Emporium Western Store

We're tapping into Kern County's wild side visiting a business that has helped fuel the Western lifestyle in our community for the better part of a century. There's a cowboy spirit alive here in Kern County it comes from the farmers ranchers and rodeo riders that span generations and where did they go to get all the gear they need from hats to boots and aquari So we're gonna meet Stephen Goldwater his family has been involved in the Empori 1928? Yeah, we did a father bought it then it was 19 years old when he bought it. Wow Stephen thanks for having us here t Why is t Legendary service dating back to the turn of the century when Stephen Goldwater says it was In fact he never had plans to take over the business training in a career in the aerospace industry to return to Kern County. We have a tremendous amount of boots here and w People come in and go wow is that all the boots you have well we got a lot of boots we have a lot of others that are on display we have 2,000 more pair of boots in the backroom boxes. In fact it's their n Brings. Oh wow. We shaped the top. A close second and something unique to the Empori What we use to get the steam going and soften the hat shape it the way we want. A hat chaper designing and molding your cowboy hat to its perfect fit all by hand. So I think the personal touch and things Once they find us. You can't get t You don't get it in many chain stores because they don't have the experience people that love the lifestyle and that love for the service and lifestyle is what kept their most famous customer coming back time and time again. I'm going to a long time customer. Goldwater remembers his father telling him the story about how Buck Owens loyalty to the Empori Well I'll bet you're not gonna be a big store. And he came in the store one day and told my dad I got a gig in LA. T I'm gonna go down to LA and play it. Somebody said what are you gonna wear? He said well I don't know. I don't really have much. And so he said well let me outfit you. I said I don't have any money. I said that's okay I'll outfit you and someday when you can pay for it you come in and pay me. That's the way my dad was. He loved bakers really loved the Western lifestyle. Supported. So Buck went down went on My name is Buck Owens and these boys are the buckaroos. Got the money came in and paid my dad right away because that's the kind of guy Buck was. Making good on A commitment to shopping local that he exercised up until Goldwater says one of the last places Buck was seen alive was right here. Came in he wanted He spent He talked to everybody. He talked to customers. He visited. He talked about the old days. And as he was walking out to help the door open for I'll How was Thursday and on Friday buck would play Goldwater realizes that t Important Western store made in Kern County. And of course if you have ideas for our next meeting Kern County segment go to our website and click on the made in Kern County section or submit your ideas through the new 23 BC News mobile and tablet apps. They might have a new customer. He'saying in Oklahoma. You live there. You didn't buy your booth. I didn't get my boots nor my hat but hey I'm going to say the same t We may go together man. We can pick out the pair. I've been here eight years. We need to.