By Stacie Boyls | Arts & Life Writer
On the corner of Washington Ave. and 8th St., next to Tecovas, sits Studio Grocery, a local downtown Waco vintage store run by Baylor alumni Colton Dearing and Michael Davidson. Through their mutual hobby of vintage shopping, the duo created a space reflective of their love for vintage fashion, home goods and quality design, all while rejecting modern fast fashion and trend cycles.
Dearing and Davidson met on Baylor’s campus as students in 2008. The two bonded over a love of vintage wear and continued their friendship long after graduation. After a few stints across the country, the pair returned to Texas in 2020 and began their journey with Studio Grocery, which officially opened in 2022. Their store opened with a vision to keep Wacoans freshly styled in classics that will last, Dearing said.
The store’s name alone is a nod to Dearing and Davidson’s families — Dearing’s grandfathers’ grocery store and Davidson’s family history in the retail business.
“My grandpa had a grocery store in New Mexico,” Dearing said. “I wanted to carry on that legacy but put our own spin on it.”
While one won’t find eggs or milk at this “grocery,” there is a collection of curated vintage wear and home goods, all picked to celebrate the classic Americana style and timeless trends through the decades.
“We wanted it to feel like a lifestyle store, like walking into our house,” Davidson said. “Everything we sell is something we would wear or use ourselves.”
Found inside the shop are items such as Levi 501 jeans, striped Oxfords and vintage Baylor wear. While the owners originally designed the store to be focused on men’s attire, their retail has attracted a mostly female customer base, Dearing said. Regardless of the gender of their customers, the duo set out to make a sustainable and timeless retail experience that Waco seemed to lack.
“We’re not into trend chasing,” Dearing said. “We look for timeless pieces. A good pair of jeans or a Ralph Lauren button-down will always be in style.”
Dearing and Davidson said they source their pieces from all across the U.S., handpicking items from warehouses, antique shops and markets.
“We love the hunt,” Dearing said. “That’s what keeps it fun.”
Affordability is another key part of their approach. Both their furniture and clothing pieces maintain a lower cost profile compared to other vintage shops across bigger cities, Davidson said.
“We’re not greedy,” he said. “Money isn’t the focus. We just want to bring good stuff to Waco.”
Both owners agree community reception has been strong and positive. They said they attribute their growing success as a small business to the growing tourism of Waco and the growing profile of Baylor.
