Running a retail store while keeping a successful meat-processing operation running can be a challenge. The best stores serve as more than just a venue that display’s the company’s products. It can be a destination, where people several towns away visit to stock up on bacon, sausages or whatever else is the house specialty. It can entice customers to try new products, impress them with top-notch customer service and become a regular stop as they get their weekly groceries.
Four years ago, Dewig Meats of Haubstadt, Ind. added on a new retail meat market. Darla Kiesel, who is part of the fourth generation of the Dewig family to work in the business, said that the new addition was built right next to the company’s previous space. There were black curtains separating the two areas, and she says that customers frequently peeked behind the curtain to watch the progress.