Built from love, grit, family, and perseverance

Kate & Steve Fenter

KT'z was built from love, grit, family, and perseverance. We are Steve and Kate Fenter, a husband-and-wife team who have been married for 25 years. KT'z was born partly out of desire, partly out of necessity, and mostly out of love and respect for one another.

The name KT'z carries deep meaning for us. The "K" stands for Kate, whose dream of opening a coffee shop lived in her heart for years. The "T" stands for Truett, Steve's dad — a Texas oilfield man known for his grit, integrity, fairness, and quiet strength. Though he passed away before KT'z became what it is today, part of his legacy lives on through this business.

Our family's ties to the Emory area go back decades. Steve attended Rains Elementary as a child, and his dad had longtime friendships throughout this community. After serving seven years in the United States Navy — much of that time aboard a fast-attack submarine as a nuclear power plant mechanic — and working more than 20 years in commercial HVAC, life eventually brought us back to East Texas to be closer to family.

Opening KT'z was not easy. We took a major leap of faith, invested heavily, renovated an old building, and faced more obstacles than we ever expected — financial pressure, construction setbacks, health challenges, and personal loss. But through it all, we kept going.

KT'z became more than a business to us. It became a symbol of endurance, faithfulness, teamwork, and community.

We wanted KT'z to feel different from the start. Since Emory sits between two beautiful lakes, we leaned into a fishing and lake-life theme. Our drink sizes include Dink, Keeper, Lunker, and Trophy. We have lake maps on the walls, a marble run for customers to enjoy, and even a drive-thru "Fish On!" moment that brings a little fun to the wait. We offer homemade baked goods, breakfast and lunch made fresh every day right here in our shop — and of course, delicious coffee that we are extremely proud of.

KT'z carries Kate's dream, Truett's legacy, and our shared belief that a business should be built with heart. We are thankful for our customers, our employees, and the community that has become part of our story.