The Leader • Saturday, October 27, 2018 • Page 1B
It’s two years for Wabash on N. Shepherd By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com When Wabash Feed & Garden Store owners Betty Heacker and Devin Jones got their spruced up new bus, they considered using it for deliveries but decided instead just to use it for exposure. It’s been two years since Wabash moved to 4537 N. Shepherd Dr. and promotion is still as important as ever. When deciding where to move from their longtime location on Washington Avenue, Heacker said that part of the process was looking at their mailing list. “We knew that a large percentage of our customers were already here,” said Heacker. Still, she did understand that they’d lose business from the Memorial area and River Oaks. “We knew when we moved that we could grow,” said Heacker. “We wanted to connect to the new neighborhood.” Wabash is doing that by starting to host more events at the store, such as recent talks about Urban Beekeeping and Fall Vegetable gardening as well as a Fall Family Fun day which featured costume contests for pets, pumpkin decorating and a Fall photo set-up. “The petting zoo in the spring brought out a lot of kids,” said marketing director Rhondda Black. “We have more space here so we can do more things. The gift area is larger and we can carry more Texas food products.” Heacker hopes to expand their outreach to garden clubs and area schools. “Young urban kids can see things that they can’t easily
Contributed photo Betty Heacker and Devin Jones of Wabash knew that when they moved their store to North Shepherd, they would be closer to a lot of their loyal customers. Their promotion efforts are focused on building even more awareness in the area.
see in the city,” said Heacker. “Here they can hold bunnies and baby chicks. We see ourselves as a little part of the country in the city.” That’s pretty much been true for the 100 years the store been in business. It started in 1908 as a consumer grain store. The German family who owned it sold the store in the early 1980s to an interior designer who wanted to use the big barn as a show room to house the rustic furniture that was so popular. “He kept and sold the feed in the back room for three years,” said Heacker. However, with a downturn in the markets and the de-
Organic growth The business continues to grow organically. At one time, Wabash sold a lot of caged birds, beginning with finches, because there was a breeder who needed to sell them. Finches, according to Heacker, are as prolific as rabbits. “You started with a pair, Contributed photo Wabash’s Fall Family Fun day featured a pet costume contest, a photo booth and pumpkin decorating.
Axe throwing league coming to Heights
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By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com The Backyard Axe Throwing League (BATL) is opening its first Texas location in the Houston Heights. It’ll be December of this year or early 2019 when locals will get to try their hand at axe throwing. After a camping trip where CEO Matt Wilson discovered a passion for axe throwing, he established BATL in 2006 in Toronto, Canada. “When I started doing it, it was just in my backyard with eight of my friends. I never expected it to grow this big,” said Wilson. And from those humble beginnings, BATL has grown into a business with over twenty locations in North America, while extending overseas is in consideration. When Wilson talked about why he thought axe throwing is becoming more popular, he said it’s something about the actual word, “axe.” There’s an automatic interest when
clining price of oil, people weren’t buying antiques anymore. Heacker bought the store from him in 1985 but kept the name he’d given it. Wabash is an acronym that stands for Washington Avenue Bric-a-brac Antiques Sundry and Hardware. Who knew? She kept selling the rustic furniture, including lots of wardrobes to new Heights residents who lived in the original small homes with no closets. “At the time, The Heights was just beginning to renew itself,” said Heacker. Eventually it got harder to source that kind of furniture at a decent price, but the store still offered feed and was starting to sell more pet food. Heacker birthed the garden part of the store, first picking up transplants from Canino Produce on Airline and later from a rep at Conroe Greenhouse – who asked Heacker if she’d ever thought about selling herbs. “We had 26 varieties, all basil,” remembers Heacker with a laugh. Devin Jones began working at Wabash in 1990 and is now a co-owner who comes in to support the store and front counter every Tuesday and Friday. “It’s been interesting,” said Jones. “We’re still building.”
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Contributed photo CEO Matt Wilson will be bringing an axe-throwing league to the Heights late this year or early in 2019.
someone mentions, “axe throwing,” from the way it sounds to the image it brings to mind. Because axe throwing is not the norm, curiosity is sparked, but there’s not the fear of trying something different like there might be with something more dangerous, like skydiving.
“Most people believe it’s something they can do,” said Wilson. Axe throwing can also be therapeutic. You must be relaxed to be able to concentrate on the target. Without focusing, the axe won’t hit See Axe League P. 3B
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Contributed photo
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