January: Local gym offers clients full range of training and workout options
Robert Otis had done a lot of things before he opened his first gym nearly 10 years ago. After a few years in the Air Force, a stint in corporate America and a lot of time on the basketball court, Otis realized none of it was fulfilling. While coaching basketball in Gilroy, California, he opened his first gym, which worked well up to the pandemic. His second gym, off Williams Drive in Georgetown, also helped scratch his fitness itch, but he knew he wanted more.
“My first gym in California had a turf field, but it was smaller. I had a sprint lane, but it was smaller. And then I had a weight room, and it was smaller, but I just had basically those three components.” Otis explained. “The one here in Georgetown was basically just a bootcamp room and then a tiny weight room area. But here [at FACT FItness] I got to do everything.”
February: Vanguard of Georgetown beer scene finds its place
When Rentsch Brewery was opened six years ago by Andrew Rentschler and his father, David, the beer landscape in Williamson County was sparse. Rentsch itself was Georgetown’s first brewery.
In that time, however, Georgetown has added a second brewery in Barking Armadillo; Salado has Barrow Brewing; there’s Hedgehog Brewing in Cedar Park, Bluebonnet Beer Company in Round Rock, and the list goes on.
“I think craft beer as an industry, in general, is definitely beginning to boom,” Rentsch Brewery Taproom Manager Matt Davis said.
March: Family-owned business provides an intimate, community-based approach to training
Matthew and Alexa Bertling, owners of Valor Martial Arts, said they are no strangers to martial arts as both of their families have a history of being involved in the craft, and they have been training for years.
Alexa started martial arts training when she was 4, and Matthew started when he was 8. In 2002, Matthew and his father started Valor Martial Arts in Georgetown. Eight years later, Matthew met Alexa, and they were married six months later after winning world champion titles in a black belt tournament. The couple has a passion for the craft, and it shows when they are teaching.
“I think the love comes from just being a student along with being able to teach what we know,” Alexa said. “We both met competing in martial arts, so it’s been kind of fun to apply that, and teach our students and have them also compete as well.”
May: Goodfolks brings Southern hospitality, staples to Georgetown’s historic Square
Prior to its opening, Jayme Austin, a creative consultant in the restaurant industry, jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the team behind Goodfolks—a Southern-inspired eatery that she said prides itself on excellent food, service and style.
Austin said she first started working in the restaurant industry when she was 15.
“I wanted a car, so I knew I had to get a job, but my mom told me I had to be a server,” Austin said. “She said it would teach me everything I needed to know in life.”
June: Georgetown business Hypermobility & Chiropractic Clinic of Austin specializes in connective tissue disorders
Brianne Schroeder, owner of Hypermobility & Chiropractic Clinic of Austin, said it took passion and hard work to start her own business.
Schroeder graduated from the New York Chiropractic College with a Chiropractic Doctorate and a master’s of science in applied clinical nutrition in 2018. She did her clinical internship at the Veteran’s Affairs in St. Petersburg, Florida, where she saw complex cases.
“After my husband was accepted into [Florida State University], we moved to Tallahassee, and I began working in a clinic that allowed me to utilize my acupuncture skills,” Schroeder said.
July: Industry professionals establish Home Town Window Coverings to bring interior design knowledge to Georgetown
Michelle and David Griffith said they have specialized in window coverings and home interiors for more than 45 years. From linens and bedding to shutters and draperies, the Griffiths found their niche early on.
“We know the do’s and don’ts of the industry—from design, to point of sale, to installment,” David said.
Over the years, the Griffiths have worked with a menagerie of clients, including professional athletes, artists, socialites and major hotel corporations, such as the Lego Land resort in Carlsbad, California.
August: Mathnasium Georgetown helps students master arithmetic
Mathnasium Georgetown is a math-only learning center that has been helping local students with kindergarten through 12th grade arithmetic since 2015.
Mathnasium Georgetown Center Director Rebecca Salinas said she is proud to lead a group of qualified instructors who are passionate about helping local students reach their academic goals.
“Our instructors come from a variety of different backgrounds,” Salinas said. “Many of them are college students, getting their degrees in math education. We have a couple retired teachers as well.”
September: Classes at new Georgetown studio NKB Dance & Expressions combine fun, fitness
After working in risk management and insurance for 34 years and putting two children through college, Nancy Knight-Brown started to consider what retirement could look like for her family.
“I knew if my husband and I wanted to be comfortable [in retirement], we would have to find something that we enjoyed, [something that] didn’t feel like a job,” Knight-Brown said.
Knight-Brown said it came to her in a dream about a year ago.
October: Antique boutique Gatherings brings European, elegant home decor to Georgetown
After a successful 15 years in downtown Georgetown, antique lover and world traveler Stephanie Ehrhardt said she decided to expand her business, Gatherings, from one store to two.
Ehrhardt purchased a 1910 Methodist church located at 701 N. Austin Ave. in June. The church was previously used as a wedding venue.
Ehrhardt said when looking at possible locations for her antique home decor and furnishing boutique, she remembers standing in the church’s garden area and feeling like she found paradise.
“It’s just so peaceful here,” Ehrhardt said. “My Realtor suggested that I take a look at warehouse space, ... but when I saw this place, it was like an aha moment.”
November: Shine Yoga helps Georgetown residents maintain their physical, mental, spiritual well-being
Experienced gymnastics and yoga instructor Annette Robert Thomas prioritizes her clients’ physical and mental peace at her business Shine Yoga.
“Yoga is one of those things that really changed my life,” Thomas said. “It is something I know I can and will do for the rest of my life.”
Prior to opening Shine Yoga in 2016, Thomas owned and operated Journey Gymnastics in Georgetown for 15 years. She also co-owns Texas Academy of Gymnastics in Leander, which opened in August 2019.
December: The Knitting Cup in Georgetown provides yarn-based project supplies, one-on-one or small group lessons
Despite its name, The Knitting Cup has all of the crafting supplies necessary for any yarn-based project, including crochet needles, weaving looms and a vast selection of yarns in every color.
Shawnee Kunz became owner of NeedleArts of Georgetown in 2015 prior to relocating and rebranding the business in 2018.
“Dreams come true. I was a longtime customer and friend of Karen [Buzbee], so when I heard she wanted to sell, I gave her a call,” Kunz said about her relationship with the store’s previous owner.
