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Local Business Profile - The Sterling Fork

Debi Johnson is the driving force behind The Sterling Fork which offers personal chef services in the form of pre-made meals delivered directly to her customers' doors. Based at the commercial kitchen in the Kemp Center for the Arts (1300 Lamar in Wichita Falls) The Sterling Fork was first established in April of 2018 and has continued to grow steadily even through the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to Debi, The Sterling Fork currently employs 2 assistants and Debi oversees and prepares each and every meal with her team personally. Recently, The Sterling Fork has received multiple nominations for the Times and Record News' annual Texoma's Best listing in the categories of Country Cooking and Family Friendly Dining.

The underlying concept of the business, according to Debi, is to provide quality, convenient, delicious, fully-prepared meal packages that help busy folks skip the hassle and time it takes up to prepare and cook meals after long days at work, church, or sports and activities with the kids. The Sterling Fork specializes in time creation and stress reduction, allowing clients to "take back their lives one meal at a time."

How it works:

A customer visits The Sterling Fork website at https://www.thesterlingfork.com and selects a package that interests them. 1 or 2 week packages are available which consist of a custom menu of available meals such as Marvelous Meatballs, Shredded Beef Layered Enchiladas, Stuffed Baked Ham & Cheese or Ham, Broccoli & Cheese Potatoes, French Toast Casseroles, and over 50 other dishes. A one-week order consists of 5 meals while a two-week order includes 10. The customer chooses the size of the meal they need with Small feeding 1-2 people, Medium feeding 3, or Large which feeds families of 6 or more.
Once the size and items are decided on, the customer contacts The Sterling Fork to place an order, either through email ([email protected])
or via Facebook Messenger on The Sterling Fork page at https://www.facebook.com/thesterlingfork . Debi says she enjoys conversations with new customers that help create a solid relationship based on understanding the exact needs of the family she is helping. Many of her customers return for repeat orders for this reason.
After finalizing the order with the customer, payment is collected in advance of delivery via Venmo and scheduled for drop-off. At present, the wait time is 4-6 weeks for a customer's first paid order. The Sterling Fork does have a repeat customer program to help with subsequent orders (details can be provided upon request when placing an order).
All meal packages are delivered to the customer completely ready to heat and serve or store in the freezer until needed. After use, packaging can simply be discarded.

Costs for these packages range from $145 for a week's worth at the Small level (5 meals for 1-2 people) to $180 for the Large level (5 meals for 6+ people).

Debi states that her primary goal is to provide affordably-priced quality food she would proudly serve to her own family. In fact, after deciding on new dishes to potentially offer, her own family tests the recipes and offers tweaks or critiques before the meals are added to the official Sterling Fork menu.

In addition to providing these pre-packaged and family-approved meals, The Sterling Fork occasionally hosts or participates in special events of different sorts. One such upcoming event is a Women In Business Networking Event to be held at 6 PM on May 12th at the Kemp Center for the Arts, a well-known local site that Debi says has been extremely gracious and instrumental in supporting the business. The paid event costs $30 and includes dinner as well as a teaching session on Social Media Business Building by another local business professional known by the moniker The Go2Girl online and elsewhere. The event is a networking, educational, and social gathering for local business women to meet and exchange ideas as well as introduce their ideas, products, or services to other members of the business community. Attendees are encouraged to bring samples of products, brochures, business cards, or anything else they wish to share that demonstrates what ideas and services they are bringing to the Wichita Falls area's business community. Any and all businesses are welcome to attend. The cut-off date for securing a spot at the event is May 5th & attendance can be arranged by messaging Debi directly through The Sterling Fork page where complete event details can also be found. Shop Local Texoma is scheduled to attend and observe the event and provide a first-hand account.

Additional information including photographs of the dishes offered can be found on The Sterling Fork's Instagram page at: https://instagram.com/the_sterling_fork?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
If you would like to nominate The Sterling Fork for 2022 Texoma's Best in the Country Cooking and Family Friendly Dining categories, you can submit a nomination here:
https://timesrecordnews.secondstreetapp.com/2022-Texomas-Best/gallery?group=416205&fbclid=IwAR0yZEgV_AqiPyKIU8GloKIA5sOcehL8GJGNOK4rfKR6pNQMxTcNlHxm4NU

Local Business Profile: Moore Wood Flags

Moore Wood Flags is a custom woodworking shop in the Wichita Falls area that specializes in affordable wooden decor like the pieces pictured below. The pieces are perfect for home decor, signage for any sized business, outdoor display, etc. While flags have been the bread and butter of the business, other styles of rustic decor have become more popular as the business has grown.

Owned and operated by Derrick Roberts with the help of his wife, Crystal, the business idea was born on Father's Day 2020. Derrick needed a gift for his grandfather, who he has a very close relationship with, but he knew that his grandfather was one of those men who was tough to impress with anything that could be purchased from a normal chain store. So, Derrick decided to make a customized wooden flag to honor his grandfather's life of service and sacrifice. The thoughtful and special piece turned out so well that neighbors and friends began to ask him to create pieces for themselves to display or give as gifts to loved ones. Interestingly, Moore and Wood are both family names of his grandfather and grandmother (not just "wood" the material).

Costs for the beautiful pieces vary, depending on the customer's specifications, but generally can start at around $35 and go up to $700. Most pieces are made using high quality pine, although other hardwoods like maple or walnut are available depending on customer requirements. Derrick says that he loves working with customers to help create exactly the piece they want and is more than happy to hammer out details until the piece is perfectly satisfactory to his customers.

In addition to wooden art pieces and decor, the shop has recently invested in a CNC machine as well. In the near future, Derrick plans to add shadow boxes to his repertoire and has plans to attend local trade fairs to show off some of his custom work.

The easiest way to find more information or place an order from Moore Wood Flags is to visit the business page on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/MooreWoodFlags/). Discounts are offered for service men & women, law enforcement, fire and rescue, and military veterans.

If you need a custom gift, signage, or decor for your home or office, give Moore Wood Flags a try! Always quality pieces at very reasonable prices. Mention this Shop Local Texoma profile!

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