May 20, 2026 • 39 mins
On this episode of the STL Bucket List Show, we sit down with Ryan and Eleni, founders of The Quarter Butcher, to talk about building one of the most unique food businesses in Saint Charles County and bringing whole animal butchery to Dardenne Prairie.
Ryan shares his journey from culinary school and fine dining kitchens—including time at Bulrush, Pastaria, and The Last Hotel—to discovering a passion for butchery and eventually opening a family-owned butcher shop focused on local sourcing, sustainability, and craftsmanship.
The conversation dives into how COVID reshaped their priorities, pushing them to leave the restaurant world behind and build something of their own while balancing marriage, parenthood, and entrepreneurship. They open up about the realities of running a family business together, learning how to separate work from home life, and building systems that protect both the business and their family.
They also break down what makes The Quarter Butcher different—from bringing in whole sides of beef and utilizing every part of the animal to creating house-made sausages, deli meats, pet products, tallow goods, and launching an entirely new sandwich menu.
From local farms to community building, sustainability to small business growth, this episode is about creating something meaningful while building a life around family and food.
They discuss:
- Leaving fine dining and transitioning into butchery
- Opening The Quarter Butcher in Dardenne Prairie
- Whole animal butchery and sustainable sourcing
- Working directly with Missouri farms and producers
- Balancing marriage, kids, and entrepreneurship
- Building a family business together
- Launching the new sandwich program and deli menu
- House-made sausages, tallow products, and pet food
- Community growth in Saint Charles County
- Supporting local makers and businesses
- The future vision for classes, dinners, and events
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📍 Recorded at Bucket List Podcast Studio, St. Louis, MO
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
After going through a long day, we're both tired,
you put the kids down, and thenyou talk about the business,
you're not in the right mindsetto like think clearly.
Let's just go to bed next time.
SPEAKER_04 (00:08):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (00:09):
Turn on some game changer and like laugh, and then
wake up early in the morning,have some coffee, then we talk
about it.
SPEAKER_00 (00:21):
If you wanna hear about St.
Louis, tune into the Bucket ListShow Weekly.
Hear what Marissa and Luke say.
It drops every Wednesday.
Got a dope new guest everysingle week.
Buckle up for the ride.
Who's it gonna be?
Who's on the show today?
They rap St.
Louis.
What to do in the loo on a latenight?
(00:43):
I maybe what to do on a datenight.
Yeah.
Bucket list as you covered, thenall what's going on.
What's going on?
They'll give you 18 differentthings to do on 19.
If you need one more to choose,yeah.
The city, city, city is a placewe call home.
A place we call home.
Yeah.
St.
SPEAKER_05 (01:00):
Louis, welcome back to the STL bucket list show.
We're in studio.
Uh, we've recorded over 200episodes highlighting the
people, places, and events thatmake St.
Louis special.
Right here in Maplewood,Missouri, Julia on the Ones and
Twos producing the podcast.
We drop new episodes everyWednesday with local
entrepreneurs.
Uh, we have two of those in thestudio today.
Uh, we have Ryan and Alleny withuh the Quarter Butcher.
(01:22):
Um, we met you guys probably ayear ago now.
It was last summer.
Um, you guys are in my oldhometown in Dardian Prairie.
Um, you guys have an amazingbutcher shop.
It's so unique for that area.
Obviously, St.
Charles County isn't used toseeing what you guys are doing
out there.
So, first, I just want to thankyou guys for coming in the
studio today.
unknown (01:37):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (01:37):
Yeah.
Thanks for having us.
Thanks for having us.
SPEAKER_05 (01:39):
So, the Quarter Butcher, let's start with
letting people know where thename came from and what even
what even prompted you to starta butcher shop in the first
place?
SPEAKER_01 (01:51):
Um, well, we had always wanted to own, you know,
we always wanted to control ourfuture.
We wanted to own a business atsome point.
Uh, I was in the food industryfor 10 years.
Um, and you know, restaurant waskind of the first idea, but we,
you know, then we have kids andrealized the restaurant life
kind of wasn't uh um wasn't mostsuited for kids in the family
(02:14):
life.
So we were like, okay, you know,I worked at Bullyards for
several years and kind oflearned butchery in there and
really kind of fell in love withit and kind of the retail
atmosphere and saw like Chrisand Abby had you know had that
family dynamic and were able todo it.
And we're like, maybe this is aum, you know, more of a retail
setting and staying in the foodlane would be best for us.
(02:36):
So we kind of set on a butchershop.
SPEAKER_05 (02:38):
Um and then what were those conversations like?
Because obviously, like, youknow, starting a butcher shop is
not easy.
So you know, when so when didyou guys first come up with the
idea and then how long did thattake for it to actually come to
fruition?
SPEAKER_02 (02:50):
So we came up with the specific idea to open our
own business probably aroundCOVID.
SPEAKER_05 (02:54):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (02:55):
Because he was still in the restaurant industry at
that point, and COVID just likerocked it.
Like there were hard times.
We had our our first childFebruary of 2020.
And so our life changeddramatically in that time
period, and we were like, okay,let's take a reset look at what
we actually want to do long termand like bring that in.
Why not start now?
So we started putting togetherbusiness plans, decided to sell
(03:17):
our house, you know, down hereand move out towards our family
and where we wanted the businessto ultimately be.
And so we took concrete stepstowards that and started working
towards like the butcher shop.
And the name itself took alittle while to figure out, but
we decided on the quarterbutcher because that represents
the business model that we have,which is bringing in the whole
side of beef and breaking itdown in-house, which is what
(03:40):
makes us different from theother places.
And, you know, grocery storesdon't necessarily have the cuts
of meat that he's able to prepbecause of that whole animal
butcher shop way of doingthings.
SPEAKER_05 (03:49):
Yeah, I've seen it.
I mean, I've obviously got abehind-the-scenes look at what
you guys were doing, and then wegot hooked up with so much food
and so much food.
And I'm excited to be backthere.
I'm excited to go back therenext week to try the actual food
menu because I think that that'swhat brings everything together
is like, you know, one thing tosell, you know, cuts, and then
it's another thing to like takethe extra stuff that you're
creating and then turning thatinto a menu.
(04:11):
So um I know you've been teasingit on the story, but you guys
are dropping this menu.
Is there anything that you guyscan tell us about the menu and
like all the RD that you guyshave been doing to work towards
this and what people can expect?
SPEAKER_01 (04:21):
Yeah.
Um, yeah, we've been doing alot.
We kind of started, um, youknow, we want to use obviously
everything that comes on theanimal and use what we kind of
have in-house.
Um, and we want to makeeverything um, you know,
in-house that we can.
Um, so we kind of soft launch acouple weeks ago with like a
roast beef euro.
Alenny has a is uh is Greek, sowe kind of went the the Greek
(04:44):
route.
Um and so kind of did a softlaunch with just one one
sandwich of roast beef euro.
Um, and then now we're kind ofaccelerating and kind of
expanding it to five differentsandwiches.
We're gonna have a pastrami, um,uh a turkey club, and we'll have
the the roast beef euro, a dip,um, and an Italian beef.
(05:04):
Um we've been a lot of theseproducts and deli meats we've
had, we've had in the case for along time.
We've had different kits, youknow, sandwich kits for
take-home meals um using allthese ingredients, and now we're
just kind of putting it alltogether and gathering the
resources to be able to serve ithot, you know, at the shop.
SPEAKER_05 (05:22):
So when is the menu launching?
SPEAKER_02 (05:24):
Wednesday is the plan.
So by the time this comes out,it will hopefully be fully
launched and everything will beready to go.
Um, we've been, he's been, youknow, putting things together in
the background.
We have a little like familytasting plan tonight to make
sure everything's good.
Nice.
And then we'll have Wednesdayeverything ready to go.
SPEAKER_05 (05:41):
Because you guys have done pop-ups.
Obviously, I I saw you guys atFrankie Martin's, you did the
burger pop-up.
Um, I think that's one of thosethings, and you mentioned Chris
and their team is like, youknow, it's one thing to
experience the menu there, butthen it's like you can also
leave with something too.
And it's like, how do youintroduce people to stuff and
how do you use the whole animal?
And it's like you guys are alsodoing the tallow I saw, you
know, some of the homemade stuffthat you guys are doing from the
retail side of it.
(06:01):
Um, so yeah, no, it's it'samazing um to see what you guys
built.
Now I want to talk about the St.
Charles County community becauseobviously this is something that
takes getting used to the waythat you guys do things there.
So, what are some of those, youknow, the storytelling elements
and maybe some of the, becauseyou see customers a lot.
And I know when you're talkingto the customers about why
things are priced the way theyare and why things are how
they're sourced and all and howit's important.
(06:23):
Have you noticed that like, youknow, one getting people in
there for the first time,educating them, like what's been
some of that feedback that yougot from the community?
SPEAKER_01 (06:30):
Yeah, um, honestly, it's been really great.
Um, actually, probably moreunderstanding of like the price
and the product like than I weinitially thought.
I really thought going intothis, like St.
Charles County is um, you know,you're from there, it was
chains, you know, chainrestaurants, chain grocery
stores for the longest timegrowing up, and there really
(06:52):
wasn't um any kind of niche orcraft food or you know, butcher
shop out there.
Um and so we kind of knew therewas going to be a little bit of
sticker shock and we would haveto be educate our customers when
they come in.
But um, and we still definitelydo that, have to do with that a
lot, but we are it's been moreaccepting than I thought.
People really care um right nowwhere their food is coming from.
(07:15):
Um and it is more prevalent outthere than I think we even
realized, which is a good thingfor us.
But um at the reception has beenreally great.
SPEAKER_05 (07:25):
And what does it mean to like work with these
farmers?
Because you were in therestaurant industry before, but
now you get to like workdirectly with them in a
different way.
So, like, tell can you shout outany of the farms that you guys
work with?
SPEAKER_01 (07:33):
Yeah, yeah.
Um so Price Family Farmers, wewould get all of our beef.
Um, David Price um met himthrough Bolliards.
I worked with him um when Iworked at the last hotel in the
city.
Uh, we were getting uh sides ofbeef there, and he is just um he
is he's a great man.
I mean, just to start with, heis the nicest human being
probably ever met.
(07:54):
Um, and he really cares aboutthe product that he's um
delivering to us, really caresabout us and like our success.
He is fantastic to uh to workwith.
Um and then we get you know,Newman Farms and Sullivan Farms,
we get pork from.
Um they all have um they're alsofantastic to work with.
Um and then Buttonwood Farmswhere we get our all of our
(08:16):
poultry from.
And um they're great as well.
I know they've um even throughall the changes they have gone
through recently, they'vethey've still been fantastic.
SPEAKER_05 (08:25):
And that's like eggs, poultry, stuff like that.
So the pork, turkey, turkeys.
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Um, so what is it like workingtogether?
Because, you know, I started thebusiness with my wife seven
years ago.
We've been working, she she hasanother job now, so she's a
(09:07):
teacher, but we've workedtogether a lot, but now she's
kind of doing it, you know, herown thing.
So what is that like with youguys working together?
Because obviously there'sbenefits to that, but then
there's also, you know, you takework home and it and it causes a
lot of um, it's just differentbecause it's like you're just
especially now when you'reworking on stuff and you're
thinking of business plans,you're like, okay, like put the
kids down to bed, and then it'slike we're working on stuff
(09:28):
instead of just connecting.
Like I think there's really likeit's really fun, but it's really
hard at the same time.
So what is that like for you?
SPEAKER_02 (09:34):
It's crazy because you know, you go into it knowing
that you have only so much timein the day to do everything.
And like you said, like kidlife, married life, business
life, I have a full-time job,like putting it all together, it
can be very overwhelming.
And so when we first started thebusiness, we knew like you know,
we're gonna have to put so muchtime into opening, but we really
(09:54):
didn't know what it would looklike beyond that.
And so there's still obviously alot of time and effort that goes
into all of these things, likeas we're launching the
sandwiches, as we're puttingtogether new marketing material
or XYZ, but you still gotta takecare of the kids, et cetera.
So we've actually just startedkind of putting more ground
rules around how we talk aboutthings because the not being
(10:14):
able to turn it off was justbecoming so draining.
Like after going through a longday, we're both tired, you put
the kids down, and then you talkabout the business, you're not
in the right mindset to likethink clearly, let's just go to
bed next time, yeah, turn onsome some game changer and like
laugh and then wake up early inthe morning, have some coffee,
then we talk about it because itwas just it was becoming too
(10:38):
much after so much time.
So, you know, we're we'refiguring out the business, we're
figuring out how we talk aboutthe business, but like you have
to recognize the signalswhenever like you need to adjust
things because yeah, you're atthe end of the day, you're still
married, you're still a familythat comes first.
So yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:53):
And I think we knew that it was going to be
difficult.
Like we, you know, one thingthat makes us grace we're two
very different people.
You know, I'm kind of thehustler and the doer and not
much of the planner, and she isthe the planner.
So like it's natural for us tobutt heads.
Yeah.
Um, but we're getting better,you know, with time over this
(11:14):
year of like figuring out how tohow to do that.
Live and learn.
Live and learn.
SPEAKER_05 (11:18):
And you talk about like when you're building
something together, it's likethere's just something special
there.
Like, you know, obviously youhave another job and it's it's
you know, it's rewarding, butit's not the same as when it's
like, hey, we're building this,you know, family business
together.
And it's like now you get tosupport the community and you
get to meet other families thatcome and shop with you guys and
meet them and just a differentfeeling.
Like we still we're still asmall business ourselves, and
(11:38):
it's like we talk to businessowners like you guys all the
time, and it's like that's whatexcites us is like, you know,
our business is supporting othersmall businesses, like your
business is supporting thecommunity, but also like these
local farms, you know, and thesefarms do great work around the
around the city, but like you'reintroducing them to people in
St.
Charles where they might nothave known, you know.
And I love how you write thefarm names on there of like
(11:58):
where stuff's from and and getto support people there.
But your food is absolutelyfire.
So we got to talk about the fooda little bit.
So when we went there, you guysgave us a lot of different
stuff.
So one of the things thatsurprised me a lot was the
little sausage links.
I ate those for breakfastbecause you guys gave me like 10
pounds of those.
So I ate those for aboutbreakfast, lunch, and dinner.
I ate those now.
(12:19):
How do you cook those?
Because they come in like alittle wrap.
Explain that to me because I wasconfused a little bit.
SPEAKER_01 (12:24):
Yeah.
So um, so all of our I'mguessing I give you just
breakfast sausage.
Yeah, I remember.
Um so yeah, all of our sausagesum are stuffed in natural
casing.
So it's um, so yeah, the bestway to cook them, um, just start
low and slow.
If you're doing it in a pan,start low.
Yeah.
Um if you go too high, um, theycan your casing can uh can pop,
(12:47):
can that's how you can kind ofthe sausages crack.
Um just start low and then kindof once they're kind of cooked
all the way through, you canturn up the heat to get a good
sear on them.
Yeah.
Um, but yeah, all of our all ofour sausages are um are in uh
natural casings, so no collagencasings.
They're all made in-house umfrom the animals that we bring
in.
Um and we kind of have arotating, uh we have breakfast
(13:10):
sausage most of the time.
Um and then we kind of have arotating, you know, two or three
sausages every week that wemake.
Um we have a long list of themthat uh, you know, that have
become very popular.
SPEAKER_05 (13:20):
Yeah, sorry, that was what I was confused about
because I had the it had thewrap on there, and I'm like, I
guess I'll just cook it in that.
And then I was on high, and thenyeah, it kind of like, you know,
whatever, whatever.
But no, that I was reallysurprised by that.
Um, and then obviously had theribeyes, which were
unbelievable.
I mean, these things were likean inch, an inch like huge.
Um and then the uh pork chop, Ithink was was unbelievable.
(13:41):
Like, you know, typically youget a pork chop from like a
grocery store and it's just alittle thin and it's dry.
Like this pork chop with thelittle fat on the side, like was
my wife doesn't usually eatpork, and she was like, This is
unbelievable.
And like we got like 10 ofthose.
Yeah, and we ate those for along time as well, too.
But like I was really surprised.
I mean, obviously, like ribeyesare ribeyes, but like your
ribeyes are like you mentioned,cut the right way.
(14:02):
You know, but like the pork,like some of the stuff that you
don't think about that you'relike, oh, that's just a pork or
chicken.
It's like it's just different,you know, and it's like the way
that you guys, you guys dothings there.
So, what has the community beengravitating towards?
Is there any certain productthat you guys are starting to
get known by, or is it just kindof whatever's in the case?
SPEAKER_01 (14:18):
Um, I mean, I mean, our biggest sellers are always
gonna be the you know, thestrips rebuys, the the fillets.
Yep.
Um we are, you know, ineducating the customer that you
know we are unique in a sensethat we have many unique cuts
that you won't find at grocerystores.
Um one example is like theDenvers.
Denvers are becoming very, verypopular.
They're kind of the the trendycut um that you can't find that
(14:42):
are rare that people when wehave them in the case, they
don't last long at all.
They're very eye-catching.
They're beautiful marbling.
Beautiful marbling.
Um, you mentioned pork, like thepork chops.
That is one that I think get themost people like people have had
good beef.
They've had gone to a reallynice, you know, restaurant and
gotten a really good, you know,cut of beef.
(15:03):
But like not a lot of people, Ifeel like at least out in the
county, have like had reallygood pork before, it seems like.
Because like most a lot ofpeople are so surprised when
they taste the pork chop andit's cut thicker and so it
doesn't get overcooked when you,you know, um, whenever you cook
it on the grill, um, they'rereally surprised by how
delicious they are.
Yeah, I loved it.
It's a much, much differentexperience eating good pork.
SPEAKER_05 (15:27):
Yeah, no, I I loved it.
And and obviously, like St.
Louis is known for the porksteaks, but like, you know, the
pork chop still deserves somelove too.
That's iconic.
It really does.
Um, and then chicken.
I don't know if I got anychicken last time.
I obviously got some of theeggs, which like Button Wood,
I've had their eggs before.
I mean, they're just different,they're so good.
Um, I'm excited about the delimeat.
So you get the pastrami, theturkey, ham, roast beef.
Um, so these sandwiches you guysare gonna be dropping.
(15:50):
But and before we get into that,I want to ask, because you guys
work in the butcher shop allday.
So, what is your go-to?
What's your bucket list thingthat you like?
If it's let's just say you'recelebrating the new menu and
you're like, all right, I wantto cook something.
I don't how often do you guyscook at home?
SPEAKER_01 (16:04):
Um he's home.
Uh when I'm home, uh yeah.
The few times I'm home, maybeone or two meals a week, but
they're usually quick.
But you're usually at the shop.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (16:11):
He's usually at the shop.
SPEAKER_01 (16:12):
She usually grabs eggs and a bunch of meatballs
and does it.
SPEAKER_02 (16:15):
Yeah, the meatballs are like what my kids ask for
every time I say, What do youwant for dinner?
They say, Meatballs, because themeatballs are so delicious.
So we always grab that when wego in there.
SPEAKER_05 (16:24):
So that's your kids' stuff and they love the eggs.
So easy.
SPEAKER_02 (16:26):
Yeah, the eggs are good.
Um, but no, the meatballs,they're easy because they're
usually in the freezer.
And, you know, I've got somedays where everything's really
busy in the afternoon.
So I just take the meatballs andthrow them in the crock pot.
Okay.
And just let them go, and then Idon't have to do anything.
SPEAKER_05 (16:40):
So we take just eat them up.
Oh, they love it.
SPEAKER_02 (16:42):
And I love it.
So it's a win win.
SPEAKER_05 (16:43):
That's awesome.
So then when you're cooking athome, do you usually like get a
special little cut that you cutand bring it home?
SPEAKER_01 (16:49):
Yeah, I usually, you know, there's end cuts of
different steaks and stuff likethat.
And usually, you know, thebutcher, the butcher cuts I
usually save and you know, bringhome.
That's dinner on Sunday nightand Monday night when I'm home.
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_05 (17:01):
Yeah, that that would be, you know, it's hard
because you talk to restaurantguys all the time, and I have
amazing chefs that come on andthey date the amount that they
actually don't cook at home iscrazy.
Because I'm like, man, like youfeel like I'm like, how lucky is
your partner that you have likea chef in the house?
It's like actually sucks.
Yeah.
So you don't want to go home anddo what you just did for 12
hours.
You just pick something up, youknow, or you know, support
another one of the localrestaurants over there and just
(17:21):
bring it home just because youdon't feel like even doing
dishes or anything.
So that's what we did last.
Um so you know, when you'relooking at, you know, what you
guys, you know, what you guys dofrom a sustainability movement,
because I know that that'simportant with you know the
butcher shop industry.
So can you talk a little bitabout you know how you guys are,
you know, are not trailblazingin that, but how you guys are
(17:44):
following that and like actuallymaking that an important part of
your business?
SPEAKER_01 (17:47):
Yeah, I mean, just using everything that the
animals that we bring in have tooffer.
Um, I think that's um, I mean,the farmers that we use are um
that we get our animals from,um, they care about that.
So we know that all the animalsthat we get are sustainably
raised.
And then our job in that chainis to make sure we use all of
(18:08):
that animal, to make sure thatum as little of it as possible
goes in the trash can.
Um that's you know, sellingtallow, selling lard, um,
getting creative in ways to useum, you know, use everything the
animal has to offer.
Um dog, dog food, dog productshave been a big thing, you know,
using all the bones and the pigears and all that stuff for dog
(18:32):
products just so they don't goto waste has been really great
for us.
SPEAKER_05 (18:35):
Yeah, that's really cool.
So, when did your passion forbutchering come?
Because you you were you were achef, so like were you always
kind of around it, or was therea certain time where you kind of
fell in love with it?
SPEAKER_01 (18:46):
Um I my first interest, I mean, I went to
culinary school at LaColeculinaire that's uh no longer
around anymore.
Um, but I mean we did a butcheryclass in there, and I think
that's when I really like whenwe broke down a hog and you know
for class was like, wow, this isawesome.
Like this is really cool.
Um and that's where adding afterthat class is when I reached out
(19:08):
and I was still in school and Ireached out to the bulliers
like, hey, if you're hiring, andthey weren't for the longest
time.
So I'll text him like everymonth for you know, and until
finally he was like, Yeah, youknow, part-time job.
And so I worked there part-time,and that's when I really was
like, This is badass, this isawesome.
Um didn't know that this wouldbe what we were doing, you know,
what we'd be doing 10, 12 yearslater, but um, that's when I
(19:31):
really thought, like, this isawesome.
You know, I still love you know,loved being a chef and loved
working the line, and there'sstill nothing quite like it,
nothing quite as addicting asworking the hot line on a busy
Saturday night.
But the the everyday just yeah,the hustle of the butcher shop
is I love it.
SPEAKER_05 (19:47):
Yeah, it's good energy in there.
Like it's like, you know, it'sbright, people can, you know,
it's it's chill at some points,it's probably busy at some
points, but it's like it's chillduring the mornings, like when
you can get in there and justlock in and yeah and like
create, you know, a product.
And and really it's like it'sthe most, you know, in my eyes,
like the most organic.
Like, you know, you're bringingthat product in and you're
you're deciding how it's gonnabe cut up, and you're you know,
(20:09):
I mean, I saw you guys goingcrazy and it was awesome.
Like, I got to get into yourfreezer and everything.
It was really cool.
Um, so fine dining, obviously,you know, nothing quite compares
to that.
So, like, how do you ever get toitch that?
Like, I know you guys do someevents and different things like
that and and and stuff likethat.
Do you ever get to get out?
I mean, I guess the sandwicheswill be fun because you get to
get some product out there, butstill, like you mentioned that
(20:29):
fine dining, that's somethingabout plating.
SPEAKER_01 (20:31):
Yeah.
Um, no, not really anymore,honestly.
Um, it's it's been a minute.
Um yeah, it's I really haven'thad the time to get into it.
Um eventually, we don't, youknow, we've talked about like
doing some kind of dinners orsomething like that, but we
right we don't have the spacefor it right now.
We would love to find a spot andyou know, maybe partner with
(20:54):
someone and where we can have aspace to be able to do something
like that.
SPEAKER_05 (20:57):
The STL bucket list show is proudly sponsored by
Suede Dispensary with 11Missouri area locations.
Sway does so much for the St.
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(21:19):
Enjoy the rest of the podcast.
SPEAKER_02 (21:21):
Yeah, all these plans in our mind, they kind of
like are coming in phases.
So, like, first was focused onlike just the butcher part of
it.
We knew the sandwich part wouldcome, and so now we're doing
that.
And then yeah, he's talked aboutclasses or doing dinners, we've
we've talked about doing stuffat like the Field to Table
Institute.
They have like a really coolevent space, and they've
mentioned to him before likecome on out and cook for us for
(21:42):
some events.
So once we kind of have thisnext phase settled, that'll
probably be the next like aphase of things that we we go
into because he has such uhtalent and he is really, really
good at uh putting togethersomething that tastes delicious
and looks amazing at the sametime.
And it's Yeah, I am spoiledMondays and Tuesdays when he
comes home.
(22:02):
And and that's kind of the placewhere it's happening right now,
but we'd love to bring that outmore in like the And you get a
little taste of it with theburger pop-ups.
SPEAKER_05 (22:09):
I know you guys got one coming up on the 29th.
So those like from five toseven, you guys are just out in
the parking lot.
And uh how have those beengoing?
SPEAKER_02 (22:17):
Those have been good.
Really great.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (22:19):
Yeah.
We have uh, you know, we have awe're in a um we're in an
apartment complex.
The prairie apartment complex.
We're on the bottom floor of oneof the apartments.
So we have uh we have a lot ofwe have that community behind us
that um really come everyone ckind of comes down and uh it's a
really good time.
We kind of pull a lot of peoplefrom the apartments and there's
a lot of people just driving bythat see us and roll up and want
(22:42):
a burger and it's kind of becomeuh you know, people come out,
when are you doing the burgersagain?
You know.
Um it's a it's really good likeadvertising, people like just
driving by, like what is what'sgoing on over there?
What's that a big tent, youknow?
Um so yeah, it's been reallygreat.
It's been it's been fun.
SPEAKER_02 (22:57):
Like it's that's where you get like his his like
restaurant itch scratch.
SPEAKER_01 (23:02):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Are you a smash burger guy?
Yeah.
Uh no.
I mean, yeah, I don't mind.
I I prefer uh you know a regularburger than a smash burger, but
I don't like hate them.
I just I would prefer you know aregular burger.
SPEAKER_05 (23:14):
Yeah, no, I get that.
Yeah, the Smash Burger Wave hasbeen like so popular, but then
when you go to get like a pubburger from like a nice
restaurant, like a thick pubburger, like medium well, it's
like it's so good.
Yeah.
Um, you forget because that wasjust like all we had, and then
Smash Burgers came out, and likeeverybody wants the crispiest
Smash Burger, and they're great.
I love them.
Yeah, um, I love burgers, but Ilove burgers, I love fries, like
(23:34):
it's just iconic.
But so with all these eventsthat you guys are doing, you're
also changing some things up inthe shop.
So, like obviously, the same bythe time this podcast episode
comes out, sandwiches are gonnabe live.
So, are those gonna be availableall day?
Yes, yeah, yeah.
So, what are your guys' hoursright now?
SPEAKER_01 (23:50):
Right now we're open um Wednesday through Saturday,
we're open 10 to 6.
Uh, we'll be doing sandwiches uh11 to 6.
So we'll starting at 11 forsandwiches and Sunday we're open
10 till 2.
SPEAKER_02 (24:02):
Um we do open late on Thursdays because you oh
yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_01 (24:06):
Yeah, because our uh delivery.
We open we're open at 11 onThursdays.
Um and then Sundays are open 10till two.
Open sandwiches eleven till twoon Sundays.
SPEAKER_05 (24:14):
Nice, nice.
And then you also have some newretail activations in the in the
shop as well.
So, like what are some of theproducts that you're excited
about?
SPEAKER_02 (24:20):
Yeah, so we kind of have this little section and I'm
hoping that it'll expand, butwe're kind of reaching out to
other local folks that aremaking products in the O'Fallon
or you know Winghaven area andbringing their stuff in the
house as well.
So, for example, we have uhmicro bakery um Needed Nook uh
that is bringing in sourdough.
We have Laney Roasting Companythat's bringing in their coffee
(24:42):
that they roast.
And so these are just like otherpeople that we've met through
the community, whether it's beenlike through social media or the
farmer's market or both.
And we've tried their stuff andbeen like, wow, this is really
delicious.
It'll look really good witheverything else we have going on
in the shop to kind of work withthem.
So why not bring them in on thistoo?
Um, so we'll probably expandthat.
And then I'm kind of on the sidein my I don't know if you call
(25:05):
it free time, but other timeputting together like the tallow
bombs and stuff because we havea lot of tallow.
SPEAKER_05 (25:10):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (25:10):
And so that's just some other fun stuff that we've
got going on uh aside from like.
SPEAKER_05 (25:15):
And you guys are doing like the tallow balm, the
uh the lotion and like thelotions and stuff for kids.
Yeah, I use a baby balm tallowbalm from a guy out in Defiance.
Um yeah, and it it works likecrazy good.
So well, yeah.
It's crazy good, you know, andit's unscented and everything
too.
And I even use some like undermy eyes too and stuff.
(25:35):
It's like it's still the smellstill is there, but like my
wife, I try to get her to use,she's starting to like it.
Yeah, you have to kind of getover like that, and then once
you're like using it, like youput like a little bit on and
it's a long way.
It spreads so far.
Yeah, so you're creating thetallow bombs.
Are you guys gonna do and thenyou guys sell your tallow too
for like cooking and stuff likethat?
Yeah, love to cook in the in thetallow as well.
(25:55):
Um, I got one.
Do you guys do like the garlicone too?
SPEAKER_01 (25:58):
Or do you have a roasted garlic?
Yeah, I have a regular.
SPEAKER_05 (26:00):
I think I grabbed the garlic one when I was there.
Yeah, that one was unbelievable.
That thing like made my housesmell amazing.
SPEAKER_04 (26:04):
Really?
SPEAKER_05 (26:05):
Yes, that's good.
Um, put that in like a cast ironand just like set the whole
house up.
Um, and then so that's a part ofthe you know, using everything
that's there.
Because like a lot of you know,some of these butchers, you
know, they they they'll now it'sso popular, but like at one
point they would just like getrid of it or sell it or you
know, the tallow and stuff likethat.
But now it's so popular, likepeople are like wanting it.
(26:25):
Yeah, um, all these like brandsthat are popping up with it.
And then any other brands, Iknow you guys had the pets.
Um, is there any other thingthat you guys are kind of making
and selling that you know thatyou think is really cool too?
SPEAKER_01 (26:35):
Our like we mentioned the pets.
I do want to shout that.
Like our pet food has actuallybecome um pretty popular.
We've gotten a lot of uh we havelike three or four people now um
that are like you know gettinggetting their monthly pet food.
And we do a lot of like we arevery customizable.
You know, we have our standardlike two and a half pound pack
(26:57):
that we that we sell out of ourfreezer.
Um like people we do a bulkdiscount uh for people that want
to transition their dog onto ourdog food and um and we really
work with them.
We can change the recipe up ifthey want something, um, you
know, slightly differentproducts in the dog food, if
they want different packaging soit fits nicer in the freezer or
if it's you know works betterfor their size dog.
(27:18):
Um that's something we're reallyum we've been really pushing and
gotten a lot of really greatfeedback on.
Um and yeah, really customizingexactly what you know each pet
owner needs.
And they're really passionatetoo.
The pet owners.
Oh yeah, they're verypassionate, which is uh which is
great.
SPEAKER_05 (27:34):
Yeah, spare no cost for the dogs and stuff like
that, you know, and get that.
But yeah, the bones are fun too,and like the stuff.
I just met a guy at the at ourfood truck Friday, he was
selling um some natural productswith dogs, but it was like these
little like this bone that theywould just gnaw on and it would
just eat down the whole thing.
I don't know if it was lower, Idon't know what it was, but it
was something.
It was called three raw houndsthat are out in Eureka.
(27:55):
But um, you know, they wereselling like a bunch of like
high-end stuff, and he andpeople were, you know, buying
it.
I was like, I don't know.
You know, I'm not a dog, I don'thave a dog.
So I'm like, I don't know howpeople like I do that with my
kids though.
Like I buy all these niceproducts.
I think it's comparable like tosome people.
So um now I guess, you know,what is the thing that, you
know, I want to talk about the STale bucket list a little bit.
So you guys actually let's shiftto that because you guys have
(28:17):
you know lived all over St.
Louis.
You obviously lived here inMaplewood.
What are some of those spotswhen you guys do get the chance
to, you know, get out and go eatat local restaurants?
Like, what are some of thosebucket list spots for you guys?
Um, I know it doesn't happen asmuch as it probably used to, you
know, but like when you guys doget a chance, like, you know,
what are some other youmentioned some of the businesses
that are in your store that youguys are now able to support in
(28:38):
the farmers market in Lake St.
Louis is a good opportunity tomeet a lot of those people?
There's some incredibleentrepreneurs there.
SPEAKER_03 (28:42):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (28:42):
But like those date night vibes, so like
anniversary, like what are someof those spots that you guys
love to when you get a chance,you get the babysitter, you go.
Um, does any of any any stickout to you guys?
SPEAKER_02 (28:52):
There's one place that we went to for our
anniversary last year, uhDonatelli's, it's right by our
house, is really good Italianfood and it's like family
friendly, but also like youknow, good for date night.
So we've been there a coupletimes with the family.
We always by ourselves.
SPEAKER_01 (29:06):
We always tend to go Italian.
I mean anytime we're all Italianand anytime we're like for
lunch, we always anytime we'rein the city, we like we still
have to go to pastory.
I've worked there for many.
I've worked there for manyyears, and like she's obsessed
and still wants to do it.
Or the the the pastor.
SPEAKER_05 (29:22):
Yeah, like yeah, yeah, yeah.
Their deli is good too.
They get some good sandbowsthere too.
Yes, they just went super viralonline about their little their
chicken Caesar sandwich.
I saw it not sandwich, but thelittle chicken wrap.
It like went crazy.
Oh, right.
People get lines out the door toget it.
Oh my goodness.
When stuff goes viral on TikTok,it's weird.
Like, people do that's what weneed to do when we come out and
do the menu with you guys.
We need line.
If a line comes out at the doorthe next day, then it works.
SPEAKER_02 (29:42):
Come on, uh yeah, yeah.
That's what we want.
SPEAKER_05 (29:45):
The STL bucket list show is fueled by Upshot Coffee.
My friends at Upshot Coffee havesome of the best beans in town.
I got some of their newpackaging here.
Look at this bag.
How big this is.
Um, they have four St.
Louis locations, their flagshipin Coddleville, the break shop
over by Lindenwood in St.
Charles, their Clayton locationcalled Hi-Fi, um, and then Flyby
(30:07):
over in Tower Grove, theirnewest location.
Um, and they also sell theircoffee online everywhere.
If you guys haven't added UpchotCoffee to your STL bucket list,
it's time to try it.
Some of the my favorite peoplein the industry and some of the
best coffee in the game.
Uh, but yeah, pastoria is yeah,really good.
So I uh you guys know my friendElliot, but we he worked at the
(30:28):
restaurant next door.
What was that called?
I worked with the that's wherewe met with them.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I used to sit right in that.
We'd always get the table rightin the window.
Now it's like the retail, butlike you would get that little
window, and you were surroundedby like four windows, it was
like the best table in therestaurant.
And now that's the deli now.
SPEAKER_01 (30:43):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (30:43):
Um, but that was a that was a really good, a good
restaurant.
I remember that.
But yeah, Gerard does a goodjob.
I mean, there's so many talentedchefs that you know, I was had
been promo on recently.
I mean, there's just peopledoing crazy stuff.
SPEAKER_02 (30:54):
Um it's kind of cool.
Like, I'm not a chef, but I haveseen him make all these
connections and like you know,he started at Sardella.
That was his first, like, youknow, cooking job, and then he
became the sous chef and thenCastella, and then him and
Elliot and Evie, like they allcame together and there were
others too to open the lasthotel.
Then he goes back to Bulliards,helps them open that.
(31:15):
Now Elliot's doing the biscuitjoint.
He's got scouts, and Evie'sdoing stuff with Gerard still,
and he's got the butcher shop.
So, like from an outsider'sperspective, watching all of
this is really cool.
SPEAKER_01 (31:25):
Enoch is Enoch doesn't eat outside.
SPEAKER_02 (31:27):
Enoch has been awesome the whole way, and now
he's got his catering stuff, andyeah, it's amazing from my
perspective to like watch thislike next group of chefs like do
their own.
SPEAKER_05 (31:37):
That happened pretty quick.
I mean, that was only 10 yearsago.
I mean, this might not even havebeen 10 years ago, because I'm
30.
This would have been like sevenyears ago at Sardella, probably.
I think 22, 23.
SPEAKER_02 (31:45):
Ended your culinary school around 10 years ago, your
your program.
So roughly.
SPEAKER_05 (31:50):
Yeah, there's a lot of talented young chefs that are
doing really cool stuff, likethese new concepts, and they're
so creative from a brandingperspective.
And like the biscuit joint, weworked on that when they
launched, and like we've donegreat with that place, crushes,
and and then obviously scouts,and then um the last hotel,
yeah.
I remember because Brandon wasworking there too.
And then we would we would go,and Brandon grew up in Winghaven
too.
And we all lived like I mean,Elliot lived in Darden Prairie,
(32:12):
his parents said we all livedwithin like a block of where you
guys are at right now, so youknow that's really cool too.
But the um the last hotel, Iactually was just I'm working
down on Washab doing somedevelopment content.
They're bringing that back.
It's coming back.
SPEAKER_01 (32:25):
The the hotel is yeah, yeah, it's coming back
open.
SPEAKER_05 (32:27):
Yeah, so it's coming back.
So I don't know, an investorbought it and they're gonna try
to.
Yeah, I don't know if it's gonnabe called The Last Hotel, but
that building is coming back.
SPEAKER_01 (32:34):
But I remember building it is a cool building,
it has a lot of potential, a lotof a lot of good and very bad
memories.
But uh it is a beautiful.
I hope it does well because itis a cool building and cool
concept.
SPEAKER_05 (32:47):
Yeah, the open kitchen was like really awesome.
And then upstairs, likeobviously the pool, like getting
to like get the you know, likefries and a burger up on the
rooftop with those views arejust unbelievable.
So yeah, St.
Louis has so many, you know, andI know that you guys wish that
you probably could get out moreand like go to these places
because it is like seeing it onInstagram is not enough.
Like liking a picture, it's likeI want to get out there and but
it's just phases that you're in,like you're building your
(33:08):
business right now, and it'slike you're so locked in and so
focused on what you're doing.
And like, especially I talk toyou a lot, like you guys are
like from the marketingperspective, like you are doing
everything you can.
Um, and there's still otherstuff that you have to do.
It's like, you know, you canonly post so many times, you can
only spend so many ads anddifferent things and different
things like that.
But it's like it is such agrassroots thing that like
you're gonna wake up in fiveyears and be like, okay, like we
(33:30):
are that butcher shop for wherewe are, you know.
Like when you think of theplaces out there that um like
the Meninos of the world and theuh what's the one on Vivianos
and like all these other likeplaces that are just community
staples that you know, everyparty that I have, every
graduation that I have, you justgrab you know stuff from there.
And and uh, you know, I live inCaudleville, so you you know, I
get to see, you know, up thereall the time and like the
(33:51):
community, how they come around,like these stores and different
things like that.
And that's what you guys aregonna create.
Now that Darden Prairie has likethis more density there of like
more people, like thoseapartments and obviously the
homeowners and the younger waveof homeowners that are moving
into Winghaven and and stufflike that.
And the stuff that thedevelopers are doing there, I
mean, with the the new sugarfire down there is unbelievable.
Yeah, um, the the liquor storethere.
(34:12):
Um, and I don't even know.
I just drove there the other daybecause my parents still live
there, but like right on the onuh is that Highway Inn or Post.
No, it's like the newdevelopment.
They have the dog hospital andthen more apartments going in.
SPEAKER_01 (34:24):
Yeah, yeah, the prairie encore, yeah.
That's like the same developmentthat yeah, they've kind of
sister development.
Yeah, I saw the dog hospital.
I'm like, oh my gosh, this thinglooks sick.
SPEAKER_05 (34:31):
Yeah, it's nice.
Um, so what is it?
Um, I guess now that you guyslive out there, like, I mean,
building the community outthere, like how is how has that
been and like what are what areyou know, obviously you guys are
so for the community now withyour store, but like what what's
that been like for you and likewhat does that mean for you
guys?
SPEAKER_02 (34:46):
It's been exciting to like just it's a small town.
So like we've been uh going outin the community and meeting new
people, making new connections,which is really fun.
And then just being able to hearabout what they're doing and
create these partnerships, youknow, like with who we're
working with in the shop and butsee other businesses and get to
make connections with them aswell, because it can be a little
(35:07):
lonely running a business byyourself.
And so making those connectionsis really helpful just to kind
of have like a support systemaround you and be a support
system for others as well.
Um, but it's really funny, youknow.
We'll wear our quarter butchershirts out and someone will say,
like, oh, I've heard of youguys, and then we find out like
our kids and they're in the sameclass at school, you know.
(35:27):
So it's it's fun making thosenew connections and hearing
people get excited about whatwe're doing because we're
excited about it, obviously, butgetting like that external
validation of yeah, this isreally cool is just really fun.
SPEAKER_01 (35:41):
Yeah, you mentioned like the other businesses, like
really that's that has beencool.
I just meeting, you know,crossroads brewery across the
street with them.
You know, we did a pop-up uhover there a couple weeks ago,
and like they're just greatguys, like they're um they're
just in it to um they have apassion for making beer and to
for hanging out with theirbuddies, you know, and so they
(36:01):
open up this brewery and likethey don't have plans to you
know go retail, whatever, justselling out of their small
little brewery and they're andthey're awesome.
Like they come in all the timeand they want to work with us
and just making thoseconnections, working with Megan,
your you know, your sister orcousin, sorry.
Yeah, um yeah, like all the allthe shops that have gone in next
to us and meeting all them andfiguring out ways that we could
(36:24):
potentially work together, evenif the businesses don't
necessarily, you know, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (36:28):
Like for International Women's Day, I was
like, hey, look at all thesebusinesses, let's talk about
that.
SPEAKER_05 (36:32):
Like all and that community is not used to like
being able to have that manylocal entrepreneurs out there
all in one quarter block,quarter butcher, all in one
quarter block, like wasn't likethe norm there.
I mentioned when before you guyscame on, like when I used to go
to the gas station and I wouldget food out of the corner of
the guy, like that was all wehad at that moment.
So, like giving people options,but with options becomes
(36:53):
competition, and it's like,okay, how do we position
ourselves as a company that thatpeople want to support, you
know?
And it's like, you know, it'syou guys are a high-end butcher
shop.
It's like, okay, how do weprovide a high-end service and
customer service?
And if somebody DMs you guyswith questions, like you're
answering, like literally likethat fast, like you can't get
that.
And that's like no AIautomations, no like technology
(37:13):
can replace like going in andtalking to a butcher shop and
like actually because like thenext time you go in, you get to
you see the same people over andover again.
And that's just like everymonth, it's just building up new
customers, and it's like, okay,how do we take care of our
customers and then how do wesupport our customers as well?
Um, so no, I think you guys havebuilt an awesome business.
I'm glad that we were able to dothe podcast.
And I'm super excited.
(37:34):
Julie and I are gonna have lunchwith you next uh Thursday.
Uh I think around like two orthree.
Um, so you know, we're gonna doanother video.
Hopefully, it goes viral likethe last one did.
That one went kind of crazy.
That one went kind of crazy.
That one went kind of crazy.
So the video I think we'll donext week, and then this podcast
coming out the 20th, and thenthe video come out right before
um, you know, the holiday andstuff like that.
(37:54):
So um should be good momentum.
And um, but yeah, no, I'm superexcited.
And um, thank you guys forcoming on and thank you guys for
spending the time with us today,too.
I appreciate it.
Where can people follow youguys?
And then what's the website thatpeople can look at you guys too?
unknown (38:06):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (38:06):
So the website is the quarterbutcher.com, and we
have a Facebook page, anInstagram page, and I've also
started a TikTok now.
So just at the Quarter Butcher,getting getting everywhere we
can on social media.
But and then if you ever have tocontact us, you can always call
the shop too.
Um they're always Ryan's alwaysthere, always.
SPEAKER_01 (38:25):
If you want to talk to me, come to the shop or call
the shop.
That's where I'll be if you wantto talk to me.
You DM you have a lot of people.
Go to socials for her.
But either way, yeah, we'll uhwe'll go back to the show.
SPEAKER_02 (38:33):
Yeah, we have lots of spots to connect.
SPEAKER_05 (38:35):
Awesome.
Well, thank you guys for comingon today.
Can't come to watch.
It's been great.
St.
Louis, thanks for listening.
Everything we do here is abouttelling the story of this city,
and that doesn't stop with thisshow.
On the Bucketless PodcastNetwork, we're diving even
deeper into the people, places,and moments that make this city
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Meet Me in Music with Neil Salccaptures the sound of the city,
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(38:57):
For my Foodie Lovers, the saucewith Lauren Healy brings you
inside the restaurants thatdefine our culture every
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Explore the full bucket listpodcast network wherever you
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After going through a long day, we're both tired,
you put the kids down, and thenyou talk about the business,
you're not in the right mindsetto like think clearly.
Let's just go to bed next time.
SPEAKER_04 (00:08):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (00:09):
Turn on some game changer and like laugh, and then
wake up early in the morning,have some coffee, then we talk
about it.
SPEAKER_00 (00:21):
If you wanna hear about St.
Louis, tune into the Bucket ListShow Weekly.
Hear what Marissa and Luke say.
It drops every Wednesday.
Got a dope new guest everysingle week.
Buckle up for the ride.
Who's it gonna be?
Who's on the show today?
They rap St.
Louis.
What to do in the loo on a latenight?
(00:43):
I maybe what to do on a datenight.
Yeah.
Bucket list as you covered, thenall what's going on.
What's going on?
They'll give you 18 differentthings to do on 19.
If you need one more to choose,yeah.
The city, city, city is a placewe call home.
A place we call home.
Yeah.
St.
SPEAKER_05 (01:00):
Louis, welcome back to the STL bucket list show.
We're in studio.
Uh, we've recorded over 200episodes highlighting the
people, places, and events thatmake St.
Louis special.
Right here in Maplewood,Missouri, Julia on the Ones and
Twos producing the podcast.
We drop new episodes everyWednesday with local
entrepreneurs.
Uh, we have two of those in thestudio today.
Uh, we have Ryan and Alleny withuh the Quarter Butcher.
(01:22):
Um, we met you guys probably ayear ago now.
It was last summer.
Um, you guys are in my oldhometown in Dardian Prairie.
Um, you guys have an amazingbutcher shop.
It's so unique for that area.
Obviously, St.
Charles County isn't used toseeing what you guys are doing
out there.
So, first, I just want to thankyou guys for coming in the
studio today.
unknown (01:37):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (01:37):
Yeah.
Thanks for having us.
Thanks for having us.
SPEAKER_05 (01:39):
So, the Quarter Butcher, let's start with
letting people know where thename came from and what even
what even prompted you to starta butcher shop in the first
place?
SPEAKER_01 (01:51):
Um, well, we had always wanted to own, you know,
we always wanted to control ourfuture.
We wanted to own a business atsome point.
Uh, I was in the food industryfor 10 years.
Um, and you know, restaurant waskind of the first idea, but we,
you know, then we have kids andrealized the restaurant life
kind of wasn't uh um wasn't mostsuited for kids in the family
(02:14):
life.
So we were like, okay, you know,I worked at Bullyards for
several years and kind oflearned butchery in there and
really kind of fell in love withit and kind of the retail
atmosphere and saw like Chrisand Abby had you know had that
family dynamic and were able todo it.
And we're like, maybe this is aum, you know, more of a retail
setting and staying in the foodlane would be best for us.
(02:36):
So we kind of set on a butchershop.
SPEAKER_05 (02:38):
Um and then what were those conversations like?
Because obviously, like, youknow, starting a butcher shop is
not easy.
So you know, when so when didyou guys first come up with the
idea and then how long did thattake for it to actually come to
fruition?
SPEAKER_02 (02:50):
So we came up with the specific idea to open our
own business probably aroundCOVID.
SPEAKER_05 (02:54):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (02:55):
Because he was still in the restaurant industry at
that point, and COVID just likerocked it.
Like there were hard times.
We had our our first childFebruary of 2020.
And so our life changeddramatically in that time
period, and we were like, okay,let's take a reset look at what
we actually want to do long termand like bring that in.
Why not start now?
So we started putting togetherbusiness plans, decided to sell
(03:17):
our house, you know, down hereand move out towards our family
and where we wanted the businessto ultimately be.
And so we took concrete stepstowards that and started working
towards like the butcher shop.
And the name itself took alittle while to figure out, but
we decided on the quarterbutcher because that represents
the business model that we have,which is bringing in the whole
side of beef and breaking itdown in-house, which is what
(03:40):
makes us different from theother places.
And, you know, grocery storesdon't necessarily have the cuts
of meat that he's able to prepbecause of that whole animal
butcher shop way of doingthings.
SPEAKER_05 (03:49):
Yeah, I've seen it.
I mean, I've obviously got abehind-the-scenes look at what
you guys were doing, and then wegot hooked up with so much food
and so much food.
And I'm excited to be backthere.
I'm excited to go back therenext week to try the actual food
menu because I think that that'swhat brings everything together
is like, you know, one thing tosell, you know, cuts, and then
it's another thing to like takethe extra stuff that you're
creating and then turning thatinto a menu.
(04:11):
So um I know you've been teasingit on the story, but you guys
are dropping this menu.
Is there anything that you guyscan tell us about the menu and
like all the RD that you guyshave been doing to work towards
this and what people can expect?
SPEAKER_01 (04:21):
Yeah.
Um, yeah, we've been doing alot.
We kind of started, um, youknow, we want to use obviously
everything that comes on theanimal and use what we kind of
have in-house.
Um, and we want to makeeverything um, you know,
in-house that we can.
Um, so we kind of soft launch acouple weeks ago with like a
roast beef euro.
Alenny has a is uh is Greek, sowe kind of went the the Greek
(04:44):
route.
Um and so kind of did a softlaunch with just one one
sandwich of roast beef euro.
Um, and then now we're kind ofaccelerating and kind of
expanding it to five differentsandwiches.
We're gonna have a pastrami, um,uh a turkey club, and we'll have
the the roast beef euro, a dip,um, and an Italian beef.
(05:04):
Um we've been a lot of theseproducts and deli meats we've
had, we've had in the case for along time.
We've had different kits, youknow, sandwich kits for
take-home meals um using allthese ingredients, and now we're
just kind of putting it alltogether and gathering the
resources to be able to serve ithot, you know, at the shop.
SPEAKER_05 (05:22):
So when is the menu launching?
SPEAKER_02 (05:24):
Wednesday is the plan.
So by the time this comes out,it will hopefully be fully
launched and everything will beready to go.
Um, we've been, he's been, youknow, putting things together in
the background.
We have a little like familytasting plan tonight to make
sure everything's good.
Nice.
And then we'll have Wednesdayeverything ready to go.
SPEAKER_05 (05:41):
Because you guys have done pop-ups.
Obviously, I I saw you guys atFrankie Martin's, you did the
burger pop-up.
Um, I think that's one of thosethings, and you mentioned Chris
and their team is like, youknow, it's one thing to
experience the menu there, butthen it's like you can also
leave with something too.
And it's like, how do youintroduce people to stuff and
how do you use the whole animal?
And it's like you guys are alsodoing the tallow I saw, you
know, some of the homemade stuffthat you guys are doing from the
retail side of it.
(06:01):
Um, so yeah, no, it's it'samazing um to see what you guys
built.
Now I want to talk about the St.
Charles County community becauseobviously this is something that
takes getting used to the waythat you guys do things there.
So, what are some of those, youknow, the storytelling elements
and maybe some of the, becauseyou see customers a lot.
And I know when you're talkingto the customers about why
things are priced the way theyare and why things are how
they're sourced and all and howit's important.
(06:23):
Have you noticed that like, youknow, one getting people in
there for the first time,educating them, like what's been
some of that feedback that yougot from the community?
SPEAKER_01 (06:30):
Yeah, um, honestly, it's been really great.
Um, actually, probably moreunderstanding of like the price
and the product like than I weinitially thought.
I really thought going intothis, like St.
Charles County is um, you know,you're from there, it was
chains, you know, chainrestaurants, chain grocery
stores for the longest timegrowing up, and there really
(06:52):
wasn't um any kind of niche orcraft food or you know, butcher
shop out there.
Um and so we kind of knew therewas going to be a little bit of
sticker shock and we would haveto be educate our customers when
they come in.
But um, and we still definitelydo that, have to do with that a
lot, but we are it's been moreaccepting than I thought.
People really care um right nowwhere their food is coming from.
(07:15):
Um and it is more prevalent outthere than I think we even
realized, which is a good thingfor us.
But um at the reception has beenreally great.
SPEAKER_05 (07:25):
And what does it mean to like work with these
farmers?
Because you were in therestaurant industry before, but
now you get to like workdirectly with them in a
different way.
So, like, tell can you shout outany of the farms that you guys
work with?
SPEAKER_01 (07:33):
Yeah, yeah.
Um so Price Family Farmers, wewould get all of our beef.
Um, David Price um met himthrough Bolliards.
I worked with him um when Iworked at the last hotel in the
city.
Uh, we were getting uh sides ofbeef there, and he is just um he
is he's a great man.
I mean, just to start with, heis the nicest human being
probably ever met.
(07:54):
Um, and he really cares aboutthe product that he's um
delivering to us, really caresabout us and like our success.
He is fantastic to uh to workwith.
Um and then we get you know,Newman Farms and Sullivan Farms,
we get pork from.
Um they all have um they're alsofantastic to work with.
Um and then Buttonwood Farmswhere we get our all of our
(08:16):
poultry from.
And um they're great as well.
I know they've um even throughall the changes they have gone
through recently, they'vethey've still been fantastic.
SPEAKER_05 (08:25):
And that's like eggs, poultry, stuff like that.
So the pork, turkey, turkeys.
Okay.
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(08:46):
healthcare partner of the STLbucket list show.
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Learn more at their website inthe link in the show notes.
Um, so what is it like workingtogether?
Because, you know, I started thebusiness with my wife seven
years ago.
We've been working, she she hasanother job now, so she's a
(09:07):
teacher, but we've workedtogether a lot, but now she's
kind of doing it, you know, herown thing.
So what is that like with youguys working together?
Because obviously there'sbenefits to that, but then
there's also, you know, you takework home and it and it causes a
lot of um, it's just differentbecause it's like you're just
especially now when you'reworking on stuff and you're
thinking of business plans,you're like, okay, like put the
kids down to bed, and then it'slike we're working on stuff
(09:28):
instead of just connecting.
Like I think there's really likeit's really fun, but it's really
hard at the same time.
So what is that like for you?
SPEAKER_02 (09:34):
It's crazy because you know, you go into it knowing
that you have only so much timein the day to do everything.
And like you said, like kidlife, married life, business
life, I have a full-time job,like putting it all together, it
can be very overwhelming.
And so when we first started thebusiness, we knew like you know,
we're gonna have to put so muchtime into opening, but we really
(09:54):
didn't know what it would looklike beyond that.
And so there's still obviously alot of time and effort that goes
into all of these things, likeas we're launching the
sandwiches, as we're puttingtogether new marketing material
or XYZ, but you still gotta takecare of the kids, et cetera.
So we've actually just startedkind of putting more ground
rules around how we talk aboutthings because the not being
(10:14):
able to turn it off was justbecoming so draining.
Like after going through a longday, we're both tired, you put
the kids down, and then you talkabout the business, you're not
in the right mindset to likethink clearly, let's just go to
bed next time, yeah, turn onsome some game changer and like
laugh and then wake up early inthe morning, have some coffee,
then we talk about it because itwas just it was becoming too
(10:38):
much after so much time.
So, you know, we're we'refiguring out the business, we're
figuring out how we talk aboutthe business, but like you have
to recognize the signalswhenever like you need to adjust
things because yeah, you're atthe end of the day, you're still
married, you're still a familythat comes first.
So yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:53):
And I think we knew that it was going to be
difficult.
Like we, you know, one thingthat makes us grace we're two
very different people.
You know, I'm kind of thehustler and the doer and not
much of the planner, and she isthe the planner.
So like it's natural for us tobutt heads.
Yeah.
Um, but we're getting better,you know, with time over this
(11:14):
year of like figuring out how tohow to do that.
Live and learn.
Live and learn.
SPEAKER_05 (11:18):
And you talk about like when you're building
something together, it's likethere's just something special
there.
Like, you know, obviously youhave another job and it's it's
you know, it's rewarding, butit's not the same as when it's
like, hey, we're building this,you know, family business
together.
And it's like now you get tosupport the community and you
get to meet other families thatcome and shop with you guys and
meet them and just a differentfeeling.
Like we still we're still asmall business ourselves, and
(11:38):
it's like we talk to businessowners like you guys all the
time, and it's like that's whatexcites us is like, you know,
our business is supporting othersmall businesses, like your
business is supporting thecommunity, but also like these
local farms, you know, and thesefarms do great work around the
around the city, but like you'reintroducing them to people in
St.
Charles where they might nothave known, you know.
And I love how you write thefarm names on there of like
(11:58):
where stuff's from and and getto support people there.
But your food is absolutelyfire.
So we got to talk about the fooda little bit.
So when we went there, you guysgave us a lot of different
stuff.
So one of the things thatsurprised me a lot was the
little sausage links.
I ate those for breakfastbecause you guys gave me like 10
pounds of those.
So I ate those for aboutbreakfast, lunch, and dinner.
I ate those now.
(12:19):
How do you cook those?
Because they come in like alittle wrap.
Explain that to me because I wasconfused a little bit.
SPEAKER_01 (12:24):
Yeah.
So um, so all of our I'mguessing I give you just
breakfast sausage.
Yeah, I remember.
Um so yeah, all of our sausagesum are stuffed in natural
casing.
So it's um, so yeah, the bestway to cook them, um, just start
low and slow.
If you're doing it in a pan,start low.
Yeah.
Um if you go too high, um, theycan your casing can uh can pop,
(12:47):
can that's how you can kind ofthe sausages crack.
Um just start low and then kindof once they're kind of cooked
all the way through, you canturn up the heat to get a good
sear on them.
Yeah.
Um, but yeah, all of our all ofour sausages are um are in uh
natural casings, so no collagencasings.
They're all made in-house umfrom the animals that we bring
in.
Um and we kind of have arotating, uh we have breakfast
(13:10):
sausage most of the time.
Um and then we kind of have arotating, you know, two or three
sausages every week that wemake.
Um we have a long list of themthat uh, you know, that have
become very popular.
SPEAKER_05 (13:20):
Yeah, sorry, that was what I was confused about
because I had the it had thewrap on there, and I'm like, I
guess I'll just cook it in that.
And then I was on high, and thenyeah, it kind of like, you know,
whatever, whatever.
But no, that I was reallysurprised by that.
Um, and then obviously had theribeyes, which were
unbelievable.
I mean, these things were likean inch, an inch like huge.
Um and then the uh pork chop, Ithink was was unbelievable.
(13:41):
Like, you know, typically youget a pork chop from like a
grocery store and it's just alittle thin and it's dry.
Like this pork chop with thelittle fat on the side, like was
my wife doesn't usually eatpork, and she was like, This is
unbelievable.
And like we got like 10 ofthose.
Yeah, and we ate those for along time as well, too.
But like I was really surprised.
I mean, obviously, like ribeyesare ribeyes, but like your
ribeyes are like you mentioned,cut the right way.
(14:02):
You know, but like the pork,like some of the stuff that you
don't think about that you'relike, oh, that's just a pork or
chicken.
It's like it's just different,you know, and it's like the way
that you guys, you guys dothings there.
So, what has the community beengravitating towards?
Is there any certain productthat you guys are starting to
get known by, or is it just kindof whatever's in the case?
SPEAKER_01 (14:18):
Um, I mean, I mean, our biggest sellers are always
gonna be the you know, thestrips rebuys, the the fillets.
Yep.
Um we are, you know, ineducating the customer that you
know we are unique in a sensethat we have many unique cuts
that you won't find at grocerystores.
Um one example is like theDenvers.
Denvers are becoming very, verypopular.
They're kind of the the trendycut um that you can't find that
(14:42):
are rare that people when wehave them in the case, they
don't last long at all.
They're very eye-catching.
They're beautiful marbling.
Beautiful marbling.
Um, you mentioned pork, like thepork chops.
That is one that I think get themost people like people have had
good beef.
They've had gone to a reallynice, you know, restaurant and
gotten a really good, you know,cut of beef.
(15:03):
But like not a lot of people, Ifeel like at least out in the
county, have like had reallygood pork before, it seems like.
Because like most a lot ofpeople are so surprised when
they taste the pork chop andit's cut thicker and so it
doesn't get overcooked when you,you know, um, whenever you cook
it on the grill, um, they'rereally surprised by how
delicious they are.
Yeah, I loved it.
It's a much, much differentexperience eating good pork.
SPEAKER_05 (15:27):
Yeah, no, I I loved it.
And and obviously, like St.
Louis is known for the porksteaks, but like, you know, the
pork chop still deserves somelove too.
That's iconic.
It really does.
Um, and then chicken.
I don't know if I got anychicken last time.
I obviously got some of theeggs, which like Button Wood,
I've had their eggs before.
I mean, they're just different,they're so good.
Um, I'm excited about the delimeat.
So you get the pastrami, theturkey, ham, roast beef.
Um, so these sandwiches you guysare gonna be dropping.
(15:50):
But and before we get into that,I want to ask, because you guys
work in the butcher shop allday.
So, what is your go-to?
What's your bucket list thingthat you like?
If it's let's just say you'recelebrating the new menu and
you're like, all right, I wantto cook something.
I don't how often do you guyscook at home?
SPEAKER_01 (16:04):
Um he's home.
Uh when I'm home, uh yeah.
The few times I'm home, maybeone or two meals a week, but
they're usually quick.
But you're usually at the shop.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (16:11):
He's usually at the shop.
SPEAKER_01 (16:12):
She usually grabs eggs and a bunch of meatballs
and does it.
SPEAKER_02 (16:15):
Yeah, the meatballs are like what my kids ask for
every time I say, What do youwant for dinner?
They say, Meatballs, because themeatballs are so delicious.
So we always grab that when wego in there.
SPEAKER_05 (16:24):
So that's your kids' stuff and they love the eggs.
So easy.
SPEAKER_02 (16:26):
Yeah, the eggs are good.
Um, but no, the meatballs,they're easy because they're
usually in the freezer.
And, you know, I've got somedays where everything's really
busy in the afternoon.
So I just take the meatballs andthrow them in the crock pot.
Okay.
And just let them go, and then Idon't have to do anything.
SPEAKER_05 (16:40):
So we take just eat them up.
Oh, they love it.
SPEAKER_02 (16:42):
And I love it.
So it's a win win.
SPEAKER_05 (16:43):
That's awesome.
So then when you're cooking athome, do you usually like get a
special little cut that you cutand bring it home?
SPEAKER_01 (16:49):
Yeah, I usually, you know, there's end cuts of
different steaks and stuff likethat.
And usually, you know, thebutcher, the butcher cuts I
usually save and you know, bringhome.
That's dinner on Sunday nightand Monday night when I'm home.
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_05 (17:01):
Yeah, that that would be, you know, it's hard
because you talk to restaurantguys all the time, and I have
amazing chefs that come on andthey date the amount that they
actually don't cook at home iscrazy.
Because I'm like, man, like youfeel like I'm like, how lucky is
your partner that you have likea chef in the house?
It's like actually sucks.
Yeah.
So you don't want to go home anddo what you just did for 12
hours.
You just pick something up, youknow, or you know, support
another one of the localrestaurants over there and just
(17:21):
bring it home just because youdon't feel like even doing
dishes or anything.
So that's what we did last.
Um so you know, when you'relooking at, you know, what you
guys, you know, what you guys dofrom a sustainability movement,
because I know that that'simportant with you know the
butcher shop industry.
So can you talk a little bitabout you know how you guys are,
you know, are not trailblazingin that, but how you guys are
(17:44):
following that and like actuallymaking that an important part of
your business?
SPEAKER_01 (17:47):
Yeah, I mean, just using everything that the
animals that we bring in have tooffer.
Um, I think that's um, I mean,the farmers that we use are um
that we get our animals from,um, they care about that.
So we know that all the animalsthat we get are sustainably
raised.
And then our job in that chainis to make sure we use all of
(18:08):
that animal, to make sure thatum as little of it as possible
goes in the trash can.
Um that's you know, sellingtallow, selling lard, um,
getting creative in ways to useum, you know, use everything the
animal has to offer.
Um dog, dog food, dog productshave been a big thing, you know,
using all the bones and the pigears and all that stuff for dog
(18:32):
products just so they don't goto waste has been really great
for us.
SPEAKER_05 (18:35):
Yeah, that's really cool.
So, when did your passion forbutchering come?
Because you you were you were achef, so like were you always
kind of around it, or was therea certain time where you kind of
fell in love with it?
SPEAKER_01 (18:46):
Um I my first interest, I mean, I went to
culinary school at LaColeculinaire that's uh no longer
around anymore.
Um, but I mean we did a butcheryclass in there, and I think
that's when I really like whenwe broke down a hog and you know
for class was like, wow, this isawesome.
Like this is really cool.
Um and that's where adding afterthat class is when I reached out
(19:08):
and I was still in school and Ireached out to the bulliers
like, hey, if you're hiring, andthey weren't for the longest
time.
So I'll text him like everymonth for you know, and until
finally he was like, Yeah, youknow, part-time job.
And so I worked there part-time,and that's when I really was
like, This is badass, this isawesome.
Um didn't know that this wouldbe what we were doing, you know,
what we'd be doing 10, 12 yearslater, but um, that's when I
(19:31):
really thought, like, this isawesome.
You know, I still love you know,loved being a chef and loved
working the line, and there'sstill nothing quite like it,
nothing quite as addicting asworking the hot line on a busy
Saturday night.
But the the everyday just yeah,the hustle of the butcher shop
is I love it.
SPEAKER_05 (19:47):
Yeah, it's good energy in there.
Like it's like, you know, it'sbright, people can, you know,
it's it's chill at some points,it's probably busy at some
points, but it's like it's chillduring the mornings, like when
you can get in there and justlock in and yeah and like
create, you know, a product.
And and really it's like it'sthe most, you know, in my eyes,
like the most organic.
Like, you know, you're bringingthat product in and you're
you're deciding how it's gonnabe cut up, and you're you know,
(20:09):
I mean, I saw you guys goingcrazy and it was awesome.
Like, I got to get into yourfreezer and everything.
It was really cool.
Um, so fine dining, obviously,you know, nothing quite compares
to that.
So, like, how do you ever get toitch that?
Like, I know you guys do someevents and different things like
that and and and stuff likethat.
Do you ever get to get out?
I mean, I guess the sandwicheswill be fun because you get to
get some product out there, butstill, like you mentioned that
(20:29):
fine dining, that's somethingabout plating.
SPEAKER_01 (20:31):
Yeah.
Um, no, not really anymore,honestly.
Um, it's it's been a minute.
Um yeah, it's I really haven'thad the time to get into it.
Um eventually, we don't, youknow, we've talked about like
doing some kind of dinners orsomething like that, but we
right we don't have the spacefor it right now.
We would love to find a spot andyou know, maybe partner with
(20:54):
someone and where we can have aspace to be able to do something
like that.
SPEAKER_05 (20:57):
The STL bucket list show is proudly sponsored by
Suede Dispensary with 11Missouri area locations.
Sway does so much for the St.
Louis community.
We've been working with thisteam for a couple years back
since Medical was here, andwe're excited to support their
new product launches, events,and community initiatives.
We couldn't be happier to workwith this premier cannabis
brand, and we're excited forthem to sponsor the show.
(21:19):
Enjoy the rest of the podcast.
SPEAKER_02 (21:21):
Yeah, all these plans in our mind, they kind of
like are coming in phases.
So, like, first was focused onlike just the butcher part of
it.
We knew the sandwich part wouldcome, and so now we're doing
that.
And then yeah, he's talked aboutclasses or doing dinners, we've
we've talked about doing stuffat like the Field to Table
Institute.
They have like a really coolevent space, and they've
mentioned to him before likecome on out and cook for us for
(21:42):
some events.
So once we kind of have thisnext phase settled, that'll
probably be the next like aphase of things that we we go
into because he has such uhtalent and he is really, really
good at uh putting togethersomething that tastes delicious
and looks amazing at the sametime.
And it's Yeah, I am spoiledMondays and Tuesdays when he
comes home.
(22:02):
And and that's kind of the placewhere it's happening right now,
but we'd love to bring that outmore in like the And you get a
little taste of it with theburger pop-ups.
SPEAKER_05 (22:09):
I know you guys got one coming up on the 29th.
So those like from five toseven, you guys are just out in
the parking lot.
And uh how have those beengoing?
SPEAKER_02 (22:17):
Those have been good.
Really great.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (22:19):
Yeah.
We have uh, you know, we have awe're in a um we're in an
apartment complex.
The prairie apartment complex.
We're on the bottom floor of oneof the apartments.
So we have uh we have a lot ofwe have that community behind us
that um really come everyone ckind of comes down and uh it's a
really good time.
We kind of pull a lot of peoplefrom the apartments and there's
a lot of people just driving bythat see us and roll up and want
(22:42):
a burger and it's kind of becomeuh you know, people come out,
when are you doing the burgersagain?
You know.
Um it's a it's really good likeadvertising, people like just
driving by, like what is what'sgoing on over there?
What's that a big tent, youknow?
Um so yeah, it's been reallygreat.
It's been it's been fun.
SPEAKER_02 (22:57):
Like it's that's where you get like his his like
restaurant itch scratch.
SPEAKER_01 (23:02):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Are you a smash burger guy?
Yeah.
Uh no.
I mean, yeah, I don't mind.
I I prefer uh you know a regularburger than a smash burger, but
I don't like hate them.
I just I would prefer you know aregular burger.
SPEAKER_05 (23:14):
Yeah, no, I get that.
Yeah, the Smash Burger Wave hasbeen like so popular, but then
when you go to get like a pubburger from like a nice
restaurant, like a thick pubburger, like medium well, it's
like it's so good.
Yeah.
Um, you forget because that wasjust like all we had, and then
Smash Burgers came out, and likeeverybody wants the crispiest
Smash Burger, and they're great.
I love them.
Yeah, um, I love burgers, but Ilove burgers, I love fries, like
(23:34):
it's just iconic.
But so with all these eventsthat you guys are doing, you're
also changing some things up inthe shop.
So, like obviously, the same bythe time this podcast episode
comes out, sandwiches are gonnabe live.
So, are those gonna be availableall day?
Yes, yeah, yeah.
So, what are your guys' hoursright now?
SPEAKER_01 (23:50):
Right now we're open um Wednesday through Saturday,
we're open 10 to 6.
Uh, we'll be doing sandwiches uh11 to 6.
So we'll starting at 11 forsandwiches and Sunday we're open
10 till 2.
SPEAKER_02 (24:02):
Um we do open late on Thursdays because you oh
yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_01 (24:06):
Yeah, because our uh delivery.
We open we're open at 11 onThursdays.
Um and then Sundays are open 10till two.
Open sandwiches eleven till twoon Sundays.
SPEAKER_05 (24:14):
Nice, nice.
And then you also have some newretail activations in the in the
shop as well.
So, like what are some of theproducts that you're excited
about?
SPEAKER_02 (24:20):
Yeah, so we kind of have this little section and I'm
hoping that it'll expand, butwe're kind of reaching out to
other local folks that aremaking products in the O'Fallon
or you know Winghaven area andbringing their stuff in the
house as well.
So, for example, we have uhmicro bakery um Needed Nook uh
that is bringing in sourdough.
We have Laney Roasting Companythat's bringing in their coffee
(24:42):
that they roast.
And so these are just like otherpeople that we've met through
the community, whether it's beenlike through social media or the
farmer's market or both.
And we've tried their stuff andbeen like, wow, this is really
delicious.
It'll look really good witheverything else we have going on
in the shop to kind of work withthem.
So why not bring them in on thistoo?
Um, so we'll probably expandthat.
And then I'm kind of on the sidein my I don't know if you call
(25:05):
it free time, but other timeputting together like the tallow
bombs and stuff because we havea lot of tallow.
SPEAKER_05 (25:10):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (25:10):
And so that's just some other fun stuff that we've
got going on uh aside from like.
SPEAKER_05 (25:15):
And you guys are doing like the tallow balm, the
uh the lotion and like thelotions and stuff for kids.
Yeah, I use a baby balm tallowbalm from a guy out in Defiance.
Um yeah, and it it works likecrazy good.
So well, yeah.
It's crazy good, you know, andit's unscented and everything
too.
And I even use some like undermy eyes too and stuff.
(25:35):
It's like it's still the smellstill is there, but like my
wife, I try to get her to use,she's starting to like it.
Yeah, you have to kind of getover like that, and then once
you're like using it, like youput like a little bit on and
it's a long way.
It spreads so far.
Yeah, so you're creating thetallow bombs.
Are you guys gonna do and thenyou guys sell your tallow too
for like cooking and stuff likethat?
Yeah, love to cook in the in thetallow as well.
(25:55):
Um, I got one.
Do you guys do like the garlicone too?
SPEAKER_01 (25:58):
Or do you have a roasted garlic?
Yeah, I have a regular.
SPEAKER_05 (26:00):
I think I grabbed the garlic one when I was there.
Yeah, that one was unbelievable.
That thing like made my housesmell amazing.
SPEAKER_04 (26:04):
Really?
SPEAKER_05 (26:05):
Yes, that's good.
Um, put that in like a cast ironand just like set the whole
house up.
Um, and then so that's a part ofthe you know, using everything
that's there.
Because like a lot of you know,some of these butchers, you
know, they they they'll now it'sso popular, but like at one
point they would just like getrid of it or sell it or you
know, the tallow and stuff likethat.
But now it's so popular, likepeople are like wanting it.
(26:25):
Yeah, um, all these like brandsthat are popping up with it.
And then any other brands, Iknow you guys had the pets.
Um, is there any other thingthat you guys are kind of making
and selling that you know thatyou think is really cool too?
SPEAKER_01 (26:35):
Our like we mentioned the pets.
I do want to shout that.
Like our pet food has actuallybecome um pretty popular.
We've gotten a lot of uh we havelike three or four people now um
that are like you know gettinggetting their monthly pet food.
And we do a lot of like we arevery customizable.
You know, we have our standardlike two and a half pound pack
(26:57):
that we that we sell out of ourfreezer.
Um like people we do a bulkdiscount uh for people that want
to transition their dog onto ourdog food and um and we really
work with them.
We can change the recipe up ifthey want something, um, you
know, slightly differentproducts in the dog food, if
they want different packaging soit fits nicer in the freezer or
if it's you know works betterfor their size dog.
(27:18):
Um that's something we're reallyum we've been really pushing and
gotten a lot of really greatfeedback on.
Um and yeah, really customizingexactly what you know each pet
owner needs.
And they're really passionatetoo.
The pet owners.
Oh yeah, they're verypassionate, which is uh which is
great.
SPEAKER_05 (27:34):
Yeah, spare no cost for the dogs and stuff like
that, you know, and get that.
But yeah, the bones are fun too,and like the stuff.
I just met a guy at the at ourfood truck Friday, he was
selling um some natural productswith dogs, but it was like these
little like this bone that theywould just gnaw on and it would
just eat down the whole thing.
I don't know if it was lower, Idon't know what it was, but it
was something.
It was called three raw houndsthat are out in Eureka.
(27:55):
But um, you know, they wereselling like a bunch of like
high-end stuff, and he andpeople were, you know, buying
it.
I was like, I don't know.
You know, I'm not a dog, I don'thave a dog.
So I'm like, I don't know howpeople like I do that with my
kids though.
Like I buy all these niceproducts.
I think it's comparable like tosome people.
So um now I guess, you know,what is the thing that, you
know, I want to talk about the STale bucket list a little bit.
So you guys actually let's shiftto that because you guys have
(28:17):
you know lived all over St.
Louis.
You obviously lived here inMaplewood.
What are some of those spotswhen you guys do get the chance
to, you know, get out and go eatat local restaurants?
Like, what are some of thosebucket list spots for you guys?
Um, I know it doesn't happen asmuch as it probably used to, you
know, but like when you guys doget a chance, like, you know,
what are some other youmentioned some of the businesses
that are in your store that youguys are now able to support in
(28:38):
the farmers market in Lake St.
Louis is a good opportunity tomeet a lot of those people?
There's some incredibleentrepreneurs there.
SPEAKER_03 (28:42):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (28:42):
But like those date night vibes, so like
anniversary, like what are someof those spots that you guys
love to when you get a chance,you get the babysitter, you go.
Um, does any of any any stickout to you guys?
SPEAKER_02 (28:52):
There's one place that we went to for our
anniversary last year, uhDonatelli's, it's right by our
house, is really good Italianfood and it's like family
friendly, but also like youknow, good for date night.
So we've been there a coupletimes with the family.
We always by ourselves.
SPEAKER_01 (29:06):
We always tend to go Italian.
I mean anytime we're all Italianand anytime we're like for
lunch, we always anytime we'rein the city, we like we still
have to go to pastory.
I've worked there for many.
I've worked there for manyyears, and like she's obsessed
and still wants to do it.
Or the the the pastor.
SPEAKER_05 (29:22):
Yeah, like yeah, yeah, yeah.
Their deli is good too.
They get some good sandbowsthere too.
Yes, they just went super viralonline about their little their
chicken Caesar sandwich.
I saw it not sandwich, but thelittle chicken wrap.
It like went crazy.
Oh, right.
People get lines out the door toget it.
Oh my goodness.
When stuff goes viral on TikTok,it's weird.
Like, people do that's what weneed to do when we come out and
do the menu with you guys.
We need line.
If a line comes out at the doorthe next day, then it works.
SPEAKER_02 (29:42):
Come on, uh yeah, yeah.
That's what we want.
SPEAKER_05 (29:45):
The STL bucket list show is fueled by Upshot Coffee.
My friends at Upshot Coffee havesome of the best beans in town.
I got some of their newpackaging here.
Look at this bag.
How big this is.
Um, they have four St.
Louis locations, their flagshipin Coddleville, the break shop
over by Lindenwood in St.
Charles, their Clayton locationcalled Hi-Fi, um, and then Flyby
(30:07):
over in Tower Grove, theirnewest location.
Um, and they also sell theircoffee online everywhere.
If you guys haven't added UpchotCoffee to your STL bucket list,
it's time to try it.
Some of the my favorite peoplein the industry and some of the
best coffee in the game.
Uh, but yeah, pastoria is yeah,really good.
So I uh you guys know my friendElliot, but we he worked at the
(30:28):
restaurant next door.
What was that called?
I worked with the that's wherewe met with them.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I used to sit right in that.
We'd always get the table rightin the window.
Now it's like the retail, butlike you would get that little
window, and you were surroundedby like four windows, it was
like the best table in therestaurant.
And now that's the deli now.
SPEAKER_01 (30:43):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (30:43):
Um, but that was a that was a really good, a good
restaurant.
I remember that.
But yeah, Gerard does a goodjob.
I mean, there's so many talentedchefs that you know, I was had
been promo on recently.
I mean, there's just peopledoing crazy stuff.
SPEAKER_02 (30:54):
Um it's kind of cool.
Like, I'm not a chef, but I haveseen him make all these
connections and like you know,he started at Sardella.
That was his first, like, youknow, cooking job, and then he
became the sous chef and thenCastella, and then him and
Elliot and Evie, like they allcame together and there were
others too to open the lasthotel.
Then he goes back to Bulliards,helps them open that.
(31:15):
Now Elliot's doing the biscuitjoint.
He's got scouts, and Evie'sdoing stuff with Gerard still,
and he's got the butcher shop.
So, like from an outsider'sperspective, watching all of
this is really cool.
SPEAKER_01 (31:25):
Enoch is Enoch doesn't eat outside.
SPEAKER_02 (31:27):
Enoch has been awesome the whole way, and now
he's got his catering stuff, andyeah, it's amazing from my
perspective to like watch thislike next group of chefs like do
their own.
SPEAKER_05 (31:37):
That happened pretty quick.
I mean, that was only 10 yearsago.
I mean, this might not even havebeen 10 years ago, because I'm
30.
This would have been like sevenyears ago at Sardella, probably.
I think 22, 23.
SPEAKER_02 (31:45):
Ended your culinary school around 10 years ago, your
your program.
So roughly.
SPEAKER_05 (31:50):
Yeah, there's a lot of talented young chefs that are
doing really cool stuff, likethese new concepts, and they're
so creative from a brandingperspective.
And like the biscuit joint, weworked on that when they
launched, and like we've donegreat with that place, crushes,
and and then obviously scouts,and then um the last hotel,
yeah.
I remember because Brandon wasworking there too.
And then we would we would go,and Brandon grew up in Winghaven
too.
And we all lived like I mean,Elliot lived in Darden Prairie,
(32:12):
his parents said we all livedwithin like a block of where you
guys are at right now, so youknow that's really cool too.
But the um the last hotel, Iactually was just I'm working
down on Washab doing somedevelopment content.
They're bringing that back.
It's coming back.
SPEAKER_01 (32:25):
The the hotel is yeah, yeah, it's coming back
open.
SPEAKER_05 (32:27):
Yeah, so it's coming back.
So I don't know, an investorbought it and they're gonna try
to.
Yeah, I don't know if it's gonnabe called The Last Hotel, but
that building is coming back.
SPEAKER_01 (32:34):
But I remember building it is a cool building,
it has a lot of potential, a lotof a lot of good and very bad
memories.
But uh it is a beautiful.
I hope it does well because itis a cool building and cool
concept.
SPEAKER_05 (32:47):
Yeah, the open kitchen was like really awesome.
And then upstairs, likeobviously the pool, like getting
to like get the you know, likefries and a burger up on the
rooftop with those views arejust unbelievable.
So yeah, St.
Louis has so many, you know, andI know that you guys wish that
you probably could get out moreand like go to these places
because it is like seeing it onInstagram is not enough.
Like liking a picture, it's likeI want to get out there and but
it's just phases that you're in,like you're building your
(33:08):
business right now, and it'slike you're so locked in and so
focused on what you're doing.
And like, especially I talk toyou a lot, like you guys are
like from the marketingperspective, like you are doing
everything you can.
Um, and there's still otherstuff that you have to do.
It's like, you know, you canonly post so many times, you can
only spend so many ads anddifferent things and different
things like that.
But it's like it is such agrassroots thing that like
you're gonna wake up in fiveyears and be like, okay, like we
(33:30):
are that butcher shop for wherewe are, you know.
Like when you think of theplaces out there that um like
the Meninos of the world and theuh what's the one on Vivianos
and like all these other likeplaces that are just community
staples that you know, everyparty that I have, every
graduation that I have, you justgrab you know stuff from there.
And and uh, you know, I live inCaudleville, so you you know, I
get to see, you know, up thereall the time and like the
(33:51):
community, how they come around,like these stores and different
things like that.
And that's what you guys aregonna create.
Now that Darden Prairie has likethis more density there of like
more people, like thoseapartments and obviously the
homeowners and the younger waveof homeowners that are moving
into Winghaven and and stufflike that.
And the stuff that thedevelopers are doing there, I
mean, with the the new sugarfire down there is unbelievable.
Yeah, um, the the liquor storethere.
(34:12):
Um, and I don't even know.
I just drove there the other daybecause my parents still live
there, but like right on the onuh is that Highway Inn or Post.
No, it's like the newdevelopment.
They have the dog hospital andthen more apartments going in.
SPEAKER_01 (34:24):
Yeah, yeah, the prairie encore, yeah.
That's like the same developmentthat yeah, they've kind of
sister development.
Yeah, I saw the dog hospital.
I'm like, oh my gosh, this thinglooks sick.
SPEAKER_05 (34:31):
Yeah, it's nice.
Um, so what is it?
Um, I guess now that you guyslive out there, like, I mean,
building the community outthere, like how is how has that
been and like what are what areyou know, obviously you guys are
so for the community now withyour store, but like what what's
that been like for you and likewhat does that mean for you
guys?
SPEAKER_02 (34:46):
It's been exciting to like just it's a small town.
So like we've been uh going outin the community and meeting new
people, making new connections,which is really fun.
And then just being able to hearabout what they're doing and
create these partnerships, youknow, like with who we're
working with in the shop and butsee other businesses and get to
make connections with them aswell, because it can be a little
(35:07):
lonely running a business byyourself.
And so making those connectionsis really helpful just to kind
of have like a support systemaround you and be a support
system for others as well.
Um, but it's really funny, youknow.
We'll wear our quarter butchershirts out and someone will say,
like, oh, I've heard of youguys, and then we find out like
our kids and they're in the sameclass at school, you know.
(35:27):
So it's it's fun making thosenew connections and hearing
people get excited about whatwe're doing because we're
excited about it, obviously, butgetting like that external
validation of yeah, this isreally cool is just really fun.
SPEAKER_01 (35:41):
Yeah, you mentioned like the other businesses, like
really that's that has beencool.
I just meeting, you know,crossroads brewery across the
street with them.
You know, we did a pop-up uhover there a couple weeks ago,
and like they're just greatguys, like they're um they're
just in it to um they have apassion for making beer and to
for hanging out with theirbuddies, you know, and so they
(36:01):
open up this brewery and likethey don't have plans to you
know go retail, whatever, justselling out of their small
little brewery and they're andthey're awesome.
Like they come in all the timeand they want to work with us
and just making thoseconnections, working with Megan,
your you know, your sister orcousin, sorry.
Yeah, um yeah, like all the allthe shops that have gone in next
to us and meeting all them andfiguring out ways that we could
(36:24):
potentially work together, evenif the businesses don't
necessarily, you know, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (36:28):
Like for International Women's Day, I was
like, hey, look at all thesebusinesses, let's talk about
that.
SPEAKER_05 (36:32):
Like all and that community is not used to like
being able to have that manylocal entrepreneurs out there
all in one quarter block,quarter butcher, all in one
quarter block, like wasn't likethe norm there.
I mentioned when before you guyscame on, like when I used to go
to the gas station and I wouldget food out of the corner of
the guy, like that was all wehad at that moment.
So, like giving people options,but with options becomes
(36:53):
competition, and it's like,okay, how do we position
ourselves as a company that thatpeople want to support, you
know?
And it's like, you know, it'syou guys are a high-end butcher
shop.
It's like, okay, how do weprovide a high-end service and
customer service?
And if somebody DMs you guyswith questions, like you're
answering, like literally likethat fast, like you can't get
that.
And that's like no AIautomations, no like technology
(37:13):
can replace like going in andtalking to a butcher shop and
like actually because like thenext time you go in, you get to
you see the same people over andover again.
And that's just like everymonth, it's just building up new
customers, and it's like, okay,how do we take care of our
customers and then how do wesupport our customers as well?
Um, so no, I think you guys havebuilt an awesome business.
I'm glad that we were able to dothe podcast.
And I'm super excited.
(37:34):
Julie and I are gonna have lunchwith you next uh Thursday.
Uh I think around like two orthree.
Um, so you know, we're gonna doanother video.
Hopefully, it goes viral likethe last one did.
That one went kind of crazy.
That one went kind of crazy.
That one went kind of crazy.
So the video I think we'll donext week, and then this podcast
coming out the 20th, and thenthe video come out right before
um, you know, the holiday andstuff like that.
(37:54):
So um should be good momentum.
And um, but yeah, no, I'm superexcited.
And um, thank you guys forcoming on and thank you guys for
spending the time with us today,too.
I appreciate it.
Where can people follow youguys?
And then what's the website thatpeople can look at you guys too?
unknown (38:06):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (38:06):
So the website is the quarterbutcher.com, and we
have a Facebook page, anInstagram page, and I've also
started a TikTok now.
So just at the Quarter Butcher,getting getting everywhere we
can on social media.
But and then if you ever have tocontact us, you can always call
the shop too.
Um they're always Ryan's alwaysthere, always.
SPEAKER_01 (38:25):
If you want to talk to me, come to the shop or call
the shop.
That's where I'll be if you wantto talk to me.
You DM you have a lot of people.
Go to socials for her.
But either way, yeah, we'll uhwe'll go back to the show.
SPEAKER_02 (38:33):
Yeah, we have lots of spots to connect.
SPEAKER_05 (38:35):
Awesome.
Well, thank you guys for comingon today.
Can't come to watch.
It's been great.
St.
Louis, thanks for listening.
Everything we do here is abouttelling the story of this city,
and that doesn't stop with thisshow.
On the Bucketless PodcastNetwork, we're diving even
deeper into the people, places,and moments that make this city
what it is.
Meet Me in Music with Neil Salccaptures the sound of the city,
past and present, ending eachepisode with a live performance.
(38:57):
For my Foodie Lovers, the saucewith Lauren Healy brings you
inside the restaurants thatdefine our culture every
Tuesday.
Gateway to Growth with JamalCornelius highlights the stories
behind the people that make St.
Louis work.
And every Thursday, Bryce breaksdown your weekend with This Week
in St.
Louis.
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