Clifton Park is a little meatier with the opening of a new butcher shop, The Meat House, in Clifton Park Center. The franchise, with stores in eight other states, is locally owned by Keven Wickert and Eric Jackson, who also operate another one in Wilton that opened last year.
The Meat House’s distinct offering of exotic meats like alligator tail, wild boar, ostrich, buffalo and venison may seem like it’s most unique characteristic, but there’s something else about the franchise that attracted its owners.
We both owned businesses that were very focused on customer service and this is very community based; those were the things that really attracted us to The Meat House, said Jackson. `[The franchise] is always giving back to the community and we sponsor quite a few events, as well as little league teams. A lot of the business is community driven and that was one of the things that Kevin and I really liked.`
Wickert and Jackson met as baseball coaches for their kids. They both owned businesses and decided to go into a venture together. They almost got involved with an independent retailer, but it fell through, so they ended up stumbling across The Meat House concept by accident.
`One of Kevin’s friends was driving through New Hampshire and ran across a Meat House. He said we might want to look into it and [those owners] invited us to take a look,` said Jackson. `We really liked what we saw, did all our checking, looked at the numbers and were able to bring it to Saratoga.`
Bringing The Meat House to Saratoga meant not only offering area meat lovers a diverse selection of both traditional butcher shop products, like Boar’s Head brand, or obscure meats for the more adventurous palettes, it also brought a customer service plan Jackson believes is unmatched in this region.
`We want to have that nostalgic feel that customers used to experience back in the past, that’s what we strive for and that’s what sets us apart from just about any other place. I don’t care if it’s a grocery store or car dealership, any atmosphere you go into, I feel our customer service is second to none and that’s really one of the foundations that The Meat House was built on,` said Jackson. `We offer superior products and superior customer service to each and every customer that walks through our doors. Some days it’s more challenging than others. On the weekends we really try to staff up so we’re always trying to do a little bit better than the day before. We want to provide that same customer service from the first customer that walks in the door to the last one that leaves at the end of the day.`
Manager Tim Howland said employees greet customers at the door and welcome them with a free sample of a product. Marinated items are a Meat House favorite, Howland said, with the House Brand being most popular (a mild Italian with black pepper and mustard seed finish) and Maple Bourbon second best (light maple that ends in a smoky bourbon).
The store also offers a huge variety of products from local vendors`about 22 to 23 percent`including Old Chatham Sheep Herding Company, Saratoga Chips, Saratoga Peanut Butter, The Ice Cream Man, Smith’s Orchard Pies and more.
Howland said the fact that The Meat House offers more than just fresh meat is what keeps customers coming back.
`It really is a great atmosphere. It’s a 10-minute shopping experience. You can get everything you need and get out and we’re most well known for making a meal; you don’t just give a product, you sell an entire meal,` said Howland.
More information about The Meat House and its products is available at www.TheMeatHouse.com.
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