A Butcher Shop Franchise Offers A Unique Business Opportunity
There used to be a neighborhood butcher shop on many of the street corners in America. Butchers were revered for their craft, customers could trust where the meat came from, and the shops themselves became fixtures in their communities. All that changed when the meat industry started mass-producing in factories, slowly causing butcher shops to go the way of the buffalo. In recent years, however, all that has changed. With customers more conscious of where their meat is sourced, and preferring high quality, grass-fed, pasture-raised meats, the local butcher is back. The U.S. Agriculture’s Economic Research Service conducted a study that found “consumer demand for local food, including local meat and poultry, has risen in recent years.”
That’s where Southern Steer Butcher steps in, a unique franchise opportunity that has hit the scene at just the right time. Founded in 2013, Southern Steer is a gourmet, neighborhood butcher shop franchise that’s ready to take the country by storm.
“While some businesses are stressful with long hours and low margins, a butcher shop can provide exceptional work/life balance, terrific profit potential, and the ability to truly connect with people in your community,” says Greg Snyder, CEO and Founder of Southern Steer Butcher.
How Southern Steer, The Community Butcher Shop, Came To Be
After butcher shops were – mostly – displaced by grocery stores and factory farming, the sight of a local meat market was relegated to old movies and TV shows. As neighborhood butcher shops have started to crop back up, people in these communities have started to realize how special they are. That’s what happened to Greg Snyder after visiting a butcher shop in the Northeast and immediately realized a need for local meats in his hometown of Clearwater, Florida. “When I visited the butcher shop in the Northeast and saw the service it provided, my partners and I saw an opportunity to open a butcher shop here – and eight years later, it’s been incredibly successful,” Snyder says.
Southern Steer has created a business model that has experienced sales increases year over year through the pandemic. As customers have become more food conscious than ever, butcher shops have been making an incredible comeback in communities across the nation. Snyder saw the beginning of this trend 8 years ago and realized the time was now to franchise the Southern Steer model. Already, two franchise locations have proven Southern Steer is the butcher shop franchise model poised to serve communities everywhere. And, other locations are scheduled for opening in the Jacksonville and Tampa areas.
“I’m passionate about entrepreneurship,” says Jack Lapointe, a Southern Street partner. “Corporate America is uncertain right now, and a job doesn’t provide security. Owning a business is the best way to take control of your future. This is a business whose time has come. Southern Steer proved essential, recession-resistant, and profitable during the pandemic. That’s an amazing validation point. When you have an essential business, and one that provides a service that strengthens communities, you have a recipe for long-term growth.”
Community Involvement Is A Core Part of Southern Steer Franchises
Many people associate franchises with absentee owners or people from outside their community. Not so at Southern Steer Butcher, which has built an incredible reputation as an involved, contributing community member. Aspiring franchise owners at Southern Steer don’t need previous butcher experience, but they do need a passion for giving back to the community.
Franchisees are asked to strengthen ties with local businesses, support charities and provide meaningful service to customers. They support local businesses by selling their products in stores, whether it’s local cheese, craft beer, or jarred honey. Snyder, through Southern Steer Butcher, founded Project 52, a nonprofit that donates a meal to a family in need every week of the year. In this spirit, Southern Steer Butcher makes it a core operating principle for franchise owners to volunteer in local charities or start their own!
Why Franchise With Southern Steer Butcher?
Though local meat markets have made an incredible comeback, not all butcher shops are created equal. Southern Steer has developed a business model with unparalleled backing and support that other competitors simply cannot match, making the franchise the right choice for entrepreneurs who want to bring a gourmet meat market to their communities.
For starters, Southern Steer Butcher offers in-store training, where you master every aspect of the business, including managing inventory, prepping marinades, displaying products, managing a team, customer service, using an advanced integrated POS system, and becoming a food expert. The Southern Steer franchise team also helps you select the perfect location for your new business, as well as all the ins and outs of the real estate transaction. On top of that, our team helps you market effectively in your community, making sure your brand reaches customers. One method, for instance, is the extremely effective loyalty program that keeps customers coming back and brings in new customers. Once up and running, the Southern Steer franchise team remains committed to training and supporting franchisees every step of the way.
Southern Steer Butcher offers what every entrepreneur seeks: a lucrative career that’s fun to run. Initial investment costs are comparable with other retail franchise models and start as low as $360,000. We’ve crafted a business model that keeps overhead costs low by reducing waste and minimizing labor expenses. “We spent the last eight years proving the business model,” Snyder says. “It’s as straightforward as it gets, and we’ve made all the mistakes so that our franchise owners don’t have to make them. We know exactly what it takes to be successful in a butcher shop business, and we want to pass that on to entrepreneurs who share our passion for community, customer service, and delivering a great product.”
Southern Steer Butcher Wants To Franchise With YOU!
There could not have been a better time for Southern Steer Butcher to start franchising its unique business model, as Americans have acquired a newfound appreciation for local food that’s responsibly sourced. Over the past eight years, Southern Steer Butcher has proven it is the butcher shop franchise to own, offering a great opportunity for entrepreneurs wanting to get in on the ground level.
To learn more, visit our research pages here. If you’re ready to start a conversation with our franchise team, fill out our form here. We look forward to hearing from you!
