Ex-President Bush visits Texas hardware store

George W. Bush made a surprise visit to Elliott’s Hardware Feb. 21, after Elliott’s president and CEO Kyle Walters invited the former president to be a greeter at the store.

According to Elliott’s spokeswoman Andrea Bond, Bush entered the store at about 11 a.m. and said, “I’m looking for a job.” The comment was in response to a Feb. 5 open letter from Walters to Bush published in The Dallas Morning News inviting him to consider a position as a part-time greeter at the store.

Elliott’s Hardware has been employing greeters for more than 50 years “as a way of ensuring that every customer walking though the front door sees a smiling face and someone who can assist with their questions,” a company release said. Many of these greeters are people who have retired from executive positions.

In the letter to Bush, Walters listed the positives of the job as: a flexible part-time schedule (to allow travel to Crawford); an opportunity to keep up on his people skills; a seven-mile commute between the store and his new home; ample parking (including space for his security detail); and an employee discount (for any projects Mrs. Bush may have on the “Honey-Do” list).

Although Bush has not accepted the position, he and his entourage spent about an hour browsing the aisles -- ultimate purchasing batteries, flashlights and WD-40, the company said. 

Elliott’s Hardware is a family-owned, independent hardware store that was established in 1947. It is a member of the Do it Best co-op.