One of Austin’s staple record stores will change ownership and relocate to a larger location this spring, current owner John Kunz announced Jan. 2.
Waterloo Records served as a home for Austin’s music scene for 42 years, including 35 years at its current location along West 6th Street and North Lamar Boulevard. The new owners, Caren Kelleher, the CEO of Gold Rush Vinyl, and Trey Watson, CEO of Armadillo Records, will move the store five blocks away to 1105 N. Lamar Blvd.
“I would love this company to live on long after me, and I think we are on the runway to be able to do exactly that,” Kunz said.
Kunz said he began searching for a new location in 2019 when his landlord sold the building to Endeavor Real Estate Group. He said he was not interested in signing a five-to-ten-year lease for a new building since he wants to retire soon, and if the ownership did not change, Waterloo would have to close entirely.
Kunz said the new location is larger, has more parking and has a bigger state-of-the-art stage with video capabilities for in-store performances. He said the new owners plan to retain all current Waterloo Records staff in the move with the same job.
Kelleher said she got to know Kunz after he welcomed her when Gold Rush Vinyl, a record-pressing plant, opened in 2018. She said she took an interest in Waterloo after learning about Kunz’s retirement plans and discussing it with Watson, one of Gold Rush’s investors.
“Both (Watson) and I saw (Waterloo) as an incredibly iconic brand that we were excited to make sure had a lasting legacy here in Austin,” Kelleher said.
Watson said he and Kelleher plan to continue Kunz’s goal of making Waterloo Records a center for people to gather and celebrate music. He said they also hope to create a more interactive environment for people. Kelleher said they look forward to unveiling some of these elements in the coming weeks as they finalize details.
“We’re going to try to kind of create a more historical music brand experience that incorporates other things that contributed to Austin being the live music capital of the world,” Watson said. “Waterloo Records will be the anchor brand and retail aspect of that space.”
Kunz said he will stay fully involved through the summer, but he will then move to a more part-time position, allowing him to focus on his favorite parts of the job.
“The dream with Waterloo, and I think we accomplished it, was always just to turn this space into Austin’s music and film town square (and) gathering place, where everyone’s invited, everyone feels comfortable, and the art, the culture and the community of music and film (are) shared amongst everyone,” Kunz said. “That is the legacy I’m looking to live on with this company.”