Martindale's historic Main Street lost some of its twang on Saturday as Duett's Texas Club, the once-buzzy country music venue tucked into the old downtown strip, closed its doors after three years with a noon-to-midnight "Last Bash." Owners Katie and Ryan Grametbaur framed the sendoff as both a blowout party and a first step toward paying off lingering bills tied to the sudden shutdown. The club opened in 2023 and had pulled in fans from across Central Texas before the owners announced the closure.
In a March 19 Facebook video, co-owner Katie Grametbaur said the couple "[has] gone down with the ship, personally" and that they had poured "every single dollar" they had into the business. She added that they had not been able to pay themselves while trying to keep the club afloat. As reported by Chron, the Grametbaurs said the economics of running a full-scale club in a town the size of Martindale turned out to be impossible to sustain.
From Hupmobile dealership to honky-tonk
Duett's occupied the lower level of the restored Martindale Motor Company building, constructed in 1924 and originally home to a Hupmobile car dealership, according to Duett's Texas Club's website. The club took its name from the owners' daughter, Duetta, and the renovation helped bring a liquor license, food service, and weekend music crowds back to Main Street. That blend of small-town history, comfort cooking and live country music defined the room from its opening through the final weekend.
A stop on the Central Texas music map
Even with its short run, Duett's built a reputation as a go-to spot for roots and country acts, hosting artists like Dale Watson, David Beck, and a steady stream of regional bands that lured fans from Austin and beyond. Saving Country Music noted that the club quickly became a destination for crowds from Austin, New Braunfels, and San Antonio, and that the "Last Bash" bill stacked a long roster of local and touring performers. After word of the closure spread, musicians and regulars filled social media with condolences, old photos, and stories from late nights at the club.
Why it wasn't sustainable
Both the owners and former kitchen partners pointed to rising costs and tough lending terms as key reasons the business could not make it. A Facebook post from the venue's kitchen team blamed "inflation, over-taxation and predatory loans" for making Duett's financially untenable, according to Chron. Katie said the club had "been struggling since day one," describing months of bootstrapping in an attempt to keep the doors open before the decision to close.
Final party and what's next
The Grametbaurs used Saturday's "Last Bash," a noon-to-midnight fundraiser with a buffet and back-to-back sets, to sell off inventory and start chipping away at outstanding debts. Saving Country Music reports that they hoped proceeds would help pay staff and vendors while they sort out what comes next for the historic space.
Duett's closure fits into a larger trend of small music venues struggling under razor-thin margins, and it leaves a noticeable hole in Martindale's weekend economy and the regional touring circuit. Preservation advocates have praised the rehabilitation of the Martindale Motor Company building as a model for rural revitalization, but that success in restoration could not shield the club from day-to-day operating costs, according to Preservation Texas.
