History
In 1929, the Ashmore family opened the Lazy A Ranchera, a poultry farm on Beltline Rd. They added a bakery in order to use the surplus eggs from the farming operation. The Ashmores used only natural ingredients in their baked goods, which began attracting local health enthusiasts. Even more people began coming as the family added other health food products to their inventory along with vitamins and minerals. Mrs. Ashmore's niece, Katy W. Roberts, took over management in the 1960s. Her son, Allen Garner, started working part-time at the store on school holidays, continuing through his college years. After graduating, Allen came to work at Katy's Kottage on a full-time basis. Allen helped his mother run both locations until her death in 1981, leading to his decision to close Katy's Kupboard and concentrate on one location. Allen operated at the corner of MacArthur and Rochelle for 25 years before opening its new location, just about 5 miles north of the location of the original Lazy A.
Specialties
Irving's one-stop shop for health food products and dietary supplements, as well as a variety of organic and homeopathic items that have proven to be effective for many people. With more than 50 years of experience in his field, Katy's Kottage owner Allen Garner has the expertise to answer the questions one might have about their use. Allen uses the same wisdom when deciding which distributors to do business with, and has developed relationships with industry leaders such as NOW Foods, Nutraceutical Corporation, and Source Naturals, just to name a few. Allen has long-standing ties with many of these manufacturers, but his status as an independent store enables him to carry a myriad of other brands and products. Some are difficult--if not impossible--to find elsewhere, but on the rare occasion when he's unable to accommodate a request, Allen will do all he can, including referring customers to other stores, to satisfy his/her needs. His hope is that Katy's Kottage has something for everyone--from expectant mothers, the person starting a new diet, to the athlete in training. As evidence continues to mount about the benefits of organics, so do the number of people seeking advice about what's right for them. Allen has spent the past five decades researching new products and innovations so there are few areas where he doesn't have at least some knowledge. And for new and, hopefully, useful updates, be sure to check out the