, the owner of 101 and his soon-to-be business neighbor.
“Thomas came in and got a haircut [at 101] one day,” Sarah says. “He met Luke, and Luke complimented one of his vintage Harley Davidson hats he had on, and Thomas just like gave it to him. Then they started talking from there. After the haircut was looking in this space and saw that it was completely empty. Luke asked, ‘How much would you want to rent it for?’”
The lease was signed on November 1, 2023, for the space directly next to 101 Barber Company at the recently built set of commercial suites on S Sims Ave. in Bryan.
By Sophie Villarreal
Once they had a signed lease and a physical space for their curated clothing, all that was left was choosing a name for their business. Sarah shared the name she had kept to herself for quite some time, and Thomas decided that it was a perfect fit.
“I talked to Thomas about that if we were going to open, we had to do it before Christmas. So we literally signed the lease on November 1. And in two weeks, we were open.”
In those two chaotic, short weeks, Sarah and Thomas were ready to welcome the Bryan/College Station community into Mad Cowboy, into a dream that finally came to life, Sarah says. Mad Cowboy opened their doors on November 15, 2023.
“[The community] has received the store really well, which I always had a lot of confidence about,” Sarah says.
Mad Cowboy is now celebrating their grand opening in conjunction with the one-year anniversary of 101 Barber Company, Potheads Plant Shop and The Aesthetic Collection Company. The owners will host a block-party-style event for the public to attend, featuring all four businesses and free drinks from Sips Mobile Bar. The grand opening and block party will take place from 2:00 to 6:30 p.m. at 603 S Sims Ave.
There will be a $150 gift card giveaway at Mad Cowboy that each customer can enter at the event. The Aesthetic Collection Company will also have more door prizes and a permanent jewelry pop-up. The Mad Cowboy gift card winner will be contacted and announced at a later date on Instagram, Sarah says.
Follow @madcowboyvintage on Instagram for future events and more information.
