Apr 17, 2008

Polishing the bootBy Lara K. RichardsTimesRecordNews.com

Burkburnett — There’s more than just boot-making going on at the Burk Boot Shop.

Owners Armando and Patricia Dominguez are in the midst of a major renovation of their longtime family business, including everything from a paint job and new flooring to the installation of a retail sales area in front.

Armando said he’s undertaking the project in hopes of kick-starting his business, even though he’s already got a steady clientele.

“I’ve got plenty of work. That’s not the problem,” he said. “The problem is that the trade hasn’t kept up with the economy. Even a $700 pair of boots, it’s labor intensive.”

Armando guesstimates it takes roughly 40 hours to finish one pair of boots, and that’s not including any special inlays or detail work a customer might request.

Making ends meet with a wife and four children becomes more difficult each year, he said, which led him to seek a more substantial income outside of Burkburnett.

“I was offered a job in Arizona, and I was considering it because it’s a salaried position, but we didn’t want to go all the way out there,” he said. “Then I was offered another salaried position in San Angelo.”

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