Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
If you listen closely in Gause, Texas, you’ll hear something that’s getting harder to find these days: quiet.
No drive-thrus. No movie theater. No chain stores. Just a small grocery that’s been holding this town together for more than a century.
Founded in 1936, Coats Grocery Store is one of the longest-running family-owned businesses in Texas. For generations, it’s been the place where locals gather for a cup of coffee, catch up on town news, and share stories passed down as naturally as the store itself.
Today, cousins Kane Coats and Phillip Rasco are carrying on their grandparents’ legacy, determined to keep this small-town Texas institution alive. From free coffee that’s considered a “donation to the town,” to burgers cooked the same way they’ve been made for decades, Coats Grocery is a reminder that what truly sustains rural Texas isn’t convenience—it’s connection.
This Texas Country Reporter story explores the power of family, tradition, and community in one of Texas’ quietest corners. It’s a hidden gem, a time capsule, and proof that some of the most meaningful places in Texas aren’t the loudest—they’re the ones that endure.
If you love small-town Texas, hidden Texas travel stories, historic businesses, and the people working to preserve them, this is a story worth stopping for.
Kane Coats
coatsgrocery.com
Episode #: 1984
Original air date: 9-6-2025
Tik Tok ► vm.tiktok.com/ZMR7EpeVw
Facebook ► facebook.com/TexasCountryReporter
Instagram ► instagram.com/texascountryreporter
If you listen closely in Gause, Texas, you’ll hear something that’s getting harder to find these days: quiet.
No drive-thrus. No movie theater. No chain stores. Just a small grocery that’s been holding this town together for more than a century.
Founded in 1936, Coats Grocery Store is one of the longest-running family-owned businesses in Texas. For generations, it’s been the place where locals gather for a cup of coffee, catch up on town news, and share stories passed down as naturally as the store itself.
Today, cousins Kane Coats and Phillip Rasco are carrying on their grandparents’ legacy, determined to keep this small-town Texas institution alive. From free coffee that’s considered a “donation to the town,” to burgers cooked the same way they’ve been made for decades, Coats Grocery is a reminder that what truly sustains rural Texas isn’t convenience—it’s connection.
This Texas Country Reporter story explores the power of family, tradition, and community in one of Texas’ quietest corners. It’s a hidden gem, a time capsule, and proof that some of the most meaningful places in Texas aren’t the loudest—they’re the ones that endure.
If you love small-town Texas, hidden Texas travel stories, historic businesses, and the people working to preserve them, this is a story worth stopping for.
Kane Coats
coatsgrocery.com
Episode #: 1984
Original air date: 9-6-2025
Tik Tok ► vm.tiktok.com/ZMR7EpeVw
Facebook ► facebook.com/TexasCountryReporter
Instagram ► instagram.com/texascountryreporter
