Snappy Mart

This is my favorite corner store. The owner and his employees are always very friendly with their customers and make sure to help you in any way possible. I had to return a defective usb cord and they took it back and replaced it, no questions asked. Very helpful! Their beer and wine selection is excellent! The owner always makes sure to have fresh coffee made and is willing to brew another flavor if available. They have the best roasted pecan coffee around! They also have syrups for the coffee… as good as a café drink without the cost! Overall, good selection, extremely friendly workers, and delicious coffee. What more do I need from a mini mart?!

I’m not really one to write reviews about small market shops like this one, but I really do want to share why everyone needs to come here and support their local business owners.
During my visit, I was looking for a particular energy drink that they didn’t have. When the manager noticed this, he asked me for the name of the drink so he can order it for me. Wow! Talk about personalized and exceptional customer service. I have never received such a request from a mini mart.ever.
Not only is the manager incredibly sweet, he also tries to support other local businesses by selling local products such as artisan chocolates, snacks, beer, etc. So expect to see a great selection of snacks — the kind you would see in Whole Foods. Surprisingly, the beer selection here is wonderful as well. The manager said he’s a big beer drinker and that there are beer sampling events on Friday at the mart.
With all this in mind, don’t be fooled by the plain and dingy décor, because this mini mart has exceptional service and a wide range of local products. It’s also walking distance from Biscuits & Groovy, so come here and grab a drink before enjoying some biscuits.

They open early and close late. They usually have what I need and you can also make money orders

This place is no flag store. I came into the Snappy Mart at 11:50 tonight. At 11:55, I was about to approach the register, when the clerk told me to hurry it up, because the store was closing. I’ve been coming to the Snappy Mart for over a decade. It closes at midnight. He rushed me like a jerk so that he could close five minutes before the store’s legit closing time? So I told him I would go to the flag store down the road. Where they’re nice.

In its current incarnation, Snappy Mart isn’t anything special. It’s been pretty much in disrepair for the past five or more years. This building used to house a Diamond Shamrock in the late eighties when I first moved to the neighborhood. The current owners haven’t invested much in the place and the sign has fallen down and remained on the ground for the past couple of months.
But there is a future! According to the manager, Snappy Mart will soon become Duval Market. Probably they’ve seen what a great business the Hyde Park Market has become down at 45^th and Duval (aka The Flag Store). The new concept for Snappy Mart will feature organic groceries and a larger wine selection.
There aren’t any special deals or any unique items at the current Snappy Mart. About the one thing that has me coming back is cheap limes when I need to mix a rum-​based cocktail. Which is pretty much every day.

They have my sugar free altoids, yay!
They are out of gas again, boo!
(Why can’t they keep that wonderful cheap gas in their pumps, why?)
I will keep coming back here anyway and here is the reason why:
Many years ago a very inebriated woman came into the store and bought
a totally unnecessary beer. She handed the cashier a $ 10-(I was behind her in line & saw it). He gave her change and she demanded the rest of the change from the «$ 20
I gave you G– Damnit!»
He calmly said «No mam, I’m sorry but you gave me a $ 10». She proceeded to spit, & curse, & carry on like an idiot at which point I said, «He’s right, it was a ten». She glared at me and he said something (again calmly), akin to «Mam, I would NEVER cheat you or anyone else. That is not the way I do business or live my life».
He could have been a jerk about it, or called the law, or it could have ruined his day– but no.
She mumbled and waddled out the door. We both just sort of gave each other a wide eyed look. Then he gave me a huge smile after our little business exchange and said
«You have a most wonderful day!»
Then as time went on I noted that all of the employees/​family have a kind, peaceful and forgiving demeanor.
If this story made you feel all warm & fuzzy inside then stop there for your convenience items, just call 1^st if you want gas :)

I like Snappy Mart. Unlike many small, locally-​owned convenience stores, their place is well-​maintained, spotless, well-​organized, and well-​lit. They have a good selection of stuff. Their staff is friendly and their prices are reasonable for a small, locally-​owned store. (In other words, 7 – 11 is generally cheaper, but they’re also an enormous company and benefit from that). I’d give them one more star if they’d stay open until midnight.

For a convenience store, they have a weirdly good beer selection. And really, that’s why you’re there, right?
(The candy offerings are kinda lackluster, and I mostly say that because they don’t carry Nerds, Gobstoppers or Chewy Runts. Yes, I am 8 years old.)

I can’t Five-​Star this place only because they are sometimes out of gas.
I would give it 4.5 stars if we had that option.
I have a slight crush on the night time clerk. He keeps getting dreamier and dreamier the more I shop there.
This is the best neighborhood convenience store in the Hyde Park area. It may not have the best beer selection, but the prices of the beer they do have isn’t too much more than HEB. Slight convenience markup vs gouge out your heart and poop on your wallet markup like the flag store.
They also have fresh dairy products and usually a good selection of ice cream if they are not having a sale.
The coffee in the morning isn’t as good as 7 – 11, but it is fairly alright. On par with when I don’t do the best job at home.
I don’t buy wine there, but it looks like they have a good enough selection.
**update** Looks like my Snappy Mart Boyfriend doesn’t work there anymore. Haven’t seen him in weeks!

Oh the Snappy. I love having a friendly local convenience store. It’s not quite the same as a Brooklyn bodega, but it’ll do.
I’m here regularly for wine. I won’t say how regularly, but enough to know that the selection is okay for a corner store, as are the prices. No complaints. Beer selection is alright, too. Both are certainly better than the ⁷⁄₁₁ down the street! And it’s much cheaper than the flag mart down Duval.
The guy that’s always at the counter is awesome. Always a friendly smile. And once, he picked up my friend’s lady-​bug purse and started to make it talk. Hilarious.