08/26/2026
River Lifestyle with Business Opportunity…
Joe and Amber here, owners and operators of the Grouchy Goose and operators of the Tan Turtle Tavern.
First, we want to thank this community for the amazing support and patronage of both businesses. It’s been incredible watching more and more people discover—and rediscover—this amazing river drive and make us part of their time on River Road.
Second, we wanted to share a little background on how the Tan Turtle and Grouchy Goose came to be. And third, we wanted our river-loving friends and supporters to hear directly from us about an opportunity to potentially make one—or both—of these incredible properties theirs.
Several years ago, while living on the Devils River in West Texas, we decided to start putting the wheels in motion for a longtime dream: traveling among tropical islands while living aboard a sailboat.
As we prepared, we sold most of what we owned, bought a sailboat, and ultimately spent two amazing years sailing across the South Pacific—from French Polynesia all the way to the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, with stops in the Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji, and Vanuatu.
It was a family adventure shared with our children, Jonah and Journey, who were just 8 and 6 when we left.
Eventually, we decided to take a break from life on the water. We wanted to spend time near family and give the kids an opportunity to experience traditional school, so we traded the islands for Texas and came home looking for a different kind of adventure.
Having both lived in San Marcos and/or New Braunfels in years past—and having our own history on River Road (we first met at the River Road Ice House at a Randy Rogers concert in 2004)—coming back to the Hill Country felt like coming home.
That eventually led us to the Tan Turtle and Grouchy Goose.
We saw that the bar and grill once known as Koozies and Koozies Riverside was available. Coming straight off boat life, the last thing we wanted was to completely give up the sense of freedom we’d become accustomed to, so traditional 9-to-5 jobs weren’t exactly our first choice.
Plan B?
Why not open two River Road venues with a little beach-bar vibe to remind us of places like Fiji?
So that’s pretty much what we did.
We love River Road and intend to continue calling it home. But lately, the ocean has started calling our names again.
We don’t have any hard plans yet, but we’re beginning to take some steps that could eventually allow us to resume the sailing and traveling lifestyle we love.
One of those steps is offering our Grouchy Goose property for sale. Our associates who own the property from which we operate the Tan Turtle Tavern are also preparing to offer their property for sale.
For the right person—or group—we think this presents a pretty remarkable opportunity.
The Grouchy Goose and Tan Turtle properties could be acquired individually or potentially together. Either could continue as a growing, turnkey business, or the properties could become something entirely different.
A private river retreat. Vacation rentals. An RV resort. An event or wedding venue. A new tourism-based destination such as a traders village. Condos or lodging. Perhaps even conservation, parkland, or a nature-focused use.
Or something none of us has thought of yet.
We believe River Road is entering something of a renaissance. The river corridor itself has natural and geographic limitations that help protect it from the kind of mass development occurring elsewhere, while both ends of River Road and the surrounding region continue to experience tremendous growth.
That creates an interesting opportunity for River Road to continue evolving into more of a year-round destination—a place where restaurants, boutiques, markets, entertainment, outdoor recreation, vacation homes, and other tourism-oriented businesses can exist among one of the most beautiful stretches of the Guadalupe River.
And if you’ve been to the Grouchy Goose, you already know how special the setting can be: majestic cypress trees, a towering limestone cliff across the river, rapids flowing around a river island and into a large, deeper swimming area. Properties with settings like these are increasingly difficult to find along the Guadalupe.
In the meantime, both businesses are operating as usual.
We’re still here. We’re still having fun. And we’d love to see you out on River Road.
Come have a drink, sit in the water, listen to some music, dance the night away, and enjoy these places with us.
And if you’ve ever thought about owning a business or a special piece of property on the Guadalupe, we’d be happy to start the conversation.
Amber is a licensed real estate agent who knows River Road and waterfront property exceptionally well. Whether one of these properties interests you, the River Road Ice House property at the beginning of River Road catches your eye, or another opportunity better fits your vision, just send us a DM.
We’re happy to share what we know, answer questions, and help you explore the possibilities.
Maybe you’re simply coming out for a drink.
Or maybe you’re looking at the place that becomes your next adventure. Amber Joplin - Realtor Trippin with the Joplins
