KING FEED & Hardware Doc, the King Feed parrot, greets guests as they enter the store.
BY BONNIE EISSLER
K
ing Feed is the oldest retailer in Wimberley, dating back more than 65 years, to when the Cowan family had a cedar yard and sawmill on the site and a small store where they sold nuts, bolts, feed and ranch supplies. Over the last six and a half decades, the business has grown along with the town of Wimberley. Today, after several owners, numerous additions and renovations, the hometown hardware store still sells nuts and bolts, but it is no longer just a feed and hardware store. An expansion to the store several years ago brought in Wimberley-based architect Guy Rollins, who specializes in green architecture using natural locally available and recycled materials whenever possible, such as the rafters in the entrance. He recycled a lot of other materials from the old Cowan house on the property to use in the front and back of the new store addition and the feed barn. In January 2019, long-time employees Laurie Ward and Bryan Toifl took over the ownership of King Feed from Chris Nichols. “Bryan has worked here for 14 years, since high school, primarily in the feed and hardware section of the store,” Laurie says, “we’ve both worked here for 14 years.” Laurie’s area of interest has been the extensive garden center. She earned her degree in agriculture from Texas State University, with an emphasis on horticulture. Laurie and Bryan are experienced, well-qualified and passionate about keeping the traditions of King Feed alive while streamlining some of the services and, most recently, adding a pet grooming salon with plans for a pet-related gift boutique. The store is a magnet for the DIY crowd and seems to stock everything anyone could possibly want or need, including plumbing and electrical supplies, lawn and garden products, pet supplies and feed for livestock, tools and paint. The “whimsical modern and old assortment” means customers will find iphone chargers and solar power gate openers as well as horseshoe nails and galvanized milk buckets. Yet despite its large size, diversity and quantity of merchandise, King Feed is reminiscent of an old-fashioned general store, the kind that offers something for everyone and knowledgeable, See KING FEED, Page 25
PHOTOS (above and below) COURTESY KING FEED.
King Feed owners Bryan Toifl and Laurie Ward. Photo by Julie Harrington. 24 Welcome to Wimberley Fall/Winter 2020-21
