Bandy Jewelers: A hidden gem just off the Georgetown Square
Tucked between Coreena’s Bridal Boutique and The Co-Op building on West Eighth Street in Georgetown is Bandy Jewelers, a destination jewelry store in an old shotgun house.
Bandy Jewelry sells second-hand jewelry and offers repairs, custom jewelry services and battery replacements. The small store is not easy to see from the street. In fact, even long-time residents might not notice the shop if they weren’t looking for it specifically.
“There are people who have lived in Georgetown for 30 years who will come in and say that they didn’t even know Bandys was here,” said Bob Brownfield, the store’s assistant jewelry repairman. “People come in and they say, ‘Bandy’s like my grandpa, he’s grumpy.’ [...] People understand that his grumpiness is just…” Mr. Brownfield paused.
“Natural.” Owner Linzy Bandy chimed in.
Mr. Bandy opened Bandy Jewelry in 2002, after he had 30 years of previous experience doing jewelry repair. He first learned the trade from his father, a disabled World War II veteran who had his own jewelry shop. Then, Mr. Bandy went on to open his own store in Paramount, California. The business got so large that he said he felt as though the business was running him, not the other way around.
When his wife took a nursing job at Baylor Scott and White, he moved his business to Georgetown with the goal of downsizing the operation. The store was a one-man operation until recently when Mr. Brownfield started working there a couple days each week. Mr. Bandy even made the “Jewelry” and “Watch and Jewelry” repair signs himself from letters he found at Hobby Lobby.
“I will never forget when they came out with that word ‘multitask.’ I’ve done that my whole life,” Mr. Bandy said. “All these people — they want the big signs and the big this and that. I just wanted to prove that you don’t need all that crap, that you can do business without it. I do business without it.”
Mr. Bandy has a minimalist business philosophy. He tries to keep his overhead costs low so that he can keep his jewelry at a fair price and donate to local causes like Williamson Museum and the Lion’s Club.
Mr. Brownfield said that he admires the way Mr. Bandy does business.
“Everyone who comes into the store, he makes them feel special,” Mr. Brownfield said.
Mr. Bandy said the shop is unique because they offer same-day jewelry repairs. However, the store does get busy enough that Mr. Bandy has to keep some jewelry overnight. The business has grown a lot in recent years as Georgetown’s population has skyrocketed.
Sometimes it can be a lot for Mr. Bandy, who is 76, to handle. But when asked if he plans on closing up shop anytime soon, Mr. Bandy responded, “Probably death do us part.”