Brackish has opened as a new coastal clothing and gift store in New Braunfels, Texas, just in time for the peak summer season. The store, which is housed in a historic home along West Mill Street, features swimwear, beachwear, coastal-themed jewelry and accessories. The beach-themed store debuted May 2 with a grand opening party for family, friends and locals excited about the store.
“It was a beautiful event that evening — the store was full and people gathered on the beautiful wraparound porch,” describes Owner Kayleigh Bryan. “I had a bartender come who made cocktails for guests. Everyone was sitting, sipping and shopping, just enjoying themselves.”
The store is a passion project for Bryan who has a love for both retail and the sea. She’d dreamed about opening a store like Brackish for a long time.
“I’m from New Braunfels, born and raised, which is a river town. And throughout my life, I’ve traveled to some really beautiful beaches and there was a time that I lived in Australia. So I’ve always felt drawn to the ocean lifestyle,” she shares. “I have also worked in retail for many years.”
Prior to starting Brackish, Bryan worked as a manager for The Local, another independent gift store in New Braunfels, for about five years. She says her boss encouraged her to pursue her passion and start her own store, adding that her boss helped her to find an old, 2,000-square-foot house that would work for the store.
Knowing that there weren’t many options in town for swimwear, Bryan thought it would be great to dedicate her store in part to swimwear and other beach clothing, jewelry and accessories with a surf shack vibe.
The name ties directly to the store’s ocean vibes and the town’s love for the river: “brackish” is where freshwater and saltwater meet. Bryan explains, “My husband came up with the name. We’re bringing coastal ocean vibes to a river town — where saltwater meets freshwater.”
The new store features classic surf shack vibes with similarly themed merchandise: beach dresses, swimsuits, goggles, sun hats and jewelry inspired by the ocean. When prepping to set up the store this spring, Bryan made sure all the fixtures matched that theme.
“I scoured Facebook Marketplace and IKEA to find bamboo, rattan and wicker to create the vibe,” she says.
Bryan also attended plenty of winter and spring markets to find the perfect merchandise for the store. By opening day, the store was full of all-things beach: the swimwear, the sundresses, coverups, sunglasses, hats and some basic beach add-ons like sunscreen.
With peak season ramping up in New Braunfels, Bryan hopes that Brackish can be a destination for locals and tourists alike to find swimwear and beach accessories.
She says her biggest hope is that “people who live here and those who visit keep coming back. I hope Brackish continues to grow and be loved by our customers.”
