KING FEED & HARDWARE

Doc, the King Feed parrot, greets guests as they enter the store.

BY BONNIE EISSLER

King 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.

experienced people on hand who make a special effort to help customers find what they need. The garden center has expanded over the years to include a beautiful greenhouse built out of rock, steel and glass, and a full line of annuals, perennials, native shrubs and trees along with a large selection of organic products for the garden. An unusual feature in the garden center is the rock fireplace that integrates the ruins of the old chimney from the Cowan house into the design and serves as a poignant reminder of the early beginnings of King Feed.

“We offer full service with plants, compost, fertilizer and everything you need for garden and landscape,” Laurie says. They also sell a lot of pottery, the always popular solid glazed pottery as well as the colorful Talavera pottery, decorated with floral and animal motifs in a classically Mexican style.

The store carries Stihl and Echo power equipment – chain saws, weed trimmers, brush saws, blowers, and pole pruners. There’s a small engine repair shop on the premises that is certified to perform repairs on all Stihl and Echo products.

Pet grooming is the newest addition to the already wide range of services provided at King Feed, with Ashley as head pet groomer. Ashley, who is married to Bryan, has worked in the pet industry for 12 years (as a groomer for 11 years) and understands the proper coat care for all coat types. Although she graduated from Texas State University with a degree in accounting in 2014, she decided that grooming was her passion. King Feed Pet Grooming Salon offers hair grooming, bathing, nail clipping and deshedding for dogs, cat, and select services for small animals and birds.

Photos by Julie Harrington.

King Feed and Hardware is located at 14210 Ranch Road 12 in Wimberley. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 4:30 pm. For more information, call 512-847- 2618 or visit the website at kingfeedandhardware.com. Pet grooming hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. Call 512-847- 0708 for more information or to schedule grooming for your pet.

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The newest service offered at King Feed... pet grooming! Above, Ashley

Toifl at work on a happy customer. Photo by Julie Harrington.

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