Pink Bulldog Boutique: Belton’s one-stop fashion shop
By Rachel Strickland | Photos courtesy of Pink Bulldog Boutique
Belton may be a small, quaint town, but there are countless cozy cafés, unique restaurants and cute specialty stores on every corner that add to the town’s charm. Pink Bulldog Boutique, on North Penelope Street, is one its best hidden gems.
Micah Springston, owner of Pink Bulldog, started her small business in 2018, selling clothing out of her garage, at local pop-ups and in her popular Facebook group. She even did a few pop-ups at the place where Pink Bulldog is now located, back when it was a wine bar. Springston says she always wanted her own storefront, but she knew the timing and location would have to be just right.
In June 2020, tragedy struck: Springston and her family suffered a house fire, and she lost her entire inventory in one night. She says it was one of the hardest things she’s ever gone through, but it was from this tragedy that her dream of opening a brick-and-mortar location for her beloved boutique came to fruition.
Still reeling from the fire, Springston and her husband were enjoying a night out at Bold Republic. Springston’s husband mentioned that he heard the building next door was going to be available soon, and that got the wheels turning. Springston immediately contacted her Realtor, and on Oct. 10, 2020, Pink Bulldog opened its doors to the public.
Everything in the boutique is trendy, cute, and, of course, pink. But it wasn’t always that way. Springston says she, along with her husband, her in-laws, and a friend, worked 12-hour days for two straight weeks before opening day redoing the place. Her business had been a huge part of her family’s income, so she knew she had to get her store up and running as quickly as possible. “It’s been great, but it definitely wasn’t my plan of how to get there.”
The store gets its name from Springston’s love of bulldogs and the color pink. She explains that in the early days on her Facebook group, she didn’t have an official business name, but people knew her because of the photos she shared of her bulldogs. When it came time to brand her business, the name Pink Bulldog just made sense. In fact, the Springston family has a new French bulldog puppy who is the boutique’s official mascot, and he can be seen both on social media and in the store from time to time.
Springston gets most of the inventory sold at Pink Bulldog from wholesale markets online and at market centers, but she likes to support local vendors in Belton and the greater Central Texas area whenever she can. “They’re supporting me as a small business, and I’m supporting them. So, it helps everyone.”
She tries to find unique styles that match her eclectic and fun vibe. “It was a little scary at first because I do live in a small town,” Springston says. “I was like, this can go really well, or people are going to think it’s too much. But it’s actually gone really well. You just find the people that really like your style, and you attract them.”
Pink Bulldog caters to a wide variety of customers, from college students and stay-at-home moms to teenagers and retirees. And the size inclusivity at Pink Bulldog means that anyone from a size small to 3X can find something that makes them feel fabulous.
Springston believes the community of people is what makes her boutique stand out. She says the Facebook group that started it all, which now has nearly 4,000 members, has helped her customers feel a sense of camaraderie with her as a friend and not just a business owner. It is important that her customers feel at home when they come into the boutique. “Customers come in here and talk to us like friends,” she says.
“We’re not just a business; we’re a place for people to come and hang out, and a place that they feel at home.”
Pink Bulldog Boutique
208 N. Penelope, Belton
254-831-3133
pinkbulldogboutique.com
