HILL COUNTRY WOMAN
Tiffy Yees:
Own of Grue Ofis d The Pomegne Ge ng People Hooked on the Outdoors By Jenny Jurica Photography by Nina Padilla
In 2000, when Tiffany Yeates, a college student at Texas State University, headed to historic, tourismdriven Gruene, Texas with her college roommates to find part- me jobs, she certainly never expected to land her dream job, nor did she expect that she’d se le here for the long-haul. Yeates’ college friends gravitated toward wait staff posi ons at the perennially popular historic Gruene restaurant, The Gristmill, but Yeates, a lifelong fisherman, headed directly for the local fly fishing store, Gruene Ou i ers, to apply for a retail posi on. Yeates got the job at Gruene Ou i ers and quickly became the right-handwo(man) to the store’s owner, who entrusted her with all of the inner workings of the business. Soon, Yeates found herself working 40 hours a week while a ending college. When the former owner of Gruene Ou i ers decided to re re in 2006, Yeates, who was then a 26-year-old college graduate, decided to purchase the business. “The president of a local bank was a customer, and he knew I could do it, so with a handshake, he gave me the loan to buy the store. It was one of those things where I feel like God had a plan and everything worked out,” remembers Yeates. 84
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Gruene Ou i ers is known for being “packed to the gills” (pun intended) with fishing equipment to help both tourists and locals experience some of the best fly fishing in the state at the Guadalupe River (located just a stone’s throw from the store). But Gruene Ou i ers also boasts an impressive and stylish selec on of clothing and accessories- many brands not available in nearby stores. Gruene Ou i ers has a large following among locals and visitors alike, but Yeates wanted a way to bring more merchandise in.