Thriving During COVID-19: Midtown Butcher Shoppe
Since October 2011, the Midtown Butcher Shoppe has been a staple in Atlanta for those who desire a high-end experience and top-quality products. I have been a customer for years, coming in for my monthly Ribeye and frozen cookies, but May was the first time I had been since early March. I walked in, greeted through the relieving cool air conditioning by Store Manager Stephen Wagner, donned in a black face mask and gloves. Wagner stood behind the glass display case, breaking down a ribbed chunk of meat at his cutting board. His three coworkers focused on the two frequent customers who shopped, waiting for their products to be packaged up. There was comfort in knowing this Atlanta staple was doing well in these trying times.
The wall of specialty items, wine, cheese, ingredients, and frozen prepared meals line the wall opposite the counter. The L-shaped display case is stocked with premium cuts of Certified Angus Beef, Prestige Farms and Heritage Farm chicken, pork, and other cuts of meat, including shop-made sausages, ground beef, butcher cuts of lamb, and much more.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) says, “Georgia, the leading poultry producer in the nation, accounting for $42 billion into the state’s economy, is still producing over 31 million pounds of chicken and 7 million table eggs daily to restock the supply chains that feed Americans.” The Butcher Shoppe is one of 19 butcher shops in the city that weathered the pandemic, serving the public at large.
“The first two months we noticed an uptick and since then our sales doubled, tripled and then quadrupled,” says Wagner.
COVID-19 has rippled through small businesses, creating doubt as to whether some will weather the storm in the coming months as it continues to linger. An article in The New York Times says that over 40 percent of the U.S. economy depends on small businesses and over 60,000 have already closed since March 1.
One main factor in the increased sales is in the number of people who wouldn’t or couldn’t eat at a restaurant or people who ran out of options at their local grocery store. Owner Greg Wheat says, “People were panic buying. We gained a lot of new customers because the grocery stores were low.”
“This was supposed to be a big year for America’s meat industry. Then came COVID-19. By the end of April, the pandemic changed the economic and agricultural landscape. The problem is that the virus has made it increasingly hard to turn those animals into store-ready packs of pork chops or ground beef,” says TIME.
Prestige Farms of North Carolina are just one of several suppliers to Midtown Butcher Shoppe. Ordering Manager Kenny Hobbs says, “We’ve been selling, but we saw some production issues.” But Wagner says, “We get trucks almost every day.” The distribution chain has helped small businesses like the Butcher Shoppe, in part, because the restaurants are operating at low capacity and take-out only, preventing the disruption grocers are experiencing.
The livestock industry has been hit hard. The Guardian says, “the issue is causing instability in the supply chain, with panic buying of meat in the US and the euthanization of millions of farm animals.” In the past four months, many of us have seen the empty shelves in meat departments at our grocery store, but small butcher shops are equipped to break down large, restaurant packaged meats without the disruption in supply.
“Our suppliers are the ones that supply restaurants,” says Wagner, which made the accessibility to premium cuts of meat uninterrupted.
The difference between supply and the actual production of our proteins rests on the cuts delivered to grocery stores vs. butcher shops and restaurants. The AJC says, “Production that had shipped to restaurants and offices now must go to local grocery stores. That means a need to change packaging, labeling, and shipment methods.” The delay in restocking the grocers was due to the repackaging of the product and the limited number of factory workers on hand.
An economic modeling company, Emsi says, “While many US industries are struggling due to COVID-19, grocery stores and food manufacturers are seeing increased demand. And if past trends are any indication, these industries will continue to see solid sales as consumers shift from eating out to eating at home.” The difference between waiting in long lines at Trader Joe’s or dodging full aisles down the directional grocery stores is a visit to a local butcher shop.
Midtown Butcher Shoppe customer Matt Hopp says, “I like to know what precautions they’re taking. They had a sign notifying me of their precautions, a plexiglass panel to minimize contact at the register, and they were all wearing masks and gloves.” Too often have we all witnessed cashiers at the grocery store with their masks only covering their mouths and not their noses. But this butcher shop takes their precautions seriously.
An aspect that many Americans are facing is how to stretch the dollar when buying food. Atlantic Station’s Publix offers Ribeye on sale for $14.99 lb. where Midtown Butcher Shoppe sells theirs at $23.99 lb. The few extra dollars some may be willing to spend on meat from a butcher shop isn’t in the budget for everyone, but Hopp says, “We’re willing to spend a little more for the quality.”
The purchasing power of the consumer goes even further during these challenging times. The decision to support the local bakery or butcher shop over the large-scale chain grocers can be the difference between watching a city become boarded up or supporting the community.
Wheat says, “A lot of customers prefer a small shop.”
As Americans return home from work or close their laptops, dinner is on their minds. The decision to order carry-out or cook depends on each city’s options and cooking ability. Mark Heim of AL.com says, “The coronavirus has put much in this nation on hold. Grilling isn’t one of them. In fact, there are few things better-suited than firing up the grill in this time of social-distancing as we wait out COVID-19.” Nothing is more Americana than grilling on a summer day.
Hopp says, “We don’t go out to eat anymore and are cooking five or six nights a week. We just bought a new grill.” Sales of grills and other cooking supplies continue to grow as people are staying in for dinner. FOX21 online says in “DULUTH, Minn. — Grill sales are way up this summer season. London Road Rental in Duluth tells us pellet sales have been up 200% and grill sales are up 30% to 40%. They attribute it to more people eating at home than going out because of the pandemic.”
As the pandemic continues in the U.S., some are grilling meals for loved ones and ourselves from the comfort of backyards, driveways, and balconies. Thanks to our local butcher shops, access to premium meats has remained a staple in getting through these difficult times.
