Family Preparing German, Amish-Inspired Dishes For Tulsa State Fair Crowd

The Tulsa State Fair is well underway, and some of the people who make it possible said the fair is a combination of work and play for them.

Tulsa State Fair has taught many that it truly is a family affair.

Horst Schacht and Mary Willis operate different booths at the Tulsa State Fair but they share one thing in common, serving food is in their blood.

Mary and her brother Jimmy Willis grew up behind the booth.

Their grandpa opened a cinnamon roll stand at the fair in 1974. Their dad Freddie manned the booth.

"He was allergic to cinnamon, so every day he would come in and power through his allergies,” said Mary.

Freddie opened his first restaurant at 19. In 1994, he opened his first corn and corndog stand.

"The legacy just expanded from there,” said Mary.

After their father died in March, the Willis siblings picked up where he left off.

"I have two little girls five and six. They're the same I started working here. So we're gonna get them in here. Start training them and have them continue on our legacy from there,” said Willis.

Horst Schacht owns Leann's County Kitchen named after his mom. Schacht travels across the country alongside his son and daughter serving German and Amish-inspired dishes.

"My name Horst Schacht, it's about as German as your gonna get,” said Schacht.

When he took over the restaurant, it was an Amish operation.

"We all know that the Amish are exceptional when it comes to cooking,” said Schacht.

This is his seventh year at the fair, but like, Mary, his grandparents and great grandparents ran their own business.

"I sold my first bratwurst when I was four," said Schacht.

Freddie's has expanded from just one stand, and now has 9 spots at the Tulsa state fair. Horst said he’ll also be back next year.