Local Business Archives - Page 25 Of 29

Big Top Candy Shop: Rare and Massive Selection on South Congress

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Brittany Highland

Big Top Candy Shop on South Congress

You don’t have to be a child to be dazzled by the sight of shelves brimming with colorful candy. Walk off the sidewalk of South Congress into Big Top Candy Shop, and chocolate-covered happiness will whisk away any troubles you were carrying around outside the door.

This isn’t your shopping-mall-style candy store. And it isn’t your toy/candy variety store. Since 2007, Big Top has concentrated on candy, candy, and more candy with the kind of laser-beam focus that tends to lead to success.

And lead to success it has. Though the store’s average sale is around $6.50, there’s almost always a line on weekends and during special events. Customers are able to find candy that reminds them of their childhood, or candy that they’ve only ever seen overseas. A soda fountain with Blue Bell ice cream and various drink offerings is the other aspect of Big Top’s unique business model that keeps visitors coming back (especially on hot Texas days).

What other local business has won an Austin Chronicle “Best Of” award before they even opened for business? [Read more…]

Mitscoots Provides Socks and Employment to Austinites in Need

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Brittany Highland

Mitscoots socks are American-made and packaged in Austin by locals in need of work

“I’d love to never give away socks again because no one needs them,” Tim Scott declared. As the co-founder of Mitscoots, Tim has built his business around giving away socks…or so it seems. In reality, Tim’s vision for community change is much more expansive.

A successful Indiegogo campaign jolted Mitscoots into being in 2012. Six months ago, Tim came on full-time. Customers, non-profits and retail stores are all excited about this company built around a cause. Last month, The Austin Chronicle recognized Mitscoots with a “Best of Austin” award for their impact in Austin and beyond. [Read more…]

Sideserf Cake Studio Transforms Cakes into Lifelike Art

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Brittany Highland

Natalie Sideserf of Sideserf Cake Studio

“My whole life was art, art, art,” Natalie Sideserf told me recently during a happy hour meeting downtown. Not surprisingly, her interests led her to study art at Ohio State. But Natalie didn’t choose to apply her training to clay or plaster. Instead, in a turn of events that may have seemed odd to onlookers, she decided on an unconventional artistic medium: cake.

“Why can’t cake be art? It hasn’t been taken seriously enough,” Natalie exclaimed. You may not take it seriously either…until you see what this girl can do with some flour and sugar. [Read more…]

Capstone Comics: Treasure Trove of Comic Books in Austin

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Eric Highland

Yep, that’s me at 9 years old

It was 1979 and we were visiting my mother’s friend. As a nine year old, I found their conversation lacking and decided to go exploring through the house. Okay, so not only was I bored, but I was also a bit of a snoop.

I crept upstairs and found a fold-away ladder that led to the attic. We all know how scary attics can be, but undaunted I reached for the first rung. I almost turned around when I got to the top of the ladder, but I found a flashlight there.

A quick scan with the dim and yellowed light beckoned me to adventure into the cobweb filled triangular space at the top of the home.

A dusty cardboard box literally filled to the brim with comic books sat in a corner of the room. I sat there until the light gave out, reading story after story of superheroes and villains, completely entranced by the art and the fantastic stories.

That was my first experience with comics. I hadn’t thought about that childhood memory in a long time. Fast forward 34 years, I’m a blogger living in Austin and I get invited to check out [Read more…]

Spicy Mama Salsa Packs Punch with Non-Profit Twist

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Brittany Highland

Spicy Mama Salsa at Royal Blue Grocery

Austinite Rebecca Contreras created Spicy Mama Salsa because friends and family loved her homemade salsa and thought other people would love it too.

If the story ended there, Spicy Mama Salsa wouldn’t be much different from the dozens of other new local products that spring into bottles and packages near you on a monthly basis.

But in my line of work, I’ve learned that everyone has a deeper story to tell – the story of what inspires them to keep going when inevitable challenges arise. After learning Spicy Mama Salsa’s deeper story for myself, I thought it was unique and important enough to share with you. Read on!

Why Spicy Mama Salsa Exists [Read more…]

Jose Luis Salon Cooks Up Haute Hair at Annual Fashion Show

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Lizzy Newsome

Extravagant hairstyles highlighted at the Jose Luis Salon Fashion Show

This guest blog article is by Lizzy Newsome.

Not to belittle the recent progress, but the Austin fashion “scene” is still newly emerging. Most of the local fashion energy seems to be directed at boutique trunk shows and the annual fashion week festivities. So the Jose Luis Salon 25th Anniversary Fashion Show glimmered in my calendar, and that is before taking into account that this is a HAIR fashion show.

Often gatherings of the stylistically minded in Austin fall short of the creative reputation maintained by our fair city. I had high hopes of witnessing some wonderfully weird couture at this event, and I was not disappointed. [Read more…]

Made in Austin: Affordable Customization from Moniker Guitars

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Guest Blogger

A Moniker guitar made here in Austin

This guest article is by Kyle Bailey.

Moniker Guitars is a boutique guitar maker in Austin, with a twist. With a name like Moniker, you kind of expect that there’s more than meets the eye, but I’ll get to that.

If you play electric guitar, you probably have a favorite. Be it Les Paul, Strat, Tele, Paul Reed Smith, or something else, electric guitars fall into two main categories: single coil and humbucker (the history here is fascinating, but alas, no room! Google shall deliver thee from thine angst). It’s all about the tone you want, and each category has its pros and cons.

Now, what if you want a Les Paul looking body with a single coil setup? Not possible (off the rack)…until now. [Read more…]

Austin Aquarium: Innovative Plans for Interactive Technology Underway

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Guest Blogger

Austin Aquarium Owners Vince Ammon Covino

Austin Aquarium owners Vince and Ammon Covino

Editor’s Note, August 26, 2013: We were originally excited about the new Austin Aquarium and looking forward to its opening this year. But as news about the Covinos’ questionable business practices continues to come to light, we feel the need to protect our community and our reputation by officially stating that we do not endorse the Austin Aquarium. Since the publication of this article, the Texas Advanced Computer Center has suspended its partnership with the Austin Aquarium. Please stay informed as news continues to unfold, and we will do the same.

###

This guest blog article is by Vince Covino.

In November 2013, kids of all ages will be able to experience Austin’s first hands-on, interactive aquarium. Several exhibits and thousands of species of animals, from sharks to pythons to kinkajous, will fill more than 22,000 square feet within the Austin Aquarium.

“We’re very excited to offer Austin this family-friendly attraction with many opportunities for hands-on and educational experiences with awe-inspiring species,” said Vince Covino, owner of the Austin Aquarium. [Read more…]

Why All About Vapor Is Austin’s Best Vaporizer Shop

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Eric Highland

Sonic Screwdriver looks like a vaporizer

This would make a very cool vaporizer mod kit

You’ve seen these gadgets all over Austin. They almost look like Dr. Who’s Sonic Screwdriver, only people are puffing on them and releasing a cloud of scented vapor, right? Well they’re called vaporizers (poorly referred to as e-cigarettes). And though they can’t pick locks, perform medical scans or track alien life, they are most certainly all the rage.

Whether you’re just curious about vaping or you’re a seasoned vaper, you’ll be glad to know that Austin is now home to one of the premier vapor shops in the entire country: All About Vapor. [Read more…]

Longhorn Bikes Will Steer You Straight

Posted on August 6, 2013 by David Thomas

Bull horns for handlebars is one of the things that makes Longhorn Bikes unique

We all know that Austin is a cycling city. We’ve all seen the pedicabs downtown, the fixed gear riders slicing through traffic and that one dude riding his daughter’s pink mountain bike back from the corner store in the wrong gear, with lotto tickets hanging out of his back pocket. So far, I’ve written two articles centered on the cycling culture in Austin and, to some folks, it may seem that there’s a bicycle shop on every corner. But how many shops can boast that they replace handlebars with bull horns?

The Shop

When Rene Martinez opened Longhorn Bikes in 2007 in the Plaza Juan Raul shopping center on E. Cesar Chavez, he decided that he needed something to set him apart from the competition. So he started to replace bicycle handlebars with a set of bull horns for a paltry $150.00 (that includes the cost of the horns). According to [Read more…]

Why Spicy Mama Salsa Exists [Read more…]

The Shop

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