You can shop, dine and view zebras at Bowles Creek Store

Bowles Creek Store is located right off of Highway 64 in Overton. And though the red barn may look similar to other’s like it in East Texas, inside is a unique shopping destination. Oh, and did we mention the zebras? As you turn off the highway to visit the store, you’ll see 4 wild zebras right out front.

Cliff and Irene Sanders bought the property in March 2019 and have spent the last few years transforming it into the current experience.

“[The store] was originally a beautiful horse barn, and our idea was never to start a retail store,” said Irene. “But I just knew that I had to do something with this beautiful barn, and as time went on...the idea of a store started growing on me.”

Bowles Creek Store is filled with unique items, and most of them were made in the United States.

“We like to show that we’re very patriotic,” said Irene. “We like people to come here and to know they’re going to get something different.”

You can find women’s clothing, children’s toys, home decor, gifts, bath products, candy and more.

Inside the store is also a bistro.

“The bistro came as an afterthought,” said Irene. “It’s a little bit out of town and we thought maybe when people come here they would like to eat something. So the bistro is very small. And that is our main thing, to have something for people to come in, sit down and spent a little time looking at the zebras and just enjoy it.”

Cliff and Irene are originally from South Africa. So when they made their home in East Texas, bringing the wildlife along made sense.

“When we lived in South Africa we had a wildlife ranch,” said Irene. “So that was where the idea of the zebras started. Now we’ve got 4 zebras and three wildebeests, and we’re planning on expanding.”

So what’s next for Bowles Creek Store? Well they plan to expand within the year and add more wild animals to the mix. Make sure to check in later in the year to see their plans for adding cabins and RV spots.

Bowles Creek Store is located at 11074 State Highway 64 W in Overton.

Their current hours of operation are Tuesday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Click here to follow Bowles Creek Store on Facebook, and here to follow them on Instagram.

Click here to visit their website.

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