Austin Gift Company is located at 4211 S Lamar Blvd., Ste. A-19. (Sienna Wight/Community Impact)
For more than 25 years, Austinites have been shopping Austin Gift Company for knick-knacks, birthday presents, novelty snacks, and uniquely Texas apparel. With the holidays quickly approaching, the team is gearing up for its busiest season.
Meet the owner
South Austin local Mike Lopez opened Austin Gift Company in 2000 with little knowledge about running a business.
"I kept hearing local people say they wish they had a place in South Austin to sell their wares," owner Mike Lopez said. "I was young and dumb, and I jumped in not knowing a thing about it. And here we are [almost] 27 years later."
Mike Lopez is the local owner of Austin Gift Company. Courtesy Austin Gift Company
While Austin has changed considerably since 2000, Lopez said the business has largely stayed the same. They even use the same computer system.
"My main deal is just good old-fashioned customer service," he said. "We're not really high tech or anything like that. We just like to offer customers a good shopping experience."
What's special about it?
Austin Gift Company is home to dozens of booths offering everything from candles and candies to jewelry and ceramics.
“There's a lot of creative people in here that keep it interesting,” Lopez said.
Hanle's Clay Flowers has a booth at Austin Gift Company. Sienna Wight/Community Impact
Lopez said they have a very low vendor turnover rate, but when the time comes to select a new booth, the team looks for something they don't already have.
The local perspective
Lopez said one of his favorite parts of running Austin Gift Company is seeing generations of shoppers return to the store.
"I have mothers now that come in with their little kids and they tell me, 'My mom brought me here when I was young, and now I'm bringing my kids here,'" Lopez said. "That's pretty special."
