Restaurant offers customers made-from-scratch meals

When Roger Vest retired he and his wife, Cherry, heard that a caterer in San Antonio was looking for some help with events in Austin.

The couple volunteered, and it was not much longer until Roger decided they could do it on their own.

The Vests' catering prospered, and in 2000, with the business taking up more space in the couple's home, Roger had to decide whether close the business or find a bigger location.

Roger decided to open a restaurant despite Cherry's objections.

"He didn't give me an option," Cherry joked. "Most of our friends were retiring and traveling and I thought we would do the same, but the kids were telling me to let dad have his way. Now they are upset because I don't spend my time with them. I'm always at the restaurant."

The couple purchased Laurie's Too, which was originally owned by Laurie Lott, in 2000. Roger and Cherry moved the restaurant to a few locations before settling in at 612 Main St. in Georgetown.

While the couple kept the name and most of the menu from the original owner, they did inject their own flavor into the restaurant.

"We never changed the name because it was doing well, and people worry that it won't be the same if you change the name. We didn't change anything, but we added things to the menu," Roger said.

The couple added their own recipes to those made popular by Laurie and changed the hours to Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Cherry believes the food is just one of the reasons the restaurant has survived for more than a decade.

"Everything is made from scratch, and we offer weekly specials to try to get people in the door," she said.

Roger and Cherry also pride themselves on outstanding customer service, she said. Cherry has taken almost every order herself, making mental notes of her regular customers' favorites and always greeting people with a smile.

"She has a way with people," Roger said. "Her customer service has brought us a good customer base."

Customer service is not the only thing keeping Georgetown residents coming back, he said. Laurie's frozen casserole dinners are a top seller at nearly 40 per week at the cafe-style restaurant.

"We sell them hand over fist," Roger said. "It's just something you don't have to mess with. You stop in on your way home from work and pick one up."

While the couple has no plans of expanding the restaurant, Roger and Cherry have thought about the possibility.

The couple has had several requests to open a second location in Sun City, but until the economy turns around, the chances of a second Laurie's is unlikely, Cherry said.

With or without a second location, Roger and Cherry both enjoy food and people, making the restaurant the perfect place for the couple to be.

Holidays

Aside from the regular menu at Laurie's Too, the restaurant offers catering for those without the time to prepare an entire Thanksgiving meal.

The restaurant offers a large number of sides from sweet potatoes to 1886 Chocolate Cake to make any Thanksgiving meal complete.

"We offer just about everything but the turkey," Cherry Vest said.

She also has plans for a Christmas Eve dinner party event for families with friends coming into town looking for more things to do than go the mall or catch a movie, she said.

She said she hopes to sell tickets to the party with a few different menus and drinks in an all-inclusive meal.

Popular dishes

With everything made from scratch, Laurie's Too owner Cherry Vest says you cannot go wrong, but these are some of the most popular dishes at the restaurant.

• The "best burgers in town" include special buns brought in daily from Houston ($5.29–$9.89)
• Emily's Salad Sampler Plate—Chicken salad, broccoli salad, crunchy slaw and lemon congealed ($8.99)
• 1886 Chocolate Cake—Chocolate fudge cake topped with fudge frosting and pecans ($3.99 a slice)
• Flavored iced teas ($1.79)

Laurie's Too, 612 Main St., 863-5875, www.lauriescafe.com

Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–3 p.m.