Farewell to a Local Legend: Oat Willie’s Closes Its Doors After 56 Years
Austin, the vibrant heart of Texas, has said goodbye to one of its most iconic establishments, Oat Willie’s, as the last remaining location has officially closed. Just days after the shop’s doors shut for the final time, 83-year-old owner Doug Brown is still smiling as he unpacks incense on the shelves. “We’ve had some pretty good sales,” he says, his optimism shining through, “I mean, it was 75% off!”
With help from his daughter, Rosemary Wynn, and a small team of loyal employees, Brown is busy boxing up whatever remains in the shop, all the while answering the knocks on the door from eager customers hoping to purchase display cases and shelves.
A Storied History
Oat Willie’s has held a special place in Austin’s culture since it first opened in 1968, making it one of the oldest head shops in the United States. This little shop has seen it all over the decades. When asked about the first product ever ordered, Brown chuckles as he reminisces, “Oh, cigarette papers! I think we sold packages of 10 assorted papers for a dollar.”
The shop’s early days were a colorful mix of incense and blacklight posters. With a grin, Brown recalls how they first got their incense from a local artisan before Indian incense became all the rage. “That was a biggie,” he adds, as he thinks back to the days when “you got to sell the blacklight… and then the posters.”
From Humble Beginnings
Oat Willie’s started its journey on the 1600 block of Lavaca Street, passed along by a group of artists who had been running a little haven for the counterculture called the Underground City Hall. This eclectic space was where Brown and his original partner, George Majewski, found their inspiration. The name “Oat Willie” even comes from a comic character created by the famed Gilbert Shelton!
“We took the name from Shelton’s comic titled The Adventures of Oat Willie: The Most Thoughtful Guy in the World,” Brown remembers. “It depicted a scrawny nincompoop with an enormous nose wearing only polka-dot boxers, riding in a giant bowl of oatmeal.” This quirky character would go on to symbolize the shop’s catchy motto: “Onward, through the fog!”
The Meaning Behind the Motto
Curious about the meaning of their catchy phrase, I ask Brown to explain. “It’s about getting through it all,” he says with a chuckle. “You don’t know what’s on the other side, but you gotta get from here to there and you get help along the way.” This mantra seems to encapsulate the spirit of the shop and the community it nurtured over the decades.
The Family Business
Oat Willie’s was more than just a shop; it was a family affair. Rosemary, who has worked alongside her dad for the last 18 years, fondly describes her childhood spent in the store. “When we had snow days, we were at Oat Willie’s. My mom worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs, so dad was the one who picked us up from school.” It’s clear that the family connection runs deep.
The shop has also been part of humorous confrontations with community politics, including an infamous episode in the 1980s when a local PTA group rallied against the head shop. “Oh, I had forgotten about that!” Brown recalls with a laugh, “We all donned old police riot gear to poke fun at the protestors.”
Market Changes and Competition
However, the winds of change have blown through Austin, as competition has increased. Brown admits that market oversaturation has played a part in why Oat Willie’s couldn’t keep afloat. “We had a lot of competition from other people with CBD and those kinds of things,” he says, reflecting on the evolution of the smoke shop landscape and how the plaza on Oltorf and Burleson has been sold for redevelopment.
Reflecting on Legacy
As Brown looks back on the legacy of Oat Willie’s, he humbly remarks, “I think I got tired. You know what happens with a lot of restaurants: You put your heart into it for a decade or so, then suddenly it’s no longer what it was.” Though some may see the closing as a loss, the stories, friendships, and memories made at Oat Willie’s will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew it.
After 56 glorious years, as Doug Brown proclaimed, “Maybe I was just too dumb to get out!” But, in reality, Oat Willie’s legacy will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of Austin’s counterculture.
