After my long stint of being out of the meat business for 3 months...I'm back! My sister is opening a small grocery in the same town they have tobacco shops in, and long story short due to some recent news they will have to move to Bloomington for a year. I told them I would come work for them, so they would not have to worry about thieves, or the meat department. So luckily I've had the privelege of working with the vendors, setting up the meat shop, and giving my 2 cents on the layout.
Only down sides: no saw, and a one step up from a grinder with a hand crank. >.<
Welcome back to the meat business. Sounds like quite a bit of work ahead of you. It'll be worth it in the end. I'm not too far away from ya, Down here in Santa Claus at Holiday Foods. Leon was just in last week and shot a video. Check it out.
Yeah we're just a few days away from opening. Troyers will be in Thursday to drop off the first order. I was hoping to meat Leon, but I go tied up and didn't get a chance to get back ahold of him until later in the evening. By that time he was already in Kentucky. :/ That reminds me I've been saying I'd go to Holiday World for about two months now!
All boneless, box meats. I really wanted to carry butts, because I think pork steaks would go over really well, but without a saw we are kind of sticking away from that right now. I know I can bone them out and do boneless, but the boss has been nudging me away from it. That and the price is just ridiculous right now, a few months ago I could get them for 0.83 a pound now they've jumped to 1.53...granted I could blow them out with the bone-in for $1.99-$2.39 (for pork steaks), but without a saw I'm kind of at the mercy of what they want. But if I bone them out, without doing a cutting test I'm guessing I'd prob have to run them 2.79 to 2.99 and in that area I don't think pork steak would sell for that much.
cut them up the middle....and do the bonless half for steaks and bone in side for roast.................the bonless steaks would sell well they would look like a medallion you could even tie them i guess i use to sell alotta these at my last store...................
Alright thanks for the tip butcher! I've really been working on them to carry that, and atleast one type of beef grilling steak. Preferably the top butt, due to the low cost. The biggest issue right now is space. 8 feet for ground beef, sausage, pork, beef, hotdogs, brats.
LOL What is that thing? Where is the power cord!!?? Luckily I've only had to use the hacksaw to split the butts for a couple of roasts, hams, and other odds and ends when the saw was unavailable. Can't imagine having to cut 3/4" pork steaks all day! But I guess that just goes to show you how the newer generation of cutters has been spoiled. But no one has mentioned the price on butts. Is it just that outrageously high right now, maybe my vendor? Because I can get boneless loins for ~$1.89, but butts are at $1.59. Not even the individually packed ones the two packs.
oooooooo you open the door for the old one lol the power cord is your arm, the motor is your young muscles lol
At one time in my life in New Orleans, I cut everything with one of those " things " I was there for 5 months till my woman HAD to come back to Mobile, Al. to be closer to her momma lol
At that time I made $300.00 a week for 45 hours, I had left A&P at $200.00 as a cutting room manager. this market did 3500.00 when I came there, 5500.00 when I left. Had me, one young learning cutter, meat wrapper with about 15 years exp. I can say it was a experience I'll never forget lol we got sides, got in whole lambs, whole hogs, whole chickens only. at that time you had no extra parts of chicken, you cut everything from whole birds. you got no extra pork loins,neck bones, butts, ears, tails, had to come from whole hogs.
hey i would just bone out the butts its really easy and you get fast with practice..the bone weights about 8 ozs just throw it in the barrel you won't lose anything and slice the butts for boneless pork steak it will look the same and taste the same you could also get boneless country style. pork steak really does sell fast where i am. its hard to keep it full and there is hardly no waste
my butts are costing about 1.29 right now. i guess it depends on where you get them..but i sell them for 2.09 in family packs..but remember hardly no waste so you make money anyway..and what you do trim off make sausage with. i charge 2.49 for that.
-- Edited by fdarn on Thursday 21st of July 2011 10:45:37 AM
my case is only 8 feet too but i got 4 shelves do you have shelves...even though i got a small case i still find ways to fit alot of vareity in them. we got to do the best we can with what we have to work with. its not the size of the case that makes the difference its the quality of the cuts and the meat that matters
It will be self serve, and only room for the bottom shelf. My meat cooler is a 24 cu ft. chest freezer in the cutting room, and one upright pop cooler. The width of the cooler has literally a 1/2" space between the freezer, and the cooler. I know for sure because I had to measure because we weren't sure it would fit lol, but I like to maximize on space.
I know I will have to do. Have rows dedicated to variety cuts from single primals. Like a row for the bottom round steak, tend. bottom round, and maybe even rumps. Really won't know for sure, until I get it cut, and see how it looks. Like I said I will have to put hot dogs in there as well.
Basically to give you guys a good idea on the building, it used to be a small town diner.
I'm going to try to remember to take some pics for you guys later, give you guys a better idea of what we've got.
A lot of it we're going to have to feel out on what is going to sell, and what we've got room for.
But yeah I've boned some butts out in my day ;). I got a look from my non-meat cutting manager one day because I took as much meat off the bone as possible. I was told I didn't have to do that, and I told her those pennies add up. I also package those bones up and throw them out there in the case @ 0.99.
That was also at a market that did between 6-12k a day. Now I'm at one doing 0.00 a day. I am a little intimidated because I am the go to guy now, and don't have nearly the years some of you do. But I learn quickly, and listen.
HEY YOUNGBLOOD, from talking with you on the phone I don't think you going to have any problems, just learn to grow slow, don't try to go to fast, build your business and KISS A LOT OF A with the ladies ( wink )
Keep you a recipe box so you can give the ladies ideals !! and as a young man gives you a way not to forget or get caught in a lie !!
Thanks Leon. I already am pretty suave with the ladies ;). It is the old ones that see through me :D
Hopefully we'll have internet over there, so I can keep my laptop on me. I know some about meat, but unless it is on the grill I don't know squat about cooking it. (Although I did make a mean a** bbq'd beef brisket a few months ago.) What I liked to do at my former place of work was whenever someone had a question how to cook something I'd jump on google and print them out a few recipes. Take about five minutes of there time, but they were completely happy with it. Because most of the time you'll get a whole recipe rack and there will be one for prime rib, one for lemon herb chicken, etc, etc. So there is not a lot of variety.
Also the good part about that is when they ask something I have no clue about, I can look it up. Just like one time someone asked for Lox, and at the time I had no idea what it was. Luckily I was able to google it, get a definition, and picture, and the lightbulb came on. Much better than just looking at the customer and saying, "Nope don't have it try Krogers." Customer gets what they want in one trip, you make the sale.
youngblood I like your style lol Now learn to handle the older ones and your sales will go up and you may also find the story it gets better with age to have a lot of truth ( wink )
that sounds like a good plan. I am interested to hear about what is still left in the morning. i can tell you'll watch it carefully and see what moves and what doesn't. Pay atention to your costomer base. Do you get mostly senior citizens or middle aged? what kind of competition is in the area?