The parking lot was packed during the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting ceremony on Saturday, August 14, 2021 at Hart to Table of Fairfield, Texas. Here is their story:
Laura Hart Meister graduated from Fairfield High School is 2003. Her father, Kyle Hart, a 30 years FISD educator and mother Kathy Hart had always discussed the concept of home and how it didn’t get any better than Freestone County but Laura moved off to find herself. Fast forward 13 years and Laura and husband, Bret Meister, returned to Fairfield to put down roots with their blended family of six (6) children.
After settling in they began their lives, Bret working for a farm north of Fairfield and Laura as a stay at home mom then eventually working for one of the areas nursing homes in the rehab department. Having always struggled with her weight, Laura struggled with depression, anxiety and was on medication that made her feel better but not right. Seeing that she wanted to make a change, former neighbor and friend, Charlene Coffman (wife of former Eagle coach, Stony Coffman) introduced Laura to the keto diet in 2018. After one month, Laura had lost 20 lbs. After two, she’d lost close to 40 lbs and was off all of her medications, feeling better than she had in year. She was curious and started to educate herself on how different ingredients cause different reactions in the body. By cutting out sugar and most grains, Laura had more energy to pursue this weight loss journey.
To hold herself accountable, Laura started posting about her journey on social media. Those posts led to praise but also questions and others looking for advice. Her intention was to never become a keto “expert” but to help her live a healthier lifestyle. Now she could combine her success and love of serving others to help others start their own journeys. A couple of friends asked her to help them with meal prep to stay on track. Laura’s second oldest daughter Caitlin Meister (2019 Miss Freestone County) was about to graduate high school and Laura saw this as an opportunity to make a little money on the side to help with graduation and college expenses and also “pass it on” like Charlene Coffman had for her. The response was incredible, using a mixture of words of mouth, social media and discussing keto with anyone who asked, after two months of this part time venture, Laura made the decision to give two weeks’ notice at her job and pursue this passion full time. Keto seemed to be a fad, so Laura immersed herself in research and how to convert her favorite foods into Keto friendly recipes. It was clear that this was much larger than a diet, it was a lifestyle.
A couple months later, Laura participated in her first Fairfield Fest downtown. Local business woman and friend, Amy Ralstin, invited Laura to start selling her food items in her shop, Kennedy’s Korner. As her venture took another step forward, Laura discovered a mentor and cheerleader in Mrs. Ralstin. She begin to offer more and more recipes. Around this time, Laura mentioned to her husband on a date night that she always had a dream of owning a small café style restaurant and coffee shop. On the way home that night, Bret stopped at every available commercial space in Fairfield. He believed that Laura could do it, even if she wasn’t convinced yet.
Looking back, 2019 was a year of change. Her products were selling well at Kennedy’s Korner, she has begun to talk with Fairfield’s Small Business Development, filed to create Hart to Table LLC, sponsored her first little league team (which her husband coached) and used local business owner and friend Amy Evans of East Pine Design to help her create a logo. Amy also connected Laura with Small Town Tees out of Mexia to create her first t-shirts. Laura began to see what everyone else did, the reality in her dream. But then 2020 came along with a mixture of the COVID pandemic, home schooling three small children and a car wreck involving her husband. Quickly pivoting to keep her dream alive, Laura started to offer delivery; first in Fairfield and then Teague, Wortham, Mexia and Buffalo. Again, God and FREECO (and surrounding areas) showed out, with text messages of support, prayers, love and advice from many local women business owners and showed Laura that she could do this. “I never anticipated the amount of support, love, and encouragement that I have received from Fairfield and the surrounding communities, only because of my amazing God, friends, family, customers did I finally start to believe in myself. I wouldn’t want to do this anywhere else”
At the counter during a busy Open House this past Saturday is Laura Hart Meister of Hart to Table, located at 405 E. Commerce Street in Fairfield, Texas. One of her favorite pieces in the new shop, the counter came from the former Cucklebur Trading and was loving redone by Bret Meister and Kyle Hart. (Photo by Natalia V. Marsters)
Laura honored this love and support by opening her new shop on Saturday, August 14, 2021 at 9 am. Hart to Table is located at 405 E. Commerce Street in Fairfield and will be open Monday through Friday 9 am to 5 pm. While they will still offer meal prep and lunch deliveries (posted daily on Facebook group, Hart to Table – Weekly Menus, they are expanding. Included at the shop are a larger variety of foods and desserts, a selection of hot and cold coffees, grab and go lunches, desserts, frozen family meals and select retail offerings. There is a beautiful outside seating area that is perfect for small groups. Future plans include offering a woman’s night out, expanding to a full-service coffee shop and increase retail. Please come by and support this new local business and send suggestions and feedback via Facebook at Hart to Table or by calling 903-390-5125.
