MILWAUKEE — It used to be the norm to know your neighborhood butcher and have special cuts of meat prepared while grocery shopping.
The art of butchery might not be as commonplace today, but it’s still alive and well.
Chip Bunzel grew up in the grocery business. He’s the third-generation owner of Bunzel’s Meat Market & Catering on Milwaukee’s northwest side.
Bunzel said while growing up, he was taught the art of butchery so customers could have fresh meat cut to order. He also learned the importance of hard work and genuine customer service from his parents, Larry and Mary Ann Bunzel.
“For me, it’s the personal service, and I like to say ‘hi’ to every customer that comes through the door, and you know, take care of them to the best of my ability and my employee’s abilities,” said Bunzel.
Bunzel said he remembers the challenges his parents went through in the 1980s when big box grocery stores came to town. He said to stay competitive, they added catering to their meat market offerings.
Bunzel said back then, people were working more and looking for convenience in the food they purchased. So, his family came up with new recipes for specialty items that were “ready to bake.”
Despite the adjustments, Bunzel said the butcher department has never wavered on its traditional service.
“We like to stick to the old-fashioned way, cut everything here as they need it, the size they need it, just to keep people’s needs and what they need daily and keep it super fresh,” he said.
Bunzel admits the butcher industry has changed, but the craft is still being passed down through the generations.
“It’s a trade that stopped in schools but a trade that I want to continue, and I think the whole area still wants us to keep training them on the job so we can continue to keep a high-quality product on people’s table,” said Bunzel.