Scarbroughs: The Original Austin ‘Disruptors’ (Before Disruption Was Cool)

Ah, Scarbroughs—the OG ‘disruptor’ of Austin retail before ‘disruption’ was just a buzzword tech bros like me scream into the void while chugging cold brew. Picture it: a time when shopping didn’t involve algorithms, just good ol’ human clerks who probably judged you for buying too many sardines. (Yes, sardines. This was the early 1900s, folks. Avocado toast hadn’t been invented yet.)

Back then, Scarbroughs wasn’t just a store—it was a vibe. A place where farmers bartered chickens for coffee like some kind of pre-Uber Eats barter economy. And let’s not forget the real innovation: air conditioning. Forget AI, this was actual intelligence—cooling Texans before Elon Musk’s great-great-granddad even thought about selling flamethrowers online.

But like all great empires (looking at you, Blockbuster), Scarbroughs faced its downfall. The villain? Malls. That’s right, the same places where teens now loiter awkwardly were once the death knell for downtown retail. Scarbroughs tried to adapt—opening boutique shops with names like ‘LTD’ (which, let’s be honest, sounds like a crypto token). But alas, the march of progress—or at least the march to the food court—was unstoppable.

And now? The Scarbrough legacy lives on… in bourbon. Because nothing says ‘retail dynasty’ like pivoting to artisanal whiskey. Maybe they’ll NFT the old display windows next. Disruption, baby!