Small businesses are important to communities and running a small business is tough work. That’s why we feature a small business in one of our communities every month!
On a cold and blustery December day, the doors of Pataskala Meats opened up for a visit from VCNB and a chance to be featured in our Small Business Spotlight series. As one of the only butcher shops in the area to be built from the ground up in the last thirty years, Pataskala Meats showed itself to be a happening place full of unique eats at great prices.
Pataskala Meats is the project of Kirk Hall, who has spent much of the last twenty years working on his family farm and raising sheep. With the dream of creating his own butcher shop and market, Kirk spent years looking for existing buildings to renovate to make this idea come to life. But time and time again, he kept coming back to a lot sitting along Broad Street in Pataskala. In 2011, Kirk pulled the trigger and purchased the oft-visited lot and went to work. Instead of renovating a building, he’d be building from scratch. And after ninety truck-loads of clay were brought in to raise and level the ground and a dilapidated building was demolished, Kirk began work on his shop. After four years of hard labor, enormous expenses on pavement, cooling racks, and processing equipment, Kirk was ready to open the doors of Pataskala Meats in spring 2016.
Pataskala Meats is a USDA licensed butcher shop first and foremost, working mostly with cows, pigs, sheep, and goat. With two hanging coolers in the back, Kirk and his crew are able to immediately begin the cooling process and continuously move the meat along for further processing. With a USDA inspector on hand on a regular basis, the process and the meat itself is inspected and stamped for approval for sale to the general public. Pataskala Meats also takes orders from private customers and farmers for their own use and consumption as freezer meat.
After the cooling and hanging process, the meat is cut and divided for packaging. Kirk’s smoked meat is so popular the smoker is nearly pushed to the limit by constant use. “We’ve found it’s too small really – it’s constantly running!” he says. Bacon is marinated for five days before being put through the smoker, the ham is injected with a secret mixture before running through, and smoked pork chops are one of Kirk’s personal favorites. Pulled pork and other meats are smoked by request.
Photos of Kirk’s family farm line the market walls in the front of the building. The fresh cut steaks, chops, specially blended sausages, and house made jerky make headlines, but there’s more happening here. With the best prices around on deli meats and specials (seriously –smoked ham was going for $.99/lb at the time of our visit!), house made potato salad and sides, and an incredible variety of cheeses, spices, and condiments, the market clearly has something to offer everyone. Huge coolers hold everything from specialty items and frozen foods to sweet tea and Monster energy drinks. Aisles of shelves are lined with sweet treats and salty snacks, including some packaged in bulk. Pataskala Meats was just awarded with a liquor license as well, and will soon have a selection of wine available.
Whether you are grilling, picnicking or tailgating, you can find all your fixings at Pataskala Meats!
Perhaps the market’s most unique offering is that of a cooler dedicated to your furry friends. Raw pet food is ground, packaged, and sold either in bulk or in one pound tubes for $.75/lb, and various sizes of smoked bones can be purchased for your pets. These bones can be as large – or as small – as you request, and can be cut to size if you prefer.
We thank Kirk and his staff for giving us a glimpse into what they have going on during a bitterly cold day, and we look forward to seeing Pataskala Meats grow as they continue settling into their location at 12397 Broad Street. Follow them on Facebook or call 740. 927.3006.
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