The big picture
Texas Treats is a gift shop based out of Georgetown that sells gift baskets and boxes, wine racks, and locally sourced food products that highlight Texas vendors.
The backstory
The shop began in 1991 as a small business operated out of founder Jackie Schwitter's garage. After changing ownership a few times throughout the decades, the company was passed onto Banhart, a self-proclaimed gift lover, in 2022.
"The last owners knew I was a huge gift giver. I'm always at all the different markets looking for stuff. ... I just love making people happy," Banhart said.
What changed?
While Banhart said a big goal for her was to maintain Texas Treats' pre-existing relationships with local vendors, she is also focused on growing the business into something bigger.
"Before, we were more so known for the gift baskets. ... The gift market is just super saturated. I thought, 'How can I differentiate myself from the rest?'" Banhart said.
Banhart said custom-designed gift boxes now make up the majority of Texas Treats' sales, a trend she attributes to the reusability of the boxes for gifting, storage and decoration.
Banhart was also the first owner in the company's history to establish a front-facing headquarters to generate new traffic to the shop.
Another detail
Some of Banhart's popular products include Susie's South Forty's Peppermint Bark from Midland, Gourmet Texas Pasta from Round Rock and Mike V's Hot Sauce from Georgetown.
"I like unique gifts. I don't want something that everybody else has that's mass manufactured," Banhart said.
Looking ahead
While Banhart said 95% of her sales are done online, she hopes that one day Texas Treats can have a shop location on the Square.
For now, she plans to attend more local events, such as the annual Christmas Stroll Festival.
- 4869 Williams Drive, Ste. 103, Georgetown
- www.texastreats.com
