The Meating Place has passed the 40 year mark and keeps going even as grocery stores have moved away from on-site meat cutters.
By Mike Tripp/The News Leader
A sign on the side of the building not only identifies the business as being “The Meating Place,” but also identifies the founder of the business as J. Frank Clemmer.
STAUNTON — Terri Breeden sits on a padded wire crate, catches burger patties fresh from the meat grinder.
She’s the owner, but that’s how things are done at The Meating Place. Everyone pitches in to get the work done.
Breeden would know. She’s been at the butcher shop over forty years.
“I was still in high school working with the gentleman who is the founder of The Meating Place … J. Frank Clemmer,” she says.
At the time, Clemer was looking someone to wrap meat at night in the basement of his house.
“So after I finished my first job, I went to my second job helping him,” says Breeden.
“That’s where it started … 1976,” she adds, “and from there, we’re here over 40 years later.”
Years of working side-by-side caused friendships to form. Said owner Terri Breeden, “It makes it a little stressful at times. We all just have to remember … ‘Hey look, we’re here to do our jobs. Let’s get our jobs done and then we can enjoy.'” Breeden joins Kimberleigh Sensabaugh and John Wood Jr. as each goes about a different task while working.
A News Leader article published in June 1994 features a photograph with meat cutters Greg Peduto and John Wood Jr. with business founder Frank Clemmer and then manager Terri Breeden. Peduto and Wood both continue to work at The Meating Place as does Breeden, who now owns the business.
It didn’t take long for the business to move away from that original basement and ultimately to its Middlebrook Road address just outside of Staunton.
And just as that location has remained the same, so have many of the faces.
“I’ve been cutting meat for about 30 years now,” says John Wood Jr. “When I got started, I worked in a grocery store in town.”
One hand holds the pork chop steady while the other uses a knife to cut a small pocket into the thick cut shop. John Wood Jr. finishes the order with this custom pocket-cut for a customer who will use the meat for a special stuffed pork chop recipe. Wood has been cutting meat at The Meating Place since 1988.
That grocery store hit hard times and after two and a half years there, he realized he needed to move on.
“Saw where they were looking for help out here and been out here ever since,” says Wood. “That was in 1988.”
Although the product and service has remained the same, the business model has had to adapt over the years.
“Ah, wonderful employees,” said Terri Breeden about her staff. “Overall, I couldn’t ask for anybody better.” Greg Peduto, John Wood Jr. and Kimberleigh Sensabaugh each go about their various tasks while going about their jobs at The Meating Place.
“It’s a lot of lifting, a lot of pulling and sawing and … it’s pretty physical,” said John Wood Jr. “But other than that, you’re gonna have stuff on any job that’s gonna … you know? … Not too bad.” He carries a whole pork loin from the freezer back to where the meat saw is located.
When the business first opened, there were no large chain ‘box’ stores, with places like The Meating Place filling the gap as a “Mom and Pop” store.
Folks would stop off on their way home to grab what might be needed for the evening meal.
However, time marched on, and the old-school butcher shop with it.
“Our restaurant sales are still extremely good,” Breeden says. “We have been able to take very good care of a lot of our restaurants in the area.”
Owner Terri Breeden uses the meat wrapper to package 600 beef patties for a commercial order. It’s one of the same tasks she performed years ago when first starting work for the founder of The Meating Place, J. Frank Clemer. “He was looking for someone to wrap meat in the basement of his house at night time. So, after I finished my first job, I went to my second job helping him. That’s where it started … 1976, and from there, we’re here over 40 years later.”
“We buy our meat from The Meating Place because it’s fresh, made to order. It’s the best, unbeatable,” said Lynette Brydge, manager of Tailgate Grill in Waynesboro. “You can’t find better, and they’re very great to us.” A burger made from ground beef from the Meating Place is cooked on the grill at the Waynesboro restaurant.
Some of those restaurants include Mrs. Rowe’s Family Restaurant and Kathy’s Restaurant in Staunton as well as Tailgate Grill in Waynesboro.
But as for those regular customers still walking through their doors, Wood has a theory.
He slices up a pork loin, moves the thick cut chops to the butcher block and proceeds to cut pockets in each as part of a special order.
“A lot of things now come in at your big stores already pre-packed,” said John Wood Jr. “Well that’s one thing that sets us apart.” Wood uses the meat saw to cut up a whole pork loin for a customer.
“Everything is ground here on site, fresh daily,” said John Wood Jr., “and doesn’t come in from out west somewhere pre-packed — packed with whatever they put in it to keep a long shelf life.” He picks up a bag filled with pork chops to carry over to the scale for pricing before its ready for the customer.
“There are still some people left who like to see you doing it,” he says.
“See you working on it, hands on. … They know it’s fresh.”
It leads into one of the reasons Wood loves the job.
“I love the interaction with the customer,” he explains. “That’s probably my favorite part of it.”
“Seeing that they get what they want. Seein ’em happy when they leave. … Seeing ’em happy when they come back.”
“We don’t get stuff in preprocessed. We process it here on site,” said John Wood Jr. He uses the meat saw to slice up a whole country ham for a customer’s order.
“I love the interaction with the customer,” John Wood Jr. said. “That’s probably my favorite part of it. … Seeing that they get what they want. Seeing ’em happy when they leave. … Seeing ’em happy when they come back.” He assists a customer checking out with their purchase.
A sign on the side of the building lists the owner as Terri Brreden as well as the items and services offered at The Meating Place.
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