Meat&Poultry - March 2014 - 54

butler gourmet meats

(Top): Decor in Butler Meats' retail store
include old-school tools of the trade.
(Below): Besides meat, the store also
offers customers a variety of Butler
branded sauces and spices.

to emulate the quality of our meats

work into and the customer can take

in our name.

home and enjoy."

"I didn't worry about trying to be

Butler Gourmet Meats provides a

competitive on prices. I never even

strong selection of quail, duck, rabbit,

looked at big-store ads to see what they

pheasant and organic poultry and oth-

were selling at what price," he says.

er foods, including buffalo and grass-

Theiss says he does some advertis-

fed beef.

ing in the local paper during the holidays, but gets "free" advertising by

Additional endeavors

writing a meat column about six times

Theiss, now 50, began selling products

a year. He doesn't suggest 50-ingredi-

at the local Saturday farmer's mar-

ent master chef recipes in his articles,

ket four years ago and calls his results

but rather focuses on simplicity and

from that endeavor "outstanding."

informative knowledge on such ba-

He features two types of frozen

sic meals as making a good pot roast.

sausage and has an employee prepare

This exposure brings readers to

samples from a grill. The type of sau-

his store where they are greeted with

sages are changed each week and the

solid facts about making consistently

five-hour weekly promotion regularly

good meals from items he features.

translates into about 150 lbs. of sau-

The 3,000-sq.-ft. facility has about

sage sold at that location. He offers

1,500 sq. ft. of retail floor, decorated

interested shoppers who don't buy a

with antique meat-industry tools and

coupon good for 10 percent off any

equipment. He has between five and

purchase at the store until 4 pm that

seven employees, depending on the

day and attests that nine out of 10 cou-

season, and uses his two sons, brother,

pon holders come in to make a pur-

brother-in-law and some nieces and

chase the same day.

nephews to work during busy times.

The meat store sells about 200

"One of the most cost-effective

take-out deli sandwiches and subs

things I've done was to have a local

Tuesday through Friday from 11 am

company develop our website, butler-

to 3 pm and provides a well-rounded

meats.com," he confides. "This has re-

take-out catering menu for office par-

ally brought people into our shop who

ties and special events. This business

can see what we offer before they come

is very strong during the holidays.

in and understand that we are more

But Theiss has taken his catering

than just another place to buy meat."

flair a step further with the purchase

Theiss says that years ago, about 70

of a teppanyaki mobile grill that he

percent of his 40 ft. meat case was de-

uses for off-site events.

voted to red meats, but today that cate-

"We have gone out as far as 250

gory represents only about 15 percent.

miles for these catered events," he

"Much more of our sales are repre-

more intimate parties with perhaps

greater convenience," he points out.

10 to 20 people. We do a Beniha-

"This would be items like pulled pork,

na-restaurant-type of meal served

breaded veal cutlets, chicken cordon

right from the grill, offering filet,

bleu and fully cooked ribs. They are

pork-fried rice, shrimp and even

great foods that we've put the extra

54

notes. "These tend to be smaller and

sented in specialty products that offer

Kobe beef. This is a higher-dollar

* Meat&Poultry * March 2014 * www.MeatPoultry.com
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Meat&Poultry - March 2014

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