The neighborhood market introduces visitors to Texas-made brands that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.
On my first visit to the Hyde Park location, I’m wandering the aisles when a staff member stops me with a sample of a new low-sugar candy, Whims, that the store has just begun carrying. There’s no sales pitch — just a genuine introduction to a product he’s excited about.
Along the right-hand wall, wine bottles stretch nearly the length of the market, mixing familiar producers with labels I’m discovering for the first time. Forrest Allen, Tiny Grocer’s beer and wine buyer, eagerly walks me through a few of his favorites. We cover Santa Barbara County, underrated French producers, and even Texas wine. On his recommendation, I leave cradling three bottles, including Teutonic Wines’ Boil Sauce, an Oregon white created specifically for seafood boils that’s quickly become a favorite at my house.
The interactions feel spontaneous, but they’re by design. After spending 24 years as a grocery buyer at Whole Foods Market, founder Steph Steele built her Austin store in 2021 around the thrill of discovering exceptional foods, the artisans behind them, and the belief that a grocery store should inspire curiosity and community.
“I want to be the alternative to what’s everywhere,” Steele says. “I want to be a tastemaker and show people the fun new items that are delicious.”…