May 1, 2025 • 34 mins
The Texas Hill Country has a certain magic that can transform retirement plans into entrepreneurial adventures. Just ask Danielle, who along with her husband Jason, moved to Fredericksburg intending to slow down, only to find themselves building a mini-empire of beloved local businesses.
Sitting in the rustic beauty of The Barn at Rock House—a historic property dating back to 1911 with original wood preserved throughout—Tiffany Foy kicks off the Rambling Gypsy podcast's SPF 90 "Wondering Series" tour with a revealing conversation about small business resilience in the face of corporate expansion.
"Main Street is only business owners. They don't let corporate America in on Main Street," Danielle explains, touching on what makes Fredericksburg special. This dedication to preserving local character becomes even more impressive when you learn that The Velvet Lounge—their karaoke bar and now pizza spot—opened quite literally the day COVID lockdowns began.
From blowing up balloons to make empty spaces look occupied to navigating the unexpected boom in bachelorette parties during a time when actual weddings were postponed, Danielle shares the creative pivots that kept their dreams alive. The conversation weaves through their expansion from karaoke bar to adding a buzzworthy pizza kitchen featuring a cauliflower crust with hot honey that's generating serious word-of-mouth.
The 20-acre Barn at Rock House property, just one mile from Main Street, now serves as a sports bar, event venue, and B&B with accommodations for up to 22 people. There's a tangible sense of reverence as they discuss the property's heritage house and plans for adding golf simulators while preserving the historical integrity.
Whether you're an entrepreneur, a fan of Texas Hill Country, or just appreciate stories of intuition-led business decisions, this candid conversation offers a genuine glimpse into the heart of small-town business ownership. Subscribe now and join us as we continue exploring the treasures of small-town Texas on our wandering tour!
The Rambling Gypsy podcast is a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of real Texans doing real sh*t. We're pulling back the curtains on our daily lives - and you're invited to laugh and learn along with us.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I put a blessing on it to real.
That's the metaphoric.
We just put the I in iconic,buzzing like I'm electronic.
Ah yeah, I put a blessing on it.
See me dripping in it 24-7 onit.
I'm just being honest.
Ah, holy water dripping,dripping from my neck to my crap
song two-stepping on it live.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hey everybody, welcome to the Ramblin' Gypsy
podcast.
My name is Tiffany Foy and weare kicking off our SPF 90 tour
in Fredericksburg, texas.
We started a little pregame.
The Wondering Series is kind ofwhat we're calling this,
because I do wonder and I do getreal lost.
But we are at the barn at RockHouse and this is Danielle.
(00:39):
We have been friends for aminute.
We have yes and you come downto New Braunfels and hang out at
our resort.
I love it you guys know I haveGypsy River Resort.
Really cool.
You bring your team members,your squad and y'all float the
glide we do yes, yeah.
So business owner to businessowner, small town to small town,
(01:00):
hill country we're kind of hillcountry, I believe you are.
We're kind of Hill Country inNew Braunfels, I believe you are
.
We're country in New Braunfels.
I don't know about the hills,but anywho, let's talk about you
, your entrepreneurship.
Okay, you have multiplebusinesses here in
Fredericksburg.
It is really important to meand this is what started the
(01:23):
tour how we wanted to put thisall together was keeping small
businesses alive in our smalllittle towns.
Corporations are coming in andyou obviously are extremely
hands-on I am very hands on withour businesses.
I know it's very important toyou guys.
I've talked to so many peoplethat I know in Fredericksburg
(01:44):
and, of course, we're born andraised local in New Braunfels.
Yes, growth is inevitable, buthow did you get into the
Fredericksburg area?
Let's start there and let's go.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Let me preface with Jason and I met at karaoke in
Midland a solid 20-somethingyears ago.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
We'll tag on that in a little bit.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Hometown, hometown boy over there, yes, you're both
oil and gas.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah, I started a trucking company and he had a
full consulting oil and gas firmwhere he managed rigs.
So we did that for years andthen we wanted to retire and
I've always wanted to live infredericksburg and we landed
here to retire honestly andthought we don't want to do this
.
So the next best thing waskaraoke and we loved it.
(02:35):
We started that and thenfredericksburg needed something
for the gents, yes, and sothat's where we are with the
Barnett Rock House.
Okay, we needed.
We were sports bar.
It's the only sports bar inFred.
Locals really love this placebecause it's convenient, it's
not as busy, not as touristy,and it's on 20 beautiful acres,
(02:58):
literally less than a mileoutside of town Nice, so you
guys met at karaoke, which Ithink is really epic.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Out of town Nice, so you guys met at karaoke, which I
think is really epic, and youhave the Velvet Lounge we do,
which is on Main Street.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
You guys started that when we started that the day.
Well, we opened the day COVIDhappened.
Wow, yeah.
So we would have started theideas, the you know, renovations
, yada, yada, at least a yearbefore that, but the day we
opened, covid happened.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
How did you guys sustain that?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
We literally blew up balloons and made it look like
six people were.
We were six feet apart andthought how are we going to do
this?
We prevailed.
It seemed like a lot of peopletraveled in Texas and
Fredericksburg was the obviousspot.
You know, we really stayed openas much as we could, as much as
(03:50):
possible, and I think a bunchof businesses locally did the
same thing.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
We in New Braunfels had I mean, obviously it was a
big struggle Our liquor storesobviously went from doing okay
to the best they have ever donebecause people were just sitting
at home losing their mind.
The resort thank goodness Ihave a gated entrance and people
were calling me.
They had my cell phone numbers,Our clientele, we come, family
(04:16):
and customers.
And they were calling me andsaying, Tiffany, look, we are
losing our minds.
Can we bring our rigs out here?
What can we do?
And I said you know what?
I'll shut the gate.
My home is your home.
You guys want to bring yourrigs, you want to bring your
family and your friends andthat's what you do.
Come on, Right and come on.
So we're different in Texas.
We are obviously.
Call us rule breakers, call usgangsters, call us whatever you
(04:40):
want, but we do, we can, we do.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Stick together when it comes, when times are tough,
yeah, we get going so, yeah,well, wow, because that's the
day, you the day, yeah, and youknow it was rough that first
year, but the bachelor, we'rereal big on bachelorettes,
bachelor parties, uh, birthdayparties, divorce parties, yada,
yada.
We uh had so many peoplewanting to get married during
covid and they couldn't.
(05:08):
They wanted to do thebachelorette parties, so they
kept coming back.
Although the brides couldn'tget married, the brachelorettes
wanted to have their parties.
That's huge.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Here it is and, and you know, that's kind of great.
That's funny that you mentionedthat because it kind of happens
.
In New Braunfels we have atleast once a summer, once, or
whatever we do, we'll have abachelor or bachelorette party,
but it's not near as big as itis in Fredericksburg.
That's a big deal here.
It is huge.
It's wine.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I think it goes beyond the wine.
I think it's the people.
I think we're a beautiful cityfilled with entrepreneurs.
Main street is only businessowners.
They don't let corporateAmerica in on main street.
So, um, you know, that's it'sall of us trying to make it.
Looking at each other acrossthe street, there's more than
(05:59):
enough room for everybody.
Right Period, right yeah, wehelp each other out.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
That's good we do, we , we do the same.
But but I I think it wasimportant to me to come here.
I've spent a lot of time ingillespie county growing up as a
child and being in 4-h and ffaand selling raising sheep and my
brother raised cattle and so weshowed all over the place and
and I always did really reallywell here.
So it's kind of home away fromhome and it was not very far.
And then, of course, you knowI'm a wine snob and I love my
(06:28):
wine and so, boom, it's awin-win situation.
But I just felt like it wasreally important because this
kind of is a staycation for me,like you come to New Braunfels
and you guys bring your team, wecome here, so it's it's pretty
cool.
So I thought it was reallyimportant to to share, yeah,
your growth and and I'm so gladI love it do.
Um, what is it?
(06:50):
We were just doing this theother night, where they guessed
the songs, what's called a videooh, kamikaze, karaoke.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Kamikaze, basically is where the crowd or the dj
will say this is your next songand you don't know what it is
and you may not have ever sangit, and you may catch on to the
tune and hope that you can singit, but if you don't, your tail
is basically between your legsfor the rest of the night.
A true singer would get upthere and sing.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
I am not accepting that challenge.
My tail stays between my legs.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I have been on that stage.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
We're going to talk about something else right now,
aren't we?
Yeah, so we were.
We stopped by.
We were in town starting ourwandering series and we stopped
off to come by and catch somesnippets which will show
everybody the Velvet Lounge.
It's absolutely phenomenal.
One reason why we're notrecording in there is because
(07:49):
your sound system for yourkaraoke is probably blows.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Whitewater Amphitheater out of the water.
Now we have had that soundsystem.
Jason and I again met atkaraoke back in Midland, lived
in Midland and we said we can dothis.
So we had a little shop barn,if you will, metal built, and we
(08:15):
just started a sound systemwith what we had Bought a sound
board and people started comingto hear us sing.
Soundboard and people startedcoming to hear us sing and
before we know it we had jake'spub and 200 people byob that
would stay all night, yeah, andpass around the mic and sing.
Where was this at midland?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
okay, all right, all right, yeah, so it was all
that's on the floor.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, it was so much fun, so again retiring we
decided wasn't an option.
We were like we did that prettygood.
Yeah, you know, we couldprobably make some money.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
200's a lot.
Yeah, I don't like five peopleand y'all got 200 in your barn
Easy.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, easy and it was fun.
Yeah, you know, I remember onetime we came home from Jamaica
and I had, literally, you knowthe braids in my hair, know the
braids in my hair.
I had a mini skirt because itwas New Year's Eve and we had
flown in and it was late, so Iwore a big old fur and I walked
in and again, two to threehundred people and nobody knew
me and I was like this is myhouse, right?
(09:14):
excuse me yeah, wow, now, I trynot to let anybody know me yeah,
I get it, I go and sing everyday and I want to keep loving
what I do.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
It's your, yeah, your sound system.
I was telling you know, withour music people I was like this
thing is like nothing I meanyou've ever heard.
It's ridiculous, it is, andy'all built and put all that
together.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
We did, we just literally transferred it.
It's still the same system,same soundboard yes, yeah, still
the same system, samesoundboard yes, yeah, isn't that
?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
crazy, that's insane.
Yeah, which is why the pizzabar musicians I can't keep a
soundboard for six months.
Oh no, we, we really havepreserved it.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
We uh wanted to have the pizza bar quieter more.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
That's really cool.
So in in the velvet lounge,you've got your og karaoke
karaoke side right.
Then there's the kitchen that'sin the Velvet Lounge.
You've got your OG karaoke sideRight.
Then there's the kitchen that'sin the middle Right.
So in the corner area is wherepeople come in to the pizza side
.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Corner bar opens up to Main Street, washington,
right at the hub of everythinghappening.
Yes, and the vibe is housemusic, light music, a little bit
more elevated drinks than inthe Velvet Lounge side, which we
brought in a mixologist who'sfantastic.
We've really gotten, we've beenblessed with our employees and
(10:34):
their talent.
Most of our employees that workin the bar have never sang and
didn't know they could.
There's some in there that gotsome chops, fantastic, fantastic
.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Fantastic.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
So in the Velvet Lounge, which is downtown on
Main Street, you just started apizza business we did.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
We expanded we needed .
You know we got a lot ofcomplaints that we didn't have
enough bathrooms, and that'stotally normal for
Fredericksburg.
We're lucky we have two Right,but you know these are all old
buildings, they're, all you know, to be kept historical, which
we all want.
And you know we decided that weneeded to expand a kitchen,
(11:32):
make something bigger so wecould serve some substantial
food, and we needed morebathrooms.
So we just expanded it into thenext corner.
Was that corner available?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
It became available, so there was something different
there.
I was losing.
It became available, so therewas something.
Yep, there was a winery there.
I was losing my mind.
No, there was a winery.
Let me think about this.
It had been there forever.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Okay, and they moved out, made a tasting room out on
wine rooms, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
So y'all did that.
You, um, did you guys just sitat home and decide, you know?
Speaker 3 (12:05):
did you know what your menu was going to be?
This was on the fly.
It was again pivot and rollwith it.
So both my husband and Ilearned as much as we could
about the food industry.
You know, we both got our foodmanagers so we could learn to
set up a kitchen and, uh,basically run a kitchen should
we need to, and keep it all howit should be legally and
environmentally.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Right.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Um.
So we, we learned on the flyand that I love challenges, I
love change, I do too.
Um, we're really good at that.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
I watch a lot of food network.
Okay, I watch a lot of thekitchen nightmares.
I watch a lot of the were you?
Speaker 3 (12:47):
scared about the restaurant side?
No, not at all.
We have such a good staff, sucha good team Do you find that
that's hard to find inFredericksburg.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
It's very hard to find.
Which I didn't realize untilthis was years ago, is how many
people drive in from San Antonioarea and New Braunfels area
that work in Fredericksburg andthen have for years Canyon Lake.
Yes, kerrville, bernie, comforta lot yeah, but we're
(13:17):
struggling to find people.
Right, we are strugglinghardcore, and that the I'm a
foodie.
Yeah, the restaurant industryis scares the shit out of me,
correct?
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Well, and we know, we knew when we started this pizza
side, we were going to keep itsimple, we were going to use the
KISS method and that's that.
So we're making five pizzas anduntil those five pizzas are
fantastic and I think they arepretty good then we'll make our
sandwiches.
Once those are good, then we'llmake our sandwiches.
Once those are perfected, we'llincorporate our salads and,
(13:49):
just you know, utilize all thesame recipes, same ingredients
to change.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
How long did it take you to?
You opened the pizza side Lastweek.
Last, yeah, stop with the wholelast week thing we do,
literally when you, we were justtalking about this, you didn't
say hey, by the way, oh, yeah,no girl, I've been going you
just put the first one in theoven you need to get your ass
here.
Yes, okay.
(14:16):
So how long prior to that firstopening did you guys decide?
Because I'm going to telleverybody about this pizza here
in a minute, that's pretty good.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
But let's talk about how many recipes did you guys
think yeah, no, or we come upwith those five we really really
got.
Was it house divided?
Was it like no?
We had a several employees thathave come from the pizza world
and we my husband and I askedthem.
We gleaned from theirexperience what?
What's your favorite to make?
What's the most inexpensive tostart with?
What can we take fresh?
What should be the mostexpensive thing?
(14:54):
What's important?
What did what?
Did you hear?
Yeah, when you had theexperience, because we hadn't
had it.
Uh, and then he and I went totest kitchen after test kitchen
after test kitchen.
Uh, for the right cheese, youknow, we decided on an expensive
italian crust.
That's fantastic.
It's phenomenal.
Yes, our daughter is celiac, sowe had to have a gluten-free,
(15:16):
so we brought in this killercauliflower crust.
It's ridiculous.
It is ridiculous.
It's ridiculous.
We haven't had one negativereview on the pizza yet, and
that's probably because we'veonly done that and we haven't
focused on anything else at thispoint.
It's so good.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
So we need to talk about this pizza for a minute
and we are going to take thewhole pizza side to the velvet
lounge and say, but thiscauliflower crust, it's pretty
crazy, it's ridiculous, right.
And then you put a hot honey.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
there's a hot honey that they put on the tray before
they put the cauliflower cruston so that it melts as it goes
through the pizza oven.
That it melts to thecauliflower and it's amazing,
it's absolutely killer.
It's got a little bit of a heat, but nothing kids couldn't
handle, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, nick doesn't do heat at all.
Right, and she loved it, lovedit.
Yeah, I don't do barbecue sauceat all and I destroyed it.
Yeah, I'm not a barbecue saucegirl at all.
There's this little tiny boomHi, how are you?
Yeah, and that yeah, and sogood.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
And it is ridiculous.
Not one complaint and I don'tenvision having any because I
think it's.
I think it's something unique.
It's the only pizza on mainstreet and you know it's family
friendly.
If you and your kid want tocome in and get something to eat
, it's easy.
Grab and go, we're quick.
If you feel like a bottle ofwine, you know we label our own
(16:45):
wine and make it.
Fredericksburg made grapespicked here, all that.
The Barnet Rock House has beenopen.
How long?
We opened?
December 1, 2024, on myinsistence.
We're not completely decorated.
Our golf simulators are in theprocess of being built.
We'll have golf barn or barngolf here eventually.
(17:05):
Simulators, two of them.
We've got billiards, we've gotshuffleboard, live bands out on
this awesome kick-ass patio andit goes again 20 acres.
So it's easy, it's fun, it'sone mile from Main Street One
mile from Main Street.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
So, besides the bar, the back patio do you have?
Is there accommodations?
There are, let's talk aboutthat side of Disney.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
I also have B&bs uh somewhere out here.
I I love this house.
It's called the rock househideaway and it was the first
heritage house built here, uh in1899 okay.
So yeah, let's go through thatit was hand built uh by uh some,
by some beautiful people.
They were very church-going andadvocates for the Lord and
(17:57):
there was a lot of that out here.
Yes, you know, most ofFredericksburg is built with
Sunday houses, and Sunday housesbeing where the neighbors from
other towns would drive in backin the day and spend the night
at somebody's house they didn'tknow, but a Sunday house would
be open to any and all thatwould drive into church or ride
their horses, you know, walk,yes, big deal, but that's why
(18:18):
there's such a very good.
We've kept it the same.
Yes, the Sunday houses are socool because they're just really
one big room.
You know my B&Bs out here, it'shuge.
I think they have acongregation at some point, so,
all right, it sleeps 22, uh,which is fantastic because we're
steps away from a sports bar,yes, steps away from a ceremony
(18:42):
site under some beautiful oaktrees to get married, lots of
space for reception.
And then I have a littleromantic take house that sleeps
two, three stories, spiralstaircase out here, again, steps
from the barn.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Yes, you know, so do you have thoughts or expansion
on the Airbnb side?
Are you going to just keep theones that are here?
What are your plans?
Yeah, what are your plans, yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Depending on opening dates for my sports venue out
here, I would love to do sixcabins around the Rock House.
Keep it the same vibe.
So you built this barn.
This barn was here.
Was it here 1911.
Shut up?
Yeah, and so all the wood yousee in here was from the
(19:32):
original, really, uh, barn.
So any wood that's showingaround the bar and the kitchen
side, and this, it was pulledfrom the original barn and
remade.
Yeah, so we dig it.
You know, again, it was awedding venue.
Uh, wedding stop during covid.
We had to literally pivot, andthat's what.
(19:54):
What you do.
Yes, you know, when you've gotsomething invested, there's no
giving up, there's no juststopping it.
So we, you know, did whatanybody would do.
We made our offices here.
Yeah, you know, we hunkereddown and we became a family who
all worked together.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
That is very impressive for one.
That was a huge struggle, COVID, but so you decided the barn at
Rock House.
You decided to stay with thewhole Rock House theme because I
had no idea where that camefrom.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Yeah, the Rock House, and you know we're right on the
Barrens Creek, so this wouldhave been an obvious area to
settle early on um the.
They named it the rock houseand you know it's literally
built from rocks and I would not.
I have to honor that.
Yes, I think this is one of thecoolest places I've been to in
fredericksburg.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, and you know we get to come here every day do
you have the history behind thathouse, like, is it in the house
, is it it actually?
Do you have?
I do that's big yeah, yeah.
And you knew all that research,all that before.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I researched it once I moved here to town.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Yes, it was.
Do you have any idea that thiswas going to be yours?
Speaker 3 (21:07):
None, and it's a fluke, it really is.
You know, we we purchased aranch and the gentleman that we
purchased the ranch from uhplayed professional football
years and years ago was that oneof his family, was the first
settlers here, first doctor intown.
Um, he is a really neat man andsaid, hey, I've got this
(21:28):
wedding venue that I don't knowwhat to do with because I'm in
my, you know, eighties.
So would you guys come out hereand would you consider it?
And we were like there was nothinking, it was an absolute yes
, and it's a dream.
It really is a dream come true.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
I think that doing this Fredericksburg tour of the
town, um, everyone that I havetalked to has been and I've
known you guys for so long.
You know, taught at the elkstore, and then Curtis has just
got his place, and and the listgoes on.
But the history behind thebuildings and the land, and how
(22:05):
you guys have come to purchasingthem, to purchasing them,
owning them, is so alike and sounique at the same time.
Correct.
But the fact that we justtalked about this how timing is,
so it's pivotal it is, and it'sso crazy how the timing with
(22:26):
your deal to grab a hold of thishappened, and it was a no
thought process.
It was quick and done and fast.
Same thing with them.
Then you talked to Todd.
I mean, his grandfather hadthat.
We go back to the 1800s.
You're talking about the 19,early 1900s, it's, it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
It is Well when it's so.
When the universe tells you todo something, you do you do it
Correct.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
I'm a very intuitive person as am.
I you very, do it Correct.
I'm a very intuitive person, asam I you very.
Yes, yes, so much an intuitiveperson.
We definitely have a lot ofthat in common.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Which is so cool.
Yes, it really is.
Yeah, when you, when you've gotit and know it uh, you have to
utilize it.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
You do, you do, you do.
And I think that's when I hadto sit back and realize after my
intuition would tell me thingsand I'd be like, yeah, no, very
hesitant, standoffish.
And every single time thatwould happen, I would bite
myself in the ass and I'mthinking you, dumb ass, you know
this, I know better than that,you know better than that.
And so it took me to get lateron in life to go um, no, you
(23:30):
feel that, yeah, it's happening.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Now, at my age, now is it time to go.
Yes, I preach it to the 20 yearolds that work for me.
I'm like God, hayes if your guttells you something, listen
each and every time all of ouremployees, I say that too.
And if the universe is tellingyou something, either slow your
roll or go jump on your bigdreams.
Yeah, one or the other, right,yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
At the Barnett Rock House, where we are right now.
Are you thinking a food sitehere at some point?
We?
Speaker 3 (24:03):
are.
I think what we're going to dois, you know, wedding venue.
They have a lot of caterers.
This is the catering kitchen.
You know it's beautiful butit's not meant to cook in for
what I'm doing as a bar Got you,so I'm kind of limited.
Again, I think we're two milesaway from Velvet Lounge.
I'd love to bring pizzas out tothe barn and just you know,
(24:25):
whatever we give them for onMain Street, we do some a little
bit out here for our family andeverybody that comes to visit
us on the daily.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
So at the Barnet Rock House.
What can people expect?
What are our options here?
Wedding venue yes, full on.
Do you put packages together?
I do, okay.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
Yep, I do.
I don't do many weddings.
If I do, it's going to bebeautiful outdoorsy under the
ceremony site, which isincredible.
You kind of do your own thing.
You have tables and chairs youcan rent from me.
You know, I let you move themwhere you want.
I have a tent to rent.
You know, everything stays downat the Rock House, ceremony,
(25:08):
reception down at the Rock House, which is fantastic.
And then, you know, when allthat's done, you can have the
B&Bs.
You know, when all that's done,you can have the bnbs.
There's a gentleman's quarters,there's a honeymoon, you know.
Bedroom in the the rock house,there's a lot of neat stuff.
Yes, I'll have packages.
Had some champagne from the bar.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Um, we've got some fun stuff happening, so you can
do a pretty much a one-stop shop, yes, for without you guys can,
yeah, and I can handle it anddo it all.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
I'm easy.
I do all this.
I don't necessarily want to beinvolved in your wedding, I just
want you to have the access towhat you need.
You guys rent the BNBs out here, sleep 22 people, you're all
set, you don't have to leave.
If you do and you want to govisit us at Velvet Lounge or you
want some pizza, we would sendyou in one of our many, many,
(25:57):
many wine tours or fun friendsthat have their big suburbans
and bands to take large groupswell, that's cool to know that
you um do have the capability ofmaking it as big or as small as
anybody wants to.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
a wedding, a birthday party, a corporate event, yeah,
some hunters out here.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
The fire pit outside this house is incredible.
The trees out here areincredible.
There's deer, there's armadillo.
There's so many fun things.
If you're not from here, thisis what the whole country
represents.
This is God's country.
This really is God's country.
It is.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Bluebonnets everywhere, so beautiful and
your area and where you're at inyour seclusion is it's top
notch.
It really is.
You did very well, thank you.
You did.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
And I'm so happy for you.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I cannot wait to watch and see the growth it's
all happening.
I would love to put some, somefun packages.
You know I've got my.
Well, let's go.
I love my decor and, yeah,that's right up my alley.
I'm always willing.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Yes, For putting some fun events together and some
shindigs and cut a rug.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Let's do it.
Yeah, so live music out hereEvery Saturday Every Saturday.
Yep, live music One, two, four.
What time are we doing livemusic here?
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Depends, typically we're open at noon on Saturday
and Sunday.
So all you day drinkers, bloodyMarriers you know, sunday
fundayers we are Sunday fundayall day.
So it's we have a couple ofshuffleboard leagues, couple of
people that'll come out and playpool early on, Lots that'll
bring their kids after church,which is fun.
You know everybody wants tohave a couple shuffleboard
leagues, a couple of people thatwill come out and play pool
early on, Lots that will bringtheir kids after church, which
is fun.
You know everybody wants tohave a good time out here and we
(27:43):
want to make sure everybodygets home safe.
So it's not a whole bunch ofover-drinking.
We do a lot of driver's home.
We'll call them for you, we'reeasy.
We're family-owned and I thinkthat is pivotal.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
It shows owned and I think that is pivotal.
It shows well, yeah, very muchso, which is so important to me
to correct.
Yeah, yeah, share with theworld that.
Hey, we are.
Everybody knows you my firstname.
Yeah, you know your clientele,right?
So many of your customers whenwe stopped by and had pizza with
you the other day we werevisiting you were hands-on knew
the people.
Oh, yeah, first name.
Hey, how's your cat doing today?
(28:23):
Yes, no, how's your?
Speaker 3 (28:24):
broken leg healing.
Yes, it is important.
It's so important, it's so goodnot being from Fredericksburg,
I had I felt like I had to kindof really wiggle my way in here.
Yeah, um, and that it's beingpart of the community, it's
volunteering, it's helping whenpeople need help.
It's just doing the right thingand saying what would you do if
this was me?
(28:44):
It feels good, doesn't it?
Speaker 2 (28:46):
It does, it's where it's at, it does, yeah, it feels
good, yeah, um, let's seeoutside of corporate events and
weddings and our live music.
Keep it.
Then the sports party, which isgood.
You've got how many TVs in here?
We have 10 outside.
We have two outside and eightinside Nice.
Your patio is phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
It is.
You should see it at night,when it's all lit up with the
neon.
We were just talking about thelights and the signs and the
what have you and my plans areto, you know, add some drop
lights strung out or you candance under the stars.
Yes, you can.
There's a couple of you knowsporting game areas around here
where you can light a fire ifyou want.
We keep all the oak wood outthere and, you know, pitch some
(29:31):
horseshoes.
Or you know there's a pokertable here to play your game of
poker.
You know, go crazy, have fun.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
I had a little boy come stay at my place and this
was maybe a year after I had it,and he was staying in one of my
little cottages and, of course,when I acquired the place it
was definitely not not like itis now.
It's obviously it's changed.
It's changed a lot so cool, butone of the sweetest little
things I he was probably two orthree and kind of like yourself,
I become your clients and yourcustomers become your family,
(30:03):
because I I just want to knowand and talk to them and get
their suggestions and make surethat everybody's taken care of.
And I at that time, um, maybejust had a couple of sets of
string, like was just startingto get to where you can.
You've been to my place whereyou can just kind of light it up
a little bit and, um, thislittle boy walked outside and of
course you need to have it aswith now, kids being outside one
(30:26):
.
If they don't have an iPad, ifthey don't have an iPhone, if
they don't have some type oftechnology in their face,
they're losing their mind.
Shit, half the adults in theworld.
The first thing that they saywhen they walk in is what's your
wi-fi?
password, and you know what mywi-fi password at the resort is
crime near river.
Yeah, go ahead.
Right, I need to say, throwyour damn phone in the river and
not, yeah get out here, right,exactly, and save marriages and
(30:47):
shit.
But this is an illusion,seriously.
Yeah.
But this little boy walked outand, um, the lights had just
clicked on and he turned aroundand told his parents, look at
Miss Gypsy's fairy lights.
Oh, now you've got that.
And he drew a little picture ofyeah, and said this is, this is
Miss Gypsy's fairy lights.
And I have it.
(31:07):
We have a little.
We call it the Hobbit hole at myplace.
It's a little.
It literally is a little tinyHobbit hole that we, I love that
.
We, I love that.
It's like kind of like ourhidden office type deal on the
side of the building and I'vegot little notes and and things
of that kids have left me andI've got a couple of those here.
The little rocks that theypaint and you'll find them, that
I had no idea You'll find themamongst your property and, yeah,
(31:29):
I had one that left them on thesteps of my motor home was so
freaking cool and I love thatand I they're making memories
there and they're going to bememories here at the Barnett
Rock House and then they'regoing to come back and go.
You know what I remember, whenthere was just the Rock House
and there was just the take, andthere was just this, and now
there's right, you've got thiscool with my dad.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
I am a shuffleboard playing, yes, so when the kids
come out and that's what theywant to do, I eat it up.
So good, I may or may not playa mean game of go fish okay,
yeah, I mean that's ironic.
You mentioned that because nickand I were just talking about a
good game of go fish the otherday, yeah, and I don't even know
what we have short cards, shortcards that are 3d yeah, all
made, all made.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Oh yeah, let's go.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
Yeah, yeah, let's do it I'm a game player, I enjoy
the cards and we have game nightall the time.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
On game night all the time.
Yeah, so good, yeah, you get alittle pictionary and going.
That would be fun.
But I love what you guys havebuilt here.
I love that you kept thehistory.
Yeah, I can't wait to watch thegrowth.
We're going to keep sharing itand keep coming back and keep
coming back.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Let's do it again Wow .
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Yeah, when the golf barn is built, let's go.
We're going to do a whole videoof the whole thing, of the very
first time that I swing a club.
Okay, if I don't throw my,maybe I'm giving you a lesson or
two, yeah, something.
Just make sure that all I meanwe're going to need all the
screens, the netting.
I'm probably going to need ahelmet, maybe a knee pad or two,
I don't know Shit.
(33:05):
Can you imagine me with a golfclub?
Oh, my Lord, I mean we'll justsee what happens.
You may just be like you knowwhat, tiffany, you should
probably just drive around andmake some cocktails or something
.
Go, show everybody your goat,show them a kangaroo.
You never know.
Y'all want me to bring thecamels out.
We can do some camel rides orsomething, and the monkeys I'm
going to do it all yeah.
(33:26):
We'll do some random weird shit.
I'm in.
I told y'all don't tempt mewith a good time.
That's exactly right, don't sayI will not ever do that,
because I will be the first oneto Never say never I will ride
my little donkey all the wayfrom New Brunswick all the way
here.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
I'm kind of a little badass too, tiffany, I know.
That's why we're sitting here.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Let's do this Cheers, cheers, love Everybody.
The Barnett Rock House,danielle, y'all, come see them.
Fredericksburg, texas.
We will put a link, we willshare schedules, the music
schedules.
The atmosphere is phenomenalOver 20 acres, trees, hill,
country, you name it.
Family friendly, liquor, bar,all the things, all the good
(34:09):
stuff, 10 TVs.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
Shuffle.
Tons of outside seating, tonsof inside seating.
Air conditioning yes.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
It's huge outside seating, tons of inside seating,
a air condition yes, huge.
Get the inside and the outsidethe best of both worlds agreed,
thank you, thank you, I love youand I'm so proud of you too.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
I'm so proud of you.
I'm excited for you going onthe road.
Thank you, and you knowhighlighting us, it's important
for me to um.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
yeah, but local business owners, I mean, come on
now, we gotta stick togetherand we should yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
No reason that we can't.
Yeah, yeah, thanks Chick, thatwas good, so fun.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Thank you, end scene that's our favorite part and cut
.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut.
I put a blessing on it to real.
That's the metaphoric.
We just put the I in iconic,buzzing like I'm electronic.
Ah yeah, I put a blessing on it.
See me dripping in it 24-7 onit.
I'm just being honest.
Ah, holy water dripping,dripping from my neck to my crap
song two-stepping on it live.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hey everybody, welcome to the Ramblin' Gypsy
podcast.
My name is Tiffany Foy and weare kicking off our SPF 90 tour
in Fredericksburg, texas.
We started a little pregame.
The Wondering Series is kind ofwhat we're calling this,
because I do wonder and I do getreal lost.
But we are at the barn at RockHouse and this is Danielle.
(00:39):
We have been friends for aminute.
We have yes and you come downto New Braunfels and hang out at
our resort.
I love it you guys know I haveGypsy River Resort.
Really cool.
You bring your team members,your squad and y'all float the
glide we do yes, yeah.
So business owner to businessowner, small town to small town,
(01:00):
hill country we're kind of hillcountry, I believe you are.
We're kind of Hill Country inNew Braunfels, I believe you are
.
We're country in New Braunfels.
I don't know about the hills,but anywho, let's talk about you
, your entrepreneurship.
Okay, you have multiplebusinesses here in
Fredericksburg.
It is really important to meand this is what started the
(01:23):
tour how we wanted to put thisall together was keeping small
businesses alive in our smalllittle towns.
Corporations are coming in andyou obviously are extremely
hands-on I am very hands on withour businesses.
I know it's very important toyou guys.
I've talked to so many peoplethat I know in Fredericksburg
(01:44):
and, of course, we're born andraised local in New Braunfels.
Yes, growth is inevitable, buthow did you get into the
Fredericksburg area?
Let's start there and let's go.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Let me preface with Jason and I met at karaoke in
Midland a solid 20-somethingyears ago.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
We'll tag on that in a little bit.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Hometown, hometown boy over there, yes, you're both
oil and gas.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah, I started a trucking company and he had a
full consulting oil and gas firmwhere he managed rigs.
So we did that for years andthen we wanted to retire and
I've always wanted to live infredericksburg and we landed
here to retire honestly andthought we don't want to do this
.
So the next best thing waskaraoke and we loved it.
(02:35):
We started that and thenfredericksburg needed something
for the gents, yes, and sothat's where we are with the
Barnett Rock House.
Okay, we needed.
We were sports bar.
It's the only sports bar inFred.
Locals really love this placebecause it's convenient, it's
not as busy, not as touristy,and it's on 20 beautiful acres,
(02:58):
literally less than a mileoutside of town Nice, so you
guys met at karaoke, which Ithink is really epic.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Out of town Nice, so you guys met at karaoke, which I
think is really epic, and youhave the Velvet Lounge we do,
which is on Main Street.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
You guys started that when we started that the day.
Well, we opened the day COVIDhappened.
Wow, yeah.
So we would have started theideas, the you know, renovations
, yada, yada, at least a yearbefore that, but the day we
opened, covid happened.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
How did you guys sustain that?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
We literally blew up balloons and made it look like
six people were.
We were six feet apart andthought how are we going to do
this?
We prevailed.
It seemed like a lot of peopletraveled in Texas and
Fredericksburg was the obviousspot.
You know, we really stayed openas much as we could, as much as
(03:50):
possible, and I think a bunchof businesses locally did the
same thing.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
We in New Braunfels had I mean, obviously it was a
big struggle Our liquor storesobviously went from doing okay
to the best they have ever donebecause people were just sitting
at home losing their mind.
The resort thank goodness Ihave a gated entrance and people
were calling me.
They had my cell phone numbers,Our clientele, we come, family
(04:16):
and customers.
And they were calling me andsaying, Tiffany, look, we are
losing our minds.
Can we bring our rigs out here?
What can we do?
And I said you know what?
I'll shut the gate.
My home is your home.
You guys want to bring yourrigs, you want to bring your
family and your friends andthat's what you do.
Come on, Right and come on.
So we're different in Texas.
We are obviously.
Call us rule breakers, call usgangsters, call us whatever you
(04:40):
want, but we do, we can, we do.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Stick together when it comes, when times are tough,
yeah, we get going so, yeah,well, wow, because that's the
day, you the day, yeah, and youknow it was rough that first
year, but the bachelor, we'rereal big on bachelorettes,
bachelor parties, uh, birthdayparties, divorce parties, yada,
yada.
We uh had so many peoplewanting to get married during
covid and they couldn't.
(05:08):
They wanted to do thebachelorette parties, so they
kept coming back.
Although the brides couldn'tget married, the brachelorettes
wanted to have their parties.
That's huge.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Here it is and, and you know, that's kind of great.
That's funny that you mentionedthat because it kind of happens
.
In New Braunfels we have atleast once a summer, once, or
whatever we do, we'll have abachelor or bachelorette party,
but it's not near as big as itis in Fredericksburg.
That's a big deal here.
It is huge.
It's wine.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I think it goes beyond the wine.
I think it's the people.
I think we're a beautiful cityfilled with entrepreneurs.
Main street is only businessowners.
They don't let corporateAmerica in on main street.
So, um, you know, that's it'sall of us trying to make it.
Looking at each other acrossthe street, there's more than
(05:59):
enough room for everybody.
Right Period, right yeah, wehelp each other out.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
That's good we do, we , we do the same.
But but I I think it wasimportant to me to come here.
I've spent a lot of time ingillespie county growing up as a
child and being in 4-h and ffaand selling raising sheep and my
brother raised cattle and so weshowed all over the place and
and I always did really reallywell here.
So it's kind of home away fromhome and it was not very far.
And then, of course, you knowI'm a wine snob and I love my
(06:28):
wine and so, boom, it's awin-win situation.
But I just felt like it wasreally important because this
kind of is a staycation for me,like you come to New Braunfels
and you guys bring your team, wecome here, so it's it's pretty
cool.
So I thought it was reallyimportant to to share, yeah,
your growth and and I'm so gladI love it do.
Um, what is it?
(06:50):
We were just doing this theother night, where they guessed
the songs, what's called a videooh, kamikaze, karaoke.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Kamikaze, basically is where the crowd or the dj
will say this is your next songand you don't know what it is
and you may not have ever sangit, and you may catch on to the
tune and hope that you can singit, but if you don't, your tail
is basically between your legsfor the rest of the night.
A true singer would get upthere and sing.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
I am not accepting that challenge.
My tail stays between my legs.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I have been on that stage.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
We're going to talk about something else right now,
aren't we?
Yeah, so we were.
We stopped by.
We were in town starting ourwandering series and we stopped
off to come by and catch somesnippets which will show
everybody the Velvet Lounge.
It's absolutely phenomenal.
One reason why we're notrecording in there is because
(07:49):
your sound system for yourkaraoke is probably blows.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Whitewater Amphitheater out of the water.
Now we have had that soundsystem.
Jason and I again met atkaraoke back in Midland, lived
in Midland and we said we can dothis.
So we had a little shop barn,if you will, metal built, and we
(08:15):
just started a sound systemwith what we had Bought a sound
board and people started comingto hear us sing.
Soundboard and people startedcoming to hear us sing and
before we know it we had jake'spub and 200 people byob that
would stay all night, yeah, andpass around the mic and sing.
Where was this at midland?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
okay, all right, all right, yeah, so it was all
that's on the floor.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, it was so much fun, so again retiring we
decided wasn't an option.
We were like we did that prettygood.
Yeah, you know, we couldprobably make some money.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
200's a lot.
Yeah, I don't like five peopleand y'all got 200 in your barn
Easy.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, easy and it was fun.
Yeah, you know, I remember onetime we came home from Jamaica
and I had, literally, you knowthe braids in my hair, know the
braids in my hair.
I had a mini skirt because itwas New Year's Eve and we had
flown in and it was late, so Iwore a big old fur and I walked
in and again, two to threehundred people and nobody knew
me and I was like this is myhouse, right?
(09:14):
excuse me yeah, wow, now, I trynot to let anybody know me yeah,
I get it, I go and sing everyday and I want to keep loving
what I do.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
It's your, yeah, your sound system.
I was telling you know, withour music people I was like this
thing is like nothing I meanyou've ever heard.
It's ridiculous, it is, andy'all built and put all that
together.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
We did, we just literally transferred it.
It's still the same system,same soundboard yes, yeah, still
the same system, samesoundboard yes, yeah, isn't that
?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
crazy, that's insane.
Yeah, which is why the pizzabar musicians I can't keep a
soundboard for six months.
Oh no, we, we really havepreserved it.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
We uh wanted to have the pizza bar quieter more.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
That's really cool.
So in in the velvet lounge,you've got your og karaoke
karaoke side right.
Then there's the kitchen that'sin the Velvet Lounge.
You've got your OG karaoke sideRight.
Then there's the kitchen that'sin the middle Right.
So in the corner area is wherepeople come in to the pizza side
.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Corner bar opens up to Main Street, washington,
right at the hub of everythinghappening.
Yes, and the vibe is housemusic, light music, a little bit
more elevated drinks than inthe Velvet Lounge side, which we
brought in a mixologist who'sfantastic.
We've really gotten, we've beenblessed with our employees and
(10:34):
their talent.
Most of our employees that workin the bar have never sang and
didn't know they could.
There's some in there that gotsome chops, fantastic, fantastic
.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Fantastic.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
So in the Velvet Lounge, which is downtown on
Main Street, you just started apizza business we did.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
We expanded we needed .
You know we got a lot ofcomplaints that we didn't have
enough bathrooms, and that'stotally normal for
Fredericksburg.
We're lucky we have two Right,but you know these are all old
buildings, they're, all you know, to be kept historical, which
we all want.
And you know we decided that weneeded to expand a kitchen,
(11:32):
make something bigger so wecould serve some substantial
food, and we needed morebathrooms.
So we just expanded it into thenext corner.
Was that corner available?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
It became available, so there was something different
there.
I was losing.
It became available, so therewas something.
Yep, there was a winery there.
I was losing my mind.
No, there was a winery.
Let me think about this.
It had been there forever.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Okay, and they moved out, made a tasting room out on
wine rooms, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
So y'all did that.
You, um, did you guys just sitat home and decide, you know?
Speaker 3 (12:05):
did you know what your menu was going to be?
This was on the fly.
It was again pivot and rollwith it.
So both my husband and Ilearned as much as we could
about the food industry.
You know, we both got our foodmanagers so we could learn to
set up a kitchen and, uh,basically run a kitchen should
we need to, and keep it all howit should be legally and
environmentally.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Right.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Um.
So we, we learned on the flyand that I love challenges, I
love change, I do too.
Um, we're really good at that.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
I watch a lot of food network.
Okay, I watch a lot of thekitchen nightmares.
I watch a lot of the were you?
Speaker 3 (12:47):
scared about the restaurant side?
No, not at all.
We have such a good staff, sucha good team Do you find that
that's hard to find inFredericksburg.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
It's very hard to find.
Which I didn't realize untilthis was years ago, is how many
people drive in from San Antonioarea and New Braunfels area
that work in Fredericksburg andthen have for years Canyon Lake.
Yes, kerrville, bernie, comforta lot yeah, but we're
(13:17):
struggling to find people.
Right, we are strugglinghardcore, and that the I'm a
foodie.
Yeah, the restaurant industryis scares the shit out of me,
correct?
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Well, and we know, we knew when we started this pizza
side, we were going to keep itsimple, we were going to use the
KISS method and that's that.
So we're making five pizzas anduntil those five pizzas are
fantastic and I think they arepretty good then we'll make our
sandwiches.
Once those are good, then we'llmake our sandwiches.
Once those are perfected, we'llincorporate our salads and,
(13:49):
just you know, utilize all thesame recipes, same ingredients
to change.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
How long did it take you to?
You opened the pizza side Lastweek.
Last, yeah, stop with the wholelast week thing we do,
literally when you, we were justtalking about this, you didn't
say hey, by the way, oh, yeah,no girl, I've been going you
just put the first one in theoven you need to get your ass
here.
Yes, okay.
(14:16):
So how long prior to that firstopening did you guys decide?
Because I'm going to telleverybody about this pizza here
in a minute, that's pretty good.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
But let's talk about how many recipes did you guys
think yeah, no, or we come upwith those five we really really
got.
Was it house divided?
Was it like no?
We had a several employees thathave come from the pizza world
and we my husband and I askedthem.
We gleaned from theirexperience what?
What's your favorite to make?
What's the most inexpensive tostart with?
What can we take fresh?
What should be the mostexpensive thing?
(14:54):
What's important?
What did what?
Did you hear?
Yeah, when you had theexperience, because we hadn't
had it.
Uh, and then he and I went totest kitchen after test kitchen
after test kitchen.
Uh, for the right cheese, youknow, we decided on an expensive
italian crust.
That's fantastic.
It's phenomenal.
Yes, our daughter is celiac, sowe had to have a gluten-free,
(15:16):
so we brought in this killercauliflower crust.
It's ridiculous.
It is ridiculous.
It's ridiculous.
We haven't had one negativereview on the pizza yet, and
that's probably because we'veonly done that and we haven't
focused on anything else at thispoint.
It's so good.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
So we need to talk about this pizza for a minute
and we are going to take thewhole pizza side to the velvet
lounge and say, but thiscauliflower crust, it's pretty
crazy, it's ridiculous, right.
And then you put a hot honey.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
there's a hot honey that they put on the tray before
they put the cauliflower cruston so that it melts as it goes
through the pizza oven.
That it melts to thecauliflower and it's amazing,
it's absolutely killer.
It's got a little bit of a heat, but nothing kids couldn't
handle, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, nick doesn't do heat at all.
Right, and she loved it, lovedit.
Yeah, I don't do barbecue sauceat all and I destroyed it.
Yeah, I'm not a barbecue saucegirl at all.
There's this little tiny boomHi, how are you?
Yeah, and that yeah, and sogood.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
And it is ridiculous.
Not one complaint and I don'tenvision having any because I
think it's.
I think it's something unique.
It's the only pizza on mainstreet and you know it's family
friendly.
If you and your kid want tocome in and get something to eat
, it's easy.
Grab and go, we're quick.
If you feel like a bottle ofwine, you know we label our own
(16:45):
wine and make it.
Fredericksburg made grapespicked here, all that.
The Barnet Rock House has beenopen.
How long?
We opened?
December 1, 2024, on myinsistence.
We're not completely decorated.
Our golf simulators are in theprocess of being built.
We'll have golf barn or barngolf here eventually.
(17:05):
Simulators, two of them.
We've got billiards, we've gotshuffleboard, live bands out on
this awesome kick-ass patio andit goes again 20 acres.
So it's easy, it's fun, it'sone mile from Main Street One
mile from Main Street.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
So, besides the bar, the back patio do you have?
Is there accommodations?
There are, let's talk aboutthat side of Disney.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
I also have B&bs uh somewhere out here.
I I love this house.
It's called the rock househideaway and it was the first
heritage house built here, uh in1899 okay.
So yeah, let's go through thatit was hand built uh by uh some,
by some beautiful people.
They were very church-going andadvocates for the Lord and
(17:57):
there was a lot of that out here.
Yes, you know, most ofFredericksburg is built with
Sunday houses, and Sunday housesbeing where the neighbors from
other towns would drive in backin the day and spend the night
at somebody's house they didn'tknow, but a Sunday house would
be open to any and all thatwould drive into church or ride
their horses, you know, walk,yes, big deal, but that's why
(18:18):
there's such a very good.
We've kept it the same.
Yes, the Sunday houses are socool because they're just really
one big room.
You know my B&Bs out here, it'shuge.
I think they have acongregation at some point, so,
all right, it sleeps 22, uh,which is fantastic because we're
steps away from a sports bar,yes, steps away from a ceremony
(18:42):
site under some beautiful oaktrees to get married, lots of
space for reception.
And then I have a littleromantic take house that sleeps
two, three stories, spiralstaircase out here, again, steps
from the barn.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Yes, you know, so do you have thoughts or expansion
on the Airbnb side?
Are you going to just keep theones that are here?
What are your plans?
Yeah, what are your plans, yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Depending on opening dates for my sports venue out
here, I would love to do sixcabins around the Rock House.
Keep it the same vibe.
So you built this barn.
This barn was here.
Was it here 1911.
Shut up?
Yeah, and so all the wood yousee in here was from the
(19:32):
original, really, uh, barn.
So any wood that's showingaround the bar and the kitchen
side, and this, it was pulledfrom the original barn and
remade.
Yeah, so we dig it.
You know, again, it was awedding venue.
Uh, wedding stop during covid.
We had to literally pivot, andthat's what.
(19:54):
What you do.
Yes, you know, when you've gotsomething invested, there's no
giving up, there's no juststopping it.
So we, you know, did whatanybody would do.
We made our offices here.
Yeah, you know, we hunkereddown and we became a family who
all worked together.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
That is very impressive for one.
That was a huge struggle, COVID, but so you decided the barn at
Rock House.
You decided to stay with thewhole Rock House theme because I
had no idea where that camefrom.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Yeah, the Rock House, and you know we're right on the
Barrens Creek, so this wouldhave been an obvious area to
settle early on um the.
They named it the rock houseand you know it's literally
built from rocks and I would not.
I have to honor that.
Yes, I think this is one of thecoolest places I've been to in
fredericksburg.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, and you know we get to come here every day do
you have the history behind thathouse, like, is it in the house
, is it it actually?
Do you have?
I do that's big yeah, yeah.
And you knew all that research,all that before.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I researched it once I moved here to town.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Yes, it was.
Do you have any idea that thiswas going to be yours?
Speaker 3 (21:07):
None, and it's a fluke, it really is.
You know, we we purchased aranch and the gentleman that we
purchased the ranch from uhplayed professional football
years and years ago was that oneof his family, was the first
settlers here, first doctor intown.
Um, he is a really neat man andsaid, hey, I've got this
(21:28):
wedding venue that I don't knowwhat to do with because I'm in
my, you know, eighties.
So would you guys come out hereand would you consider it?
And we were like there was nothinking, it was an absolute yes
, and it's a dream.
It really is a dream come true.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
I think that doing this Fredericksburg tour of the
town, um, everyone that I havetalked to has been and I've
known you guys for so long.
You know, taught at the elkstore, and then Curtis has just
got his place, and and the listgoes on.
But the history behind thebuildings and the land, and how
(22:05):
you guys have come to purchasingthem, to purchasing them,
owning them, is so alike and sounique at the same time.
Correct.
But the fact that we justtalked about this how timing is,
so it's pivotal it is, and it'sso crazy how the timing with
(22:26):
your deal to grab a hold of thishappened, and it was a no
thought process.
It was quick and done and fast.
Same thing with them.
Then you talked to Todd.
I mean, his grandfather hadthat.
We go back to the 1800s.
You're talking about the 19,early 1900s, it's, it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
It is Well when it's so.
When the universe tells you todo something, you do you do it
Correct.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
I'm a very intuitive person as am.
I you very, do it Correct.
I'm a very intuitive person, asam I you very.
Yes, yes, so much an intuitiveperson.
We definitely have a lot ofthat in common.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Which is so cool.
Yes, it really is.
Yeah, when you, when you've gotit and know it uh, you have to
utilize it.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
You do, you do, you do.
And I think that's when I hadto sit back and realize after my
intuition would tell me thingsand I'd be like, yeah, no, very
hesitant, standoffish.
And every single time thatwould happen, I would bite
myself in the ass and I'mthinking you, dumb ass, you know
this, I know better than that,you know better than that.
And so it took me to get lateron in life to go um, no, you
(23:30):
feel that, yeah, it's happening.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Now, at my age, now is it time to go.
Yes, I preach it to the 20 yearolds that work for me.
I'm like God, hayes if your guttells you something, listen
each and every time all of ouremployees, I say that too.
And if the universe is tellingyou something, either slow your
roll or go jump on your bigdreams.
Yeah, one or the other, right,yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
At the Barnett Rock House, where we are right now.
Are you thinking a food sitehere at some point?
We?
Speaker 3 (24:03):
are.
I think what we're going to dois, you know, wedding venue.
They have a lot of caterers.
This is the catering kitchen.
You know it's beautiful butit's not meant to cook in for
what I'm doing as a bar Got you,so I'm kind of limited.
Again, I think we're two milesaway from Velvet Lounge.
I'd love to bring pizzas out tothe barn and just you know,
(24:25):
whatever we give them for onMain Street, we do some a little
bit out here for our family andeverybody that comes to visit
us on the daily.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
So at the Barnet Rock House.
What can people expect?
What are our options here?
Wedding venue yes, full on.
Do you put packages together?
I do, okay.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
Yep, I do.
I don't do many weddings.
If I do, it's going to bebeautiful outdoorsy under the
ceremony site, which isincredible.
You kind of do your own thing.
You have tables and chairs youcan rent from me.
You know, I let you move themwhere you want.
I have a tent to rent.
You know, everything stays downat the Rock House, ceremony,
(25:08):
reception down at the Rock House, which is fantastic.
And then, you know, when allthat's done, you can have the
B&Bs.
You know, when all that's done,you can have the bnbs.
There's a gentleman's quarters,there's a honeymoon, you know.
Bedroom in the the rock house,there's a lot of neat stuff.
Yes, I'll have packages.
Had some champagne from the bar.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Um, we've got some fun stuff happening, so you can
do a pretty much a one-stop shop, yes, for without you guys can,
yeah, and I can handle it anddo it all.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
I'm easy.
I do all this.
I don't necessarily want to beinvolved in your wedding, I just
want you to have the access towhat you need.
You guys rent the BNBs out here, sleep 22 people, you're all
set, you don't have to leave.
If you do and you want to govisit us at Velvet Lounge or you
want some pizza, we would sendyou in one of our many, many,
(25:57):
many wine tours or fun friendsthat have their big suburbans
and bands to take large groupswell, that's cool to know that
you um do have the capability ofmaking it as big or as small as
anybody wants to.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
a wedding, a birthday party, a corporate event, yeah,
some hunters out here.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
The fire pit outside this house is incredible.
The trees out here areincredible.
There's deer, there's armadillo.
There's so many fun things.
If you're not from here, thisis what the whole country
represents.
This is God's country.
This really is God's country.
It is.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Bluebonnets everywhere, so beautiful and
your area and where you're at inyour seclusion is it's top
notch.
It really is.
You did very well, thank you.
You did.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
And I'm so happy for you.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I cannot wait to watch and see the growth it's
all happening.
I would love to put some, somefun packages.
You know I've got my.
Well, let's go.
I love my decor and, yeah,that's right up my alley.
I'm always willing.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Yes, For putting some fun events together and some
shindigs and cut a rug.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Let's do it.
Yeah, so live music out hereEvery Saturday Every Saturday.
Yep, live music One, two, four.
What time are we doing livemusic here?
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Depends, typically we're open at noon on Saturday
and Sunday.
So all you day drinkers, bloodyMarriers you know, sunday
fundayers we are Sunday fundayall day.
So it's we have a couple ofshuffleboard leagues, couple of
people that'll come out and playpool early on, Lots that'll
bring their kids after church,which is fun.
You know everybody wants tohave a couple shuffleboard
leagues, a couple of people thatwill come out and play pool
early on, Lots that will bringtheir kids after church, which
is fun.
You know everybody wants tohave a good time out here and we
(27:43):
want to make sure everybodygets home safe.
So it's not a whole bunch ofover-drinking.
We do a lot of driver's home.
We'll call them for you, we'reeasy.
We're family-owned and I thinkthat is pivotal.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
It shows owned and I think that is pivotal.
It shows well, yeah, very muchso, which is so important to me
to correct.
Yeah, yeah, share with theworld that.
Hey, we are.
Everybody knows you my firstname.
Yeah, you know your clientele,right?
So many of your customers whenwe stopped by and had pizza with
you the other day we werevisiting you were hands-on knew
the people.
Oh, yeah, first name.
Hey, how's your cat doing today?
(28:23):
Yes, no, how's your?
Speaker 3 (28:24):
broken leg healing.
Yes, it is important.
It's so important, it's so goodnot being from Fredericksburg,
I had I felt like I had to kindof really wiggle my way in here.
Yeah, um, and that it's beingpart of the community, it's
volunteering, it's helping whenpeople need help.
It's just doing the right thingand saying what would you do if
this was me?
(28:44):
It feels good, doesn't it?
Speaker 2 (28:46):
It does, it's where it's at, it does, yeah, it feels
good, yeah, um, let's seeoutside of corporate events and
weddings and our live music.
Keep it.
Then the sports party, which isgood.
You've got how many TVs in here?
We have 10 outside.
We have two outside and eightinside Nice.
Your patio is phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
It is.
You should see it at night,when it's all lit up with the
neon.
We were just talking about thelights and the signs and the
what have you and my plans areto, you know, add some drop
lights strung out or you candance under the stars.
Yes, you can.
There's a couple of you knowsporting game areas around here
where you can light a fire ifyou want.
We keep all the oak wood outthere and, you know, pitch some
(29:31):
horseshoes.
Or you know there's a pokertable here to play your game of
poker.
You know, go crazy, have fun.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
I had a little boy come stay at my place and this
was maybe a year after I had it,and he was staying in one of my
little cottages and, of course,when I acquired the place it
was definitely not not like itis now.
It's obviously it's changed.
It's changed a lot so cool, butone of the sweetest little
things I he was probably two orthree and kind of like yourself,
I become your clients and yourcustomers become your family,
(30:03):
because I I just want to knowand and talk to them and get
their suggestions and make surethat everybody's taken care of.
And I at that time, um, maybejust had a couple of sets of
string, like was just startingto get to where you can.
You've been to my place whereyou can just kind of light it up
a little bit and, um, thislittle boy walked outside and of
course you need to have it aswith now, kids being outside one
(30:26):
.
If they don't have an iPad, ifthey don't have an iPhone, if
they don't have some type oftechnology in their face,
they're losing their mind.
Shit, half the adults in theworld.
The first thing that they saywhen they walk in is what's your
wi-fi?
password, and you know what mywi-fi password at the resort is
crime near river.
Yeah, go ahead.
Right, I need to say, throwyour damn phone in the river and
not, yeah get out here, right,exactly, and save marriages and
(30:47):
shit.
But this is an illusion,seriously.
Yeah.
But this little boy walked outand, um, the lights had just
clicked on and he turned aroundand told his parents, look at
Miss Gypsy's fairy lights.
Oh, now you've got that.
And he drew a little picture ofyeah, and said this is, this is
Miss Gypsy's fairy lights.
And I have it.
(31:07):
We have a little.
We call it the Hobbit hole at myplace.
It's a little.
It literally is a little tinyHobbit hole that we, I love that
.
We, I love that.
It's like kind of like ourhidden office type deal on the
side of the building and I'vegot little notes and and things
of that kids have left me andI've got a couple of those here.
The little rocks that theypaint and you'll find them, that
I had no idea You'll find themamongst your property and, yeah,
(31:29):
I had one that left them on thesteps of my motor home was so
freaking cool and I love thatand I they're making memories
there and they're going to bememories here at the Barnett
Rock House and then they'regoing to come back and go.
You know what I remember, whenthere was just the Rock House
and there was just the take, andthere was just this, and now
there's right, you've got thiscool with my dad.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
I am a shuffleboard playing, yes, so when the kids
come out and that's what theywant to do, I eat it up.
So good, I may or may not playa mean game of go fish okay,
yeah, I mean that's ironic.
You mentioned that because nickand I were just talking about a
good game of go fish the otherday, yeah, and I don't even know
what we have short cards, shortcards that are 3d yeah, all
made, all made.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Oh yeah, let's go.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
Yeah, yeah, let's do it I'm a game player, I enjoy
the cards and we have game nightall the time.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
On game night all the time.
Yeah, so good, yeah, you get alittle pictionary and going.
That would be fun.
But I love what you guys havebuilt here.
I love that you kept thehistory.
Yeah, I can't wait to watch thegrowth.
We're going to keep sharing itand keep coming back and keep
coming back.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Let's do it again Wow .
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Yeah, when the golf barn is built, let's go.
We're going to do a whole videoof the whole thing, of the very
first time that I swing a club.
Okay, if I don't throw my,maybe I'm giving you a lesson or
two, yeah, something.
Just make sure that all I meanwe're going to need all the
screens, the netting.
I'm probably going to need ahelmet, maybe a knee pad or two,
I don't know Shit.
(33:05):
Can you imagine me with a golfclub?
Oh, my Lord, I mean we'll justsee what happens.
You may just be like you knowwhat, tiffany, you should
probably just drive around andmake some cocktails or something
.
Go, show everybody your goat,show them a kangaroo.
You never know.
Y'all want me to bring thecamels out.
We can do some camel rides orsomething, and the monkeys I'm
going to do it all yeah.
(33:26):
We'll do some random weird shit.
I'm in.
I told y'all don't tempt mewith a good time.
That's exactly right, don't sayI will not ever do that,
because I will be the first oneto Never say never I will ride
my little donkey all the wayfrom New Brunswick all the way
here.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
I'm kind of a little badass too, tiffany, I know.
That's why we're sitting here.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Let's do this Cheers, cheers, love Everybody.
The Barnett Rock House,danielle, y'all, come see them.
Fredericksburg, texas.
We will put a link, we willshare schedules, the music
schedules.
The atmosphere is phenomenalOver 20 acres, trees, hill,
country, you name it.
Family friendly, liquor, bar,all the things, all the good
(34:09):
stuff, 10 TVs.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
Shuffle.
Tons of outside seating, tonsof inside seating.
Air conditioning yes.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
It's huge outside seating, tons of inside seating,
a air condition yes, huge.
Get the inside and the outsidethe best of both worlds agreed,
thank you, thank you, I love youand I'm so proud of you too.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
I'm so proud of you.
I'm excited for you going onthe road.
Thank you, and you knowhighlighting us, it's important
for me to um.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
yeah, but local business owners, I mean, come on
now, we gotta stick togetherand we should yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
No reason that we can't.
Yeah, yeah, thanks Chick, thatwas good, so fun.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Thank you, end scene that's our favorite part and cut
.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut.
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