The Briar Shoppe

As a struggling single mother in the early 1950’s, Alice Amason left her home town of Weimar for Houston to provide for her two young daughters, Patsy and Donna. Landing a job at a local pharmacy, she quickly became a customer favorite, as she demonstrated an aptitude for understanding and serving the individual needs of her customers.

Over the course of several years and a variety of employers, Alice recognized a consistent theme among her customers that up to then, was going largely unmet: a demand for a wider range of options in fine tobacco products. She saw this as an opportunity to not only create a business for herself and her daughters, but to meet a growing market need.  However, this proved to be more challenging than she could have imagined.  In the primarily male-dominated tobacco industry, banks were less than willing to entertain a woman asking for a loan to start a cigar and fine tobacco business. Steadfast in her convictions that she could meet the needs of the customers, Alice persevered until longtime friend and customer, Richard (Racehorse) Haynes, extended a loan of $500. And with that, the Briar Shoppe was born.

Now in the third generation, the current owners, Bill Scoggins and Diane Grace, continue to serve the Houston community by providing a wide range of fine pipes, tobaccos, cigars, and accessories. Our knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff will guide you through the world of tobacco, in the same spirit of service and individual attention which characterized Alice. Her legacy lives on.