Jewelry designer, retailer, Hungarian knight … Cool Store savant? It’s just another accomplishment among many for Zoltan David, whose two retail stores in the Austin, TX area — each constructed within the last four years — have both finished in the top 5 of INSTORE’s America’s Coolest Stores competition, with his original location having won first place in the Small Cool division in 2009. But whereas the first location is an upscale, couture shopping experience, David’s newest store is more casual. “This is a party atmosphere,” says Zoltan’s wife and co-owner Patti David. “There are a lot of happy people running around.”

That’s because the new store sits just steps away from perhaps the most famous sunset-viewing location in Texas: The Oasis restaurant. Located on a cliff that rises 450 feet above Lake Travis, the Oasis offers a gorgeous panorama that draws millions of visitors per year. In 2011, Oasis owner Beau Theriot constructed extensive retail and restaurant facilities surrounding a courtyard outside his restaurant, creating a complex now dubbed simply “Oasis, Texas.” When the Davids heard about the development, they jumped at the chance to add a second location — even though it’s only about a 20-minute drive from their first.

“It’s really a different market,” Patti says. “It’s a destination location, so it’s all visitors rather than locals. Here, we get customers from all over Austin and out-of-town, and they see things in our store that they don’t see anywhere else.” She adds that jewelry connoisseurs often discover the Zoltan David line by chance while visiting the Oasis, then later wind up as regular clients who frequent the flagship gallery, where Zoltan’s shop is located. “The new boutique is not just a retail outlet; it’s an excellent marketing tool to drive business to our other location,” Patti says.

While both locations have many features in common — most notably, a dramatic wood look throughout — the Davids wanted an environment that was more “Austin cool” and less formal than the flagship store. “It’s a little more rock ’n’ roll,” says Zoltan, which seems a perfect fit in a town that bills itself as “The Live Music Capital of the World” and a venue that features bands on as many as three musical stages on a given night. Airy steel and wood showcases create an open feel in a showroom that’s only 800 square feet, matching the wooden façade on the walls and the wood laminate flooring. “It’s beautiful at night,” Patti says. “People can see in and through the showcases, and the lights add to the warmth of the wood.”

Adding to the visual tableau are thin, elegant lighting fixtures and the dominating Texas cedar tree trunk in the center of the floor. Why was the tree added? “To disguise a giant steel support beam,” Zoltan says. “We didn’t want a big steel support in the middle of our showroom, so we put this tree trunk around it to hide it.”

As for product, while the flagship store features only Zoltan David creations, the new gallery includes two outside designer lines: Gellner and Alishan. “Because we’re so busy, we haven’t reached critical mass in Zoltan David inventory here yet,” Zoltan says. “We’re solving our production bottleneck as we speak. But I really like what Gellner does with pearls, and Alishan is a cool line as well, so we may continue to show their collections even after we’ve gotten the Zoltan David inventory where we want it.”

Although the showcases and product offerings do contribute to the casual atmosphere of the boutique, what really amps up the rock ’n’ roll vibe are the electric guitars on display, as well as the belts and leather handbags. In addition to their effect on the overall feel of the store, the guitars serve to call attention to the patent-pending design for a revolutionary new slide co-created by Zoltan David and prolific guitarist Lance Keltner. Two of the custom designed slides are featured in the showcases.

Between the two retail outlets, the increased demand for inventory, and the new belt line and guitar slides, it’s no wonder Zoltan has not had time to revisit his wholesale jewelry line, which was the entirety of his business for nearly three decades. “There are plans for the wholesale, but right now the stores have to take priority,” he says. And as for plans to try for a third Cool Store? “We keep talking about Vail or Aspen,” laughs Patti.

“As our team grows, so will our little empire,” adds Zoltan. “But I won’t compromise on the work.”