30 Fun Facts about Austin Habitat ReStores
2022 marks 30 years of Austin Habitat for Humanity ReStores! In honor of our anniversary, we’ve rounded up 30 interesting facts about the ReStores in Central Texas and around the world. Join us at your local ReStore on Friday, May 20 to shop, donate, and celebrate this milestone with 10% off storewide, ReStore swag, and free treats from local vendors!
1. Austin Habitat for Humanity opened the nation’s first ReStore in 1992 in a small warehouse on Comal Street in East Austin.
2. Now, there are more than 900 ReStores in the U.S.! Austinites are no strangers to trendsetting.
3. In 2015, the original ReStore and Austin Habitat headquarters relocated from Comal Street to our current location on Ben White Boulevard, which was formerly a Chuck E. Cheese!
4. Our headquarters received an Austin Energy Green Building four-star rating. Notable green features include power from solar panels and reuse of 96% of the original building structure in the renovation.
5. We’re eco-friendly in more ways than one. We recycle many materials we’re not able to resell, including metal, wood, glass, plastic, electronics, batteries, clothing, and more.
6. In our 30 years in business, we’ve diverted approximately 40 million pounds from local landfills.
7. For these efforts, the Ben White ReStore was voted Best Green Business in the Austin American-Statesman’s 2021 Best of the Best Awards. Keep Austin green!
8. We’ve received the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence and the Goodwill Industries of Central Texas Non-Profit Award. We’ve also been named a finalist for the Austin Chamber’s “Uniquely Austin” award.
9. We make donating easy by offering a free pick-up service for large items.
10. The ReStores don’t just sell gently used items—we also offer a wide variety of brand new inventory, including furniture, mattresses, hardware, and much more! We aim to be your one-stop shop for home improvement.
11. Not only do we receive donations from local residents like you, we also partner with corporate donors and liquidators to offer you great products and ensure their excess items don’t end up in the trash. It’s a win-win!
12. We’ve even been the lucky recipients of items from events like the X Games and SXSW!
13. In December 2018, our San Marcos ReStore opened, increasing our capacity to build outside of Austin.
14. The San Marcos ReStore has won Best of Hays awards every year since its opening, including Best Indoor Furniture and Best Used Appliances.
15. In November 2021, the Lake Creek ReStore brought our presence to the growing Northwest Austin community. Though we’re newcomers to the area, we’re already enjoying creating relationships with regulars and meeting more friends every day!
16. The Lake Creek ReStore’s building was formerly a 24 Hour Fitness…but our preferred form of exercise is long walks through the ReStore aisles. The window and door section used to house a swimming pool!
17. We launched the online ReStore in March 2020. As the pandemic hit, we brought you the ability to shop home goods, collectibles, brand new name-brand finds, and more without leaving your couch.
18. Discount days support members of our community. In stores and online, we offer 20% off for seniors every Tuesday and for military, veterans, and first responders every Wednesday.
19. Local businesses like Plaza Colombian Coffee and Komé Sushi Kitchen have used ReStore materials to build their establishments!
20. The ReStores are a DIYers paradise, and we love seeing how you transform your #ReStoreFinds with your own unique twist. Some of our favorites include a dragonfly art piece made from fan blades and a used shutter transformed into Christmas nutcracker patio décor.
21. Our shoppers aren’t the only creative ones. In our “RePurposed by ReStore” line, our staff sees potential in items that are broken or missing pieces, combining them to make an entirely new creation. Our Lake Creek team made the accent table below from a piece of scrap marble and an antique Singer sewing machine base!
22. The ReStore has been featured on TV! Check us out on KXAN’s Studio 512.
23. We offer custom cabinets and can draw up design plans to help you create the kitchen of your dreams. Bring us your measurements for a free quote!
24. Our gift cards are the perfect present for the bargain hunter or DIYer in your life.
25. We’ve partnered with re:3D to make treasure from trash. Our collaborations have featured designs 3D printed from plastic waste combined with reclaimed materials like metal and glass to create one-of-a-kind, mixed media home goods.
26. Animals are welcome at the ReStore – dogs, a monkey, and a miniature horse have all stepped through our doors! Not even our furry friends can resist a great bargain.
27. Our Ben White and San Marcos stores are undergoing makeovers in 2022 for an improved shopping experience that gives customers and donors more insight into our important mission!
28. New inventory arrives to the ReStore floor around the clock, making every visit a new adventure. You never know what gems you might find from day to day!
29. We aren’t just a home improvement store. We sell clothing, jewelry, books, collectibles, and so much more! Check out our Featured Finds cases at the front of each store to see our newest high-end arrivals.
30. You can feel good about shopping at the ReStores because we’re the stores that build homes, communities, and hope. Funds from every purchase and donation help us build strong, stable, and self-reliant communities right here in Central Texas. This summer, a hardworking family will close on Austin Habitat’s 516th home, and if you’ve shopped or donated at a local ReStore in the past 30 years, you’ve been a part of that journey. Celebrate this milestone at your local Austin Habitat ReStore on Friday, May 20!
