From left, Kim Kubala, Janet Widmer and Matt Widmer run Hutto General Store. (Jillian Nachtigal/Community Impact)
From nostalgic candy favorites to unique gifts and home decor, Hutto General Store brings a little bit of everything under one historic roof.
The family-owned shop has become a downtown staple, continuing to evolve alongside Hutto while finding new ways to bring customers through its doors, its owners said.
Hutto General Store carries men's and women's clothing and home decor.Jillian Nachtigal/Community Impact
The history
The historic building that houses Hutto General Store was built in 1891 and originally served as a bank on the ground floor, with a doctor’s office upstairs.
Janet Widmer founded Hutto General Store, originally named Creative Touch, in 1988 as an interior decorating business.
Creative Touch opened a storefront in downtown Hutto in 1992, offering gifts and accessories. The business again expanded in 2009 when Janet Widmer’s son, Matt Widmer, became the owner. He worked closely with his mom to learn and grow the business, which was beginning to transition away from interior decorating into a gift shop. Janet Widmer’s daughter, Kim Kubala, also joined the team.
In 2011, the store introduced its Candy Corner, offering a wide range of packaged and bulk candy. In September 2022, Creative Touch and Candy Corner joined under one name: Hutto General Store.
“It's been fabulous. It's growing. We're getting more and more customers every day,” Kubala said. “Changing the name made a huge difference because before people wouldn't come in because it was Creative Touch and they didn't know what that was. But once it was the General Store, it brought a whole new group of customers.”
What they offer
Hutto General Store offers a diverse inventory, featuring men's and women's clothing, gourmet foods, home accessories, jewelry, seasonal decorations, toys, children’s gifts, and a wide selection of traditional and contemporary candies.
“We have a little bit of everything,” Matt Widmer said. “We're continuously growing, expanding. We just added a new candy cooler and did some lighting upstairs.”
Hutto General Store sells a variety of Hippo-themed products. Jillian Nachtigal/Community Impact
Janet Widmer said when the store first opened, there was only a beauty shop on the street.
“It’s amazing what’s happened over the years,” Janet Widmer said. “I love that Hutto is growing. We don’t have to go into Austin, and it means more customers for us.”
One more thing
The store was one of 10 Texas recipients of the American Express Shop Small Grant, announced at the end of May. The store won $20,000 to reinvest into the business.
