Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Stanley.
Hi Nicole, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m Nicole. Dave and I met in high school, in Medford, OR. We’ve been married for over 22 years and have a 22 year old daughter. Over the years, we’ve went between working for others—Dave managed kitchens all over the Pacific Northwest—and working for ourselves.
Our first business venture was a small quick-service restaurant in Eugene, OR: Not Your Mom’s Sandwich Shop. We were bored with the food options and prices around town, so decided to prove to ourselves that it is indeed possible to provide awesome, housemade cuisine at an affordable price point. And we did it!
After a couple years of running NYMSS, we shut down and moved out of town. We realized Eugene was never going to be our happy place, so while the restaurant was doing good, we couldn’t sacrifice our happiness to keep it going. I had just finished graduate school, so it was a good time for a change anyway.
We took a breather up in Washington while we thought about the bigger picture and where we wanted to be. We landed on San Antonio, TX. We’d never been there, but we knew the music scene mirrored a lot of what we were into and the weather was more aligned with what we wanted, so we took the plunge and made the move.
When we got to Texas, I was working from home for the small Managed Services Provider in Oregon, Dave was finishing up his graduate degree and working at a skate shop, and life was simple. We were going to shows 3-5 nights a week, our daughter was thriving at her new charter school, and we got to know a big, new city that quickly became our favorite place in the world.
Eventually, Dave got his Master’s degree, moved on to a corporate position with a Fortune 500 company—which took us all over central and north Texas—and we made enough money to do so many of the things we never stopped dreaming about! We traveled, we bought local art, we were comfortable. But after 7 years of that, we realized we still weren’t satisfied.
We had talked about ways we could help animals, aside from having our pets at home. We’ve always had dogs, cats, and horses. We wanted to do more. When we bought property in Shiner, TX, we finally brought our next venture to life: The Bully Sanctuary.
We managed to build a bully breed dog sanctuary on our property, obtain our 501(c)(3) status, and have saved dozens of lives since 2023. All the while, Dave was still working his corporate job and I was with my remote job up until mid-2024.
By early 2025, Dave was exhausted. Absolutely exhausted. His job wasn’t easy and he had a 180 mile round trip commute every day. We knew another change had to come at some point, so we did it.
We’d been looking for a small building to lease out and open a beer bar in for a couple years. It was more of a “what if we could” type of thing, but one day we came across an ad for a commercial space in Smithville. It wasn’t as rural as we’d been hoping for, but it was priced reasonably and it was reasonable distance from our home. So we jumped on it! Dave worked his way out of his job, we went through the process to get our licenses and permits, and we made it happen!
Fast forward to today, we now operate Mutt’s Last Stand in Smithville, a beer hall with live music and creative collective. We host open mic nights, comedy showcases, live music from local artists, film podcasts, and more. It’s not something Smithville asked for, but we gave it to them anyway. The best part is, we’re doing it on our terms. Mutt’s isn’t a cookie cutter club or dive—we do what we love, no exception. It isn’t for everyone, and we know that, but the most important part of Mutt’s is that it remains a safe space for anyone that wants to be a part of it.
We also still have The Bully Sanctuary, and are the safe space for 21 pit bull type dogs! We were lucky enough to be a part of the Vans Warped Tour 2025 Charity Circle, and got invited back for 2026! We have dogs available for adoption at www.thebullysanctuary.org/residents
That’s our story in a walnut sized shell. With the moral of our story being, “we’re too stubborn to be unsatisfied.”
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been smooth sailing, but it’s always been exciting. Closing our restaurant in Oregon was easy for us, but it was also really hard for people to understand. We were always busy, so the idea of shutting our doors didn’t make sense to everyone.
The Bully Sanctuary has always been a labor of extreme love. Doing something bigger than ourselves means more to us than it being easy. Caring for living beings that have no way to help themselves mean we work regardless—doesn’t matter if we’re sick or hot or cold or tired (or broke!)—we always find a way to get it done.
Mutt’s Last Stand is a test of patience some days. Small town dynamics don’t make it easy. We got an email a couple months after we opened. It was from a lady that simply wanted to tell us how unwelcome we are, expletives included. That was fun.
We don’t dwell on the tough times in our lives, which really helps us persevere. Between exhaustion, making sure we can cover bills, and keeping people safe in a bar setting, things aren’t ever easy. But we are fulfilled. For now.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Mutt’s Last Stand?
Mutt’s Last Stand is a beer hall in Smithville, TX. We carry a selection of draft, bottled, and canned beers, along with wine and malt flavored beverages. We offer the coldest beer in town at great prices!
Mutt’s isn’t just about the drinks, either. We are a collective of local musicians, comedians, and artists, with a community space to share talents.
Dave and Nicole founded and operate Mutt’s, as well as The Bully Sanctuary. A portion of profits goes directly to The Bully Sanctuary to care for pit bull type dogs in sanctuary.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Happiness is being content. It’s having a supportive partner, supportive friends, and an engaged community.
Beyond that, I find happiness is seeing people around me succeed.
Dave finds happiness in creating. His joy comes from creating music and relationships through music.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thebullysanctuary.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/muttslaststand
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/muttslaststand
- Other: https://instagram.com/bullysanctuarytx
