An Alice native is bringing his popular pickle business to Corpus Christi, opening the city's first dedicated pickle store after turning a dare into a thriving business.
Larry Garcia, owner of Scary Larry Pickles, is preparing to open his new location on 6600 block of South Everhart in Corpus Christi, expanding from what began as a home-based operation.
"They gave me the opportunity to sell my product and then, we're up to 27 stores now," Garcia said.
Garcia's pickle-making journey began with a dare from his sons. While working at a mechanic shop, he sold a jar to a customer—a move that cost him his job. But that setback didn't stop his entrepreneurial spirit.
"I always knew if I set my mind to do something I'll accomplish it. But I didn't realize that it would be this good," Garcia said.
Just one year later, Garcia has established a commercial kitchen and is now opening a dedicated store in Corpus Christi.
"I thought it would take longer. My original plan was to just put pickles in stores. And we're opening up Corpus Christi's first pickle store," Garcia said.
According to Garcia, South Texas has a particular fondness for pickles, and the community support has been overwhelming.
Gustavo Silva, a Florida native, who visited the store for the first time, was impressed by the concept.
"We were just driving to work and one of my co-workers mentioned that he wanted a pickle. And I live down the street so I told him we could go to the pickle shop," Silva said.
Silva noted that pickle culture isn't prominent in Florida as it is in Texas.
"It's not something that's common so it's, it's really cool that they could come up with a store with different flavors and different themes with it," Silva said.
During Silva's visit, Garcia offered samples before Silva ordered a snow cone, showcasing the variety of pickle-themed products available.
When asked what advice he would give to others in the Coastal Bend about his journey, Garcia emphasized perseverance.
"Never give up. Hard work does pay off. If you have a dream, if you feel this is what you need to do - don't give up, work hard," Garcia said.
Scary Larry Pickles' grand opening is set for May 9th at 10 a.m.
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