A Cut Above | Leonard Meat
By CORINN GUEMMER | Photos by BRIAN PETERS
Chuck Clifton started as the invisible man behind the menus of several Topeka restaurants, with locals dining on the steaks and ground beef delivered by his wholesale operation Leonard Meat for more than a decade.
That all changed six years ago when Chuck opened his first storefront. He recently expanded to a second location, but this time with a bigger space and a growing customer base that’s turned his business into one of Topeka’s go-to destinations for meat.
Leonard Meat’s second retail shop opened in March. The new store offers 2,400 square feet of space, more than double the size of the original.
“Opening a second location was scary,” Chuck said. “But we got such great feedback from people telling us we had a quality product at a fair price. That gave us the confidence to try it in a broader market.”
Chuck bought Leonard Meat in 2004 and has built it into a supplier for an estimated 14 local establishments, many of which he says regularly place high in the city’s “best burger” competitions. While wholesale remains the heart of his business, he eventually decided to try something new: selling directly to consumers.
Chuck says he didn’t know much about retail when he opened the first store.
“I guess I still don’t,” he said, laughing. “There is a lot more to it than people realize.”
But the success of the first location proved there was plenty of demand. Despite its location in a tucked-away industrial area on Quincy Street, word spread fast. New customers turned into regulars and often shared their finds on social media.
Still, the location remained a challenge.
“We have been open almost six years and it’s just amazing to me how many people still don’t know we exist,” Chuck said. “A lot of people have told me that once they found us, they wished they had known about us sooner. We knew we needed more visibility.”
FINDING THE RIGHT SPOT
Leonard Meat’s second location at 1936 SW Gage Blvd., where Chuck shares a building with a familiar neighbor and longtime client, gave the business the visibility they’d been seeking.
“The restaurant next door is Cook’s American Grille,” he said. “I’ve been selling him hamburger for 21 years. He is also my landlord here, and I already had a great working relationship with him, so it just felt right.”
The extra space made it possible for Leonard Meat to offer more local products in addition to cuts of meat. Shoppers can find a wide selection of baked goods from Hometown Pie, a small mother-daughter operation just south of Topeka. Chuck carries around 25 flavors, including gooseberry and rhubarb, which are especially popular during the holiday season.
“I know the grind of being a small local business,” he said. “So I try to lift up other Topeka businesses when I can.”
Leonard Meat also stocks locally produced popcorn, salsa, cheese and other specialty goods. Even with the expanded selection, meat is still the foundation of the business.
“Our bread and butter is hamburger,” Chuck said. “That’s what built our name. It’s our core.”
He says he’s equally proud of the shop’s chicken offerings, which are hand trimmed and available in more than 20 marinated flavors.
“What makes it different is our vacuum tumbler,” he said. “The marinade doesn’t just sit on the outside. It gets into every bite. A lot of places use injections, which only get flavor where the needle went. This way, it’s in the whole piece.”
Chuck says he doesn’t compromise on quality.
“I tell [my employees] all the time: if you wouldn’t serve it to your family, we are not serving it to our customers,” he said. “Sometimes that means we take a loss and give something away even if there is technically nothing wrong with it. But I would rather do that than have a customer walk out with something that is not 100%.”
GIFTS THAT SIZZLE
When holiday shopping begins, Chuck encourages customers to treat the grill masters and cooking enthusiasts they know to exceptional cuts of meat. Leonard Meat offers a bundle called “Steak and Such,” which includes rib-eyes, strips and other cuts that make for thoughtful and useful gifts. Some customers build their own holiday gift baskets using products sold in the store.
“This is all stuff you cannot find at big box stores,” he said. “It’s unique and it supports local businesses.”
That support is a priority for Chuck, both as a business owner and a consumer.
“This might sound cliché, but keeping money local keeps the community going,” he said. “You don’t really think about that until you’re running a business. When you shop here, it stays in Topeka.”
While the products speak for themselves, he says it can still be an uphill battle to get people in the door for the first time.
“Our prices are really fair, especially for what you are getting,” Chuck said. “We’re not much more than the big grocery stores, but our quality far exceeds what you will find there.”
To attract new shoppers, Leonard Meat has been getting creative. Chuck says one of their most effective marketing strategies is their “Name of the Day” campaign. Each day, a name is posted to social media and anyone with a matching name can stop in for a free pound of hamburger.
“We’ve got a list of over 900 names,” Chuck said. “People get tagged by friends or family when their name comes up and say they had never heard of us before. Now they are regulars.
He also says he’s glad he waited until the time was right to grow his business.
“I wanted to make sure the first store was functioning well before we opened another one,” he said. “We had some growing pains to iron out behind the scenes, and I’m glad we did that first.”
With a second store up and running and new customers arriving every week, Chuck says there’s one thing he’ll always prioritize: doing things the right way.
“I am so proud of my product,” he said. “That is what I want us to be known for. We are not going to cut corners. We want people to know they are getting something they can count on.”
