HOUSTON — The world is Hannah Kaplan's oyster.
"It's mother nature that does most of the work. We just kind of help move them along,” she said.
Kaplan and her father took an idea and created Barrier Beauties, a sustainable oyster farm and it's one of the first in Texas through the Cultivated Oyster Mariculture program.
“That allows oyster farmers to grow oysters in gear that floats at the top of the water column. That allows us to control the way that they grow," she said.
Texans are used to seeing Gulf Coast oysters with longer shells as opposed to a deeper shell like the "Barrier Beauties," which are farm-raised in the Gulf.
Texas became one of the last coastal states to allow oyster farming in 2019 and Kaplan said changes need to come to the industry in the form of legislation.
“There was a lot of red tape and paperwork in getting your business started, what made you not give up?” KHOU 11’s Kimberly Davis asked.
“I think my stubbornness,” Kaplan said. “And the end result of having these oysters on a table, and I was really excited about this part."
Kaplan is not alone. She said there's a village of women who support her in the industry.
"Whether it’s on the farming side or the scientific side, marine biologists even gear suppliers. This industry is filled with some great women," Kaplan said.
Now, Barrier Beauties are sold all across Texas, including at Josephine's in downtown Houston.
“It was very exciting and intriguing that this young female entrepreneur is one of the driving forces in this industry starting out,” Josephine's executive chef Lucas McKinney told us.
The world is certainly Kaplan’s oyster – and she has made "Barrier Beauties" her pearl.