Alec and Kristie, parents to Dax Ramirez, own and run Royalty Meat Co. with help from Kristie’s grandfather, Carlos Acosta. The store along FM 646 offers a variety of Texas-raised meats for retail, wholesale and delivery as well as processing services.
Agriculture is a family affair for the Ramirezes. Alec’s family raised commercial cattle; Kristie’s dad raises show cattle; and both families were involved in rodeos. Opening their own meat store seemed like a way the couple could support the agriculture community, they said.
The couple began planning the store in May 2020. They struggled to find real estate in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, delaying the process, but Royalty Meat Co. opened its doors in April 2021.
The couple wanted to be solely an online meat distributor but added other services, such as a retail meat market, wild game processing and cooking classes. Their goal is to educate people about the meat industry.
“We knew when we were envisioning this place that it wasn’t just going to be a meat market,” Kristie said.
Inside the store, the Ramirezes focused on creating an environment where people would feel comfortable learning about meat. The Ramirezes know what Texas family raised the meat, the genetics of the animal, its nutrition, and how the animal was treated and harvested, Alec said.
“We trace exactly what animals are coming from what family and make sure people have that consistency they are looking for every week,” Kristie said.
The store owes its growth to word of mouth from customers who taste the difference in their meat, Kristie said. Both Kristie and Alec come from small towns, and they work to bring that hometown feel to Royalty Meat Co.
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“Being able to develop that personal relationship that you might not get at a big-box store has been really fun,” Kristie said.
