Austin Originals: Beau Theriot and Shirley Shaw of the Oasis

Aside from being two of the nicest people I’ve ever met, Beau Theriot, founder and owner of the Oasis atop Lake Travis, and Shirley Shaw his long-time consultant for operations and marketing, have persevered against a variety of almost Biblical plagues that would have caused most restaurant owners to light out for the territories.

They battled what essentially was lousy food (Margaritas were good though) at the beginning (fixed that), then fought back from a devastating fire that destroyed a better part of the restaurant, confronted low lake levels and then weathered increased competition from Lakeway restaurants. And you know what, though Shirley has now retired (sort of) the Oasis still stands above the lake, the sun still sets and the bell rings every night, and the food is as good as its ever been. Good for them.

A lot of people ask me what makes Beau Theriot tick. And that’s a good question. He grew up in East Texas with a passion for interior design and remodeling. By then time he was 14, he’d made enough money doing remodels that he bought a Cadillac. Of course, he wasn’t old enough to drive it but it goes to the heart of what he is: a born entrepreneur with a flair for the artistic and the creative. Just walk through his “Treasury” on Commanche Trail down from the Oasis, and you’ll see what I mean.

It was in that mode that he acquired his first restaurant, the Brownstone in Houston.

Later he was in Austin driving around Commanche trail in the late 70’s, and he saw a tract of land for sale with great views. His instincts said “grab this up,” and he did, cutting a deal with the owner, as he lacked the cash at the time to buy it outright. And that led to the ultimate birth of the Oasis.

And somewhere down the line Shirley came on board. To this day, they remain great friends: Beau the design guru and Shirley the savvy businesswoman.

Ironically, once Beau expanded the kitchen, and got the right chef on board, the food began to really improve. Shirley was influential in building the Oasis brand. And then came the fire. Beau was not hesitant: operating a makeshift kitchen out of the music area, he was serving food in three days! He used up the insurance money, paid some out of his own pocket, and gradually rebuilt the O into what it is today. He is not a food expert by any means, and he’ll be the first to admit that. But he is a fun expert, and his goal is for everyone to have a good time when they dine and drink at his restaurant. I think he and Shirley accomplished that in spades!

Beau still does remodeling and interior design projects, and it remains his passion. He has built a national reputation in that area. His plans for a restaurant garden and mall adjacent to the Oasis did not come to fruition as both Soleil and Uncle Billy’s languished. But that didn’t stop Beau. He refocused his energy on the Oasis, got a brilliant new chef (you have to try his incredibly tender Pork Fajitas) regularly consulted with Shirley, and as they say, game on!

The thing that would make Beau or Shirley happiest is when customers emerge after dinner with smiles on their faces. I have done just that on several occasions lately. Sure it would help if the lake levels were higher but it’s still a great view and the Margaritas flow easily. So here’s to a couple of my favorite people in this crazy, demanding business of ours!

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