Trying to put together a flawless Alfredo pasta sauce? Perhaps you want to cook a can’t miss cinnamon French toast or perfectly prepare your favorite cut of steak every time? Do you have all the cookware and kitchen tools you need to make those culinary dreams come true? For those of you looking for an ally on your kitchen missions, Toast & Table in O’Fallon wants you to know it is here for you.
“Toast & Table is a kitchen supply store for the everyday home cook,” said Co-owner Stacy Fangmeyer. “We offer everything from cookware to bakeware to kitchen tools and gadgets to serveware. Everything that you need to supply your kitchen. There are no good kitchen supply stores around.”
As a self-taught home cook, Stacy says she understands the value of hands-on learning. “I’m not a chef. I’m just a home cook.” With two young boys and a husband at home, all of whom love to eat according to Stacy who says she learned to cook out of necessity and a desire to save money. Through trial and error, she developed her skills and now shares her expertise with customers. “I am your helper. Come in; talk to me. We can discuss what you’re cooking, what you could be cooking, and the tools you need to get the job done.”
Along with fellow owner Amanda Krause, these remarkable women have created a special place for kitchen love in Metro East regardless if you’re a novice or skilled cook. Stacy explained that many of her customers come to Toast & Table after trying to shop online or at big-box stores.
“You’re not getting that level of expertise when it comes to your kitchen tools and those are really important. You use them every day in your kitchen,” Stacy pointed out an example from their product line, Dreamfarm from Australia, whose items have dual purposes. “For instance, our juicer lays flat for easy storage and uses your arms and hand muscles to squeeze out juice. It even has a little seed catcher on the bottom,” said Stacy, adding that customers often exclaim, ‘That’s so cool!’ upon discovering those hidden features.
Toast & Table’s product lines include more than just kitchen gadgets, spoons and bowls. Inside you’ll find a variety of products for everything you need from baking and cookware, table linens, barware, and even a variety of items for children. You’ll also find a unique selection of jams, jellies and spices to add delicious flavor to your culinary masterpieces.
“We don’t carry everything, but we carry a lot of what every home cook is looking for.” said Amanda. “I think that’s what this community really enjoys about us.”
Cooking up a business
The name Toast & Table represents something really special. “We liked the multi-dimensional name toast, because it means so many things. It’s not just toast you eat, but it’s toasting your glasses. We’re celebrating friendship,” Stacy said.
“We were looking for a few words that meant both food and coming together and being your own chef,” added Amanda.
Stacy and Amanda said they also drew inspiration from British boutique-style pubs, ultimately settling on Toast & Table. “You can toast with your champagne glasses. You toast your marshmallows, and then the table is where everyone gathers together and enjoys their meal,” said Amanda. “It just worked. The table is where we come in and gather. Our friends gather at the table. Our family gathers at the table. It’s a really special place.”
Toast & Table started on the other side of the Mississippi River where Stacy and Amanda worked together on team projects for a financial services corporation in St. Louis. They learned they shared a passion for cooking, entertaining and community-building. Stacy said her chemistry was undeniable with Amanda, who is a seasoned retail expert.
“I was in the corporate world for about 15 plus years, and it just wasn’t fulfilling,” Stacy recalled about her corporate background. “It didn’t fulfill my soul or my passion for helping people.”
Amanda’s experience in retail included positions with Macy’s, Gap and Banana Republic. “I knew I needed something more to give to the community, something artistic and beautiful,” added Amanda describing how the idea came together for Toast & Table. “When Stacy and I worked together, it was like magic. Everything came together every single time there were no arguments. There may have been disagreements, but then we came to a conclusion together. It always worked out every single time and that’s just hard to find. So, when Stacy was looking for a business partner, there was no question. That was an easy. Of course, I would do it with her.”
After two years of meticulous planning and saving, Toast & Table came to life, first as an online merchant in July 2023 until they found their “perfect storefront” in April 2024.
Stacy revealed that their research ahead of opening Toast & Table helped to prepare them for the challenges of opening their storefront in O’Fallon. “We knew we’d struggle initially with no steady paycheck for a while,” said Stacy. “So, we used that time to research vendors, products, and save money to create a financial cushion.”
Business is cookin’
At Toast & Table, Stacy and Amanda have crafted a unique retail experience that combines kitchen supplies with hands-on cooking classes. Stacy says the idea for cooking classes emerged from community feedback.
“We went out and said, ‘Hey, this is our idea. We think it’d be a good fit here.’ Almost every single person said, ‘We want more. We want to experience. We want you to show us how to actually cook.'”
These classes, are typically 2-3 hours long, are 90% hands-on, with participants working in pairs to prepare a complete meal.
“They’re putting together their appetizer, their main course, their sides and their dessert right there,” said Amanda about how classes work.
“The cooking classes have been a really big hit,” said Stacy with an energetic smile. “A lot of them have been selling out. We only have space for ten, which is good, because it makes it a really informal atmosphere. What we do is that every two people get a cooktop, every two people get their own skillet and their own tools and their own graters and their own bowls. And we work with you from start to finish to make the entire meal. And then at the end, you get to enjoy it with real utensils on real plate. We provide drinks. It’s a fun time.”
Class participants of similar skill levels learn together under the guidance of a skilled chef. Classes cover various skills, from knife techniques to measuring and preparing a variety of meals and desserts.
“You’re in an environment where everyone around you is likely the same skill level and they are learning how to do it together with a skilled chef, teaching them, showing them, making sure they understand why they do what they’re doing,” said Amanda.
The cooking classes have been a huge success, often selling out due to their intimate setting. Some classes are set up to prepare individual items like pastas, cinnamon rolls to class options like date nights, featuring prime cuts of meat and complete steak dinners. Classes also are carefully planned to accommodate diverse ages and skill levels.
Making O’Fallon home
Downtown O’Fallon’s charming atmosphere and strong community support were key factors in Stacy and Amanda’s decision to open Toast & Table in the heart of this Metro East suburb.
“O’Fallon is really unique right now. It’s got this wonderful strip downtown. The Chamber and the City have been super helpful,” said Stacy about the community. “I will say that was a big factor in why we wanted to be in downtown O’Fallon was because of the community.
“Small businesses, I believe, are making a huge comeback. It’s specifically why we chose O’Fallon in Illinois, because it has such a quaint storefront downtown,” explained Amanda. “Everyone here wants to be a part of this community. They want our small businesses to thrive.”
Cooking for success
It is not lost on Stacy and Amanda that making Toast & Table a success takes great commitment and work. Stacy, who has only been in the world of retail for six months, said she has a unique perspective to share with other Illinoisians wanting to get into retail.
“I wish somebody would have told me that you’re going to have a lot of ebbs and flows,” said Stacy reflecting on how it feels to run the business day in and day out. “You’re going to have some really great days, and you’re going to have some really down days. You’re going to have good weeks. You have bad weeks. You’re going to have to figure it out all on your own.”
Stacy strongly encourages anyone thinking of opening a retail business to be tenacious about researching every aspect of the business and the business plan.
“Do your homework; take your time. Research,” urged Stacy. “I think we’ve probably curbed a lot of things that might have gone really wrong had we not done our research. We have an entire checklist of, ‘Okay, what does this vendor sell? Are we selling the same thing? What materials is it made of? Are they sold on Amazon? If they are sold on Amazon, do they have “matt pricing?”’ That means that the pricing is the same across the board. Amazon just can’t come in and undercut us by 50%. Look at all those things and take the time to do it and I think that will really help you in the long run.
“I’m still pretty new, but so far I really love it. I love getting to help people. I love being able to research products that I think will be beneficial to the local community,” stated Stacy.
Toast & Table appears to be catching on in the second largest city in the Metro East region.
“We’re putting something together that everyone seems to love. This whole community is rooting for us, and it just feels so good,” said Amanda.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve built,” added Stacy with a prideful smile. “I’m really proud of the concept that we’ve came up with. I’m proud of the location we ended up with. I want you to feel at home here. We wanted a space where people could come in and feel like they’re at home. This looks like an in-home kitchen, because we want you to feel like you’re walking into our actual home. This is our space. We’re welcoming you into it. Let’s talk about cooking and kitchen things and how we can help.”