WINNER: Which Fort Worth business is the best spot to ‘shop local’ for Christmas?
After more than 34,000 votes, we have our winners for this year’s Star-Telegram Readers Choice poll for best places to shop local for Christmas gifts.
We started this poll with 30 shops nominated by our readers. Our first place winner received more than 8,900 votes in the final round.
Here’s a look at the winning store and the other nine finalists for Readers’ Choice, along with a few gift ideas you can find at each store.
Winner: Lawn and Garden Warehouse and Hardware
Where: 3762 McCart Ave., Fort Worth
Gift ideas: A mini handheld chainsaw, the STIHL GTA 26 garden pruner, costs $170. An ECHO handheld leaf blower, model PB-2520, costs $200. Tool and gardening sets range from $20 to $60.
About the shop: After years in the landscaping business, Russell Smith opened Lawn and Garden Warehouse and Hardware with his wife Linda in 1989. The couple had many neighbors who mowed lawns and operated their own small business, so they decided to open a shop that would cater to their needs.
The outdoor power equipment dealer sells lawnmowers, chainsaws, plumbing and electric tools and other hardware supplies. “We really are a staple in our community,” said daughter and general manager Madie Nelson.
The Smiths still run Russell’s original landscaping company and have two other businesses on the same street — used car dealership Russell Smith auto and a property management company. Lawn and Garden has 10 employees, but the Smiths have about 50 workers across their four businesses. Their son is an attorney who sometimes helps with their legal work.
Second Place: Dishes Encore
Where: 3811 Rutledge St., Fort Worth
Gift ideas: Dinner plates and bowls from England painted with different breeds of horses and types of animals cost $40. Mikasa, Sasaki and Waterford Crystal wine glasses start around $30. Dish display racks and stands start at $20.
About the shop: Laura Keith always had a passion for entertaining with beautiful dinnerware and decor, but she never envisioned it would grow into a small business. Keith opened Dishes Encore in 2007 in search of more entrepreneurial flexibility and leaving a career in human resources.
After doing some research, she realized there was a market for people trying to add to their discontinued and hard-to-find crystal and china dinnerware patterns. “I’ve always been kind of a treasure hunter and love finding those things and matching them up with people who are searching for them,” Keith said.
The shop sells elegant special occasion items and new patterns that are more practical for day to day use. “Everyone wants to create memories with their social events and dining room experiences,” Keith said. “We are just a real tiny entrepreneur that’s trying to fill a void and give people a special experience.”
While Keith’s main source of business is through her website, she converted her original warehouse into an in-person storefront to meet customer demand from local Fort Worth shoppers. Keith has one other employee, and her husband, daughter and son help out from time to time around the shop.
Best Maid Pickle Emporium
Where: 829 W. Vickery Blvd., Fort Worth
Gift ideas: Jarred pickles start around $4. Big Dill T-Shirts cost $25. Best Made Pickles hoodies cost $35. Best Made Pickle Emporium boat bags cost $45.
Jazzy Jems
Where: 2005 Roosevelt Drive, Pantego
Gift ideas: Graphic T-shirts start around $34. A “Merry and Bright” Christmas sweater costs $58. Dresses start around $50. Vintage cowgirl boots start around $50.
Vending Nut Company
Where: 2222 Montgomery St., Fort Worth
Gift ideas: The Christmas Snack Trio, a 1 ¼ pound snack tin, costs $25, with one featuring chocolate almonds, praline pecans and roasted and salted cashews. Texas-shaped tins are 2 ½ pounds with two types of chocolates or nuts in tins shaped like the state of Texas for $37. Nut and candy trays are 2 ¼ pounds for $24 with up to six snacks, possibly including almonds, cashews, Cajun mix, chocolate almonds, chocolate pecans and praline pecans.
WRARE
Where: 5266 Marathon Ave., Fort Worth
Gift ideas: Personal round fire pits cost $125. Candles under WRARE’s private label line LOCALE start at $20. Butane lighters with decorative bamboo handles cost around $90.
Gracie Lane Boutiques
Where: 4720 S. Cooper St., Arlington
Gift ideas: Gracie Lane Boutiques features everything from women’s clothing and jewelry to baby clothes to home goods. Sterling silver charm bracelet chains start at $50 with additional charms around $14. A children’s bow box costs $40. Olive oil gift sets start around $15.
Blue Bonnet Bakery
Where: 4705 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth
Gift ideas: Blue Bonnet Bakery sells custom-decorated cakes for children and adults, cupcakes and cookies with costs ranging based on the intricacy of the design. On average, iced sugar cookies cost $3 each, chocolate chip cookies cost $6 per dozen, cupcakes cost $3 each and petit fours cost $2 each. Eight-inch cakes range in price depending on flavor and design, but typically cost aroud $33.
Competition Music
Where: 3136 E. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth
Gift ideas: Competition Music sells used instruments, including acoustic and electric guitars for $100 and tambourines for $20. Used electric guitar amplifiers start at $35 and drum sets cost around $300.
Carter Bowden Antiques
Where: 4003 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth
Gift ideas: Art pieces from the Fort Worth Circle Artists can start at $10 for smaller paintings and sculptures but go up to thousands of dollars for high-end pieces. A wide selection of Lalique and Baccarat crystal starts at $20 and goes up to $700. Antique furniture pieces start around $500.
JAG Jewelry and Goods
Where: 3924 W. Vickery Blvd., Fort Worth
Gift ideas: An alpaca sweater at JAG starts at $180 with other tops starting around $250. A 14-karat gold flower chain bracelet starts at $86, and individual jewelry charms starting at $45. Leather loafers start at $150.
Roy Pope Grocery
Where: 2300 Merrick St., Fort Worth
Gift ideas: For those who don’t enjoy cooking on Christmas, Roy Pope Grocery sells take-home meals, including a holiday tenderloin dinner that costs $350. The meal feeds eight to ten people and features green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and rolls. The grocer sells take-home meals from $16 to $22 that vary each day of the week, including chicken, beef and fish dishes with sides.
This story was originally published November 18, 2023 at 5:50 AM.
