DUANE
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Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about a little corner store that became a whole lot more. In 1936, Norverto and Susie Lopez opened Green & White Grocery at the corner of Waller and East 7th Streets in East Austin. Now, they weren't just running a store.
Their house was right behind it, and across Waller Street, they later opened the Green & White Courts Motel. Home, store, motel. The Lopez family didn't just do business in that neighborhood.
They were woven into it. From the beginning, generations of the family worked together to make the place a success. The general store expanded to include a meat market and produce.
And somewhere along the way, Green & White developed a reputation for exceptional tamales. That word, exceptional, is right there on the marker, and you don't put that word on a marker unless people meant it. The store became a staple of East Austin.
When Norverto died, it was Olga's husband, John Cazares Sr., who stepped up and took over operations. He kept that corner alive, kept the family legacy going, until he retired in 1993, when he passed the store to his son. And his son, carrying all that history on his shoulders, transitioned the store into a Botanica.
Different goods on the shelves, same roots in the ground. For decades, Green & White has served its neighborhood and its community. One corner.
One family. One long, unbroken promise to East Austin.
What the marker says
In 1936, Norverto and Susie Lopez opened Green & White Grocery at the corner of Waller and East 7th Streets. Their house was behind the store, and across Waller Street, they later opened the Green & White Courts Motel. Since the beginning, generations of the family have worked together to make the store a success. The general store expanded to include a meat market and produce. Green & White developed a reputation for exceptional tamales. The store became a staple of East Austin. When Norverto died, Olga's husband, John Cazares Sr, took over operations. When he retired in 1993, he passed the store to his son, who transitioned the store into a Botanica. For decades, Green & White has served its neighborhood and community. (2023)