When the Local Pig butcher shop opened its doors in February 2012, its goal was simple: to provide Kansas City citizens with locally sourced, humanely raised, meats. But the result was a surprise to its owners, Alex Pope and Matt Kafka, as they ended up in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and on NPR as a result of their innovative business practices.
Rather than focusing on profits, the owners of the East Bottoms shop focused on quality. In contrast to large-scale meat providers, the Local Pig sources their meat mostly from within 100 miles of Kansas City. Further, said Pope, they know their farmers well and are proud that their meats are free from hormones and antibiotics. In addition to standard cuts of meat inside the butcher shop, you can find specialty meats including pork and beef cheeks, pork and beef shanks, lamb, and duck.
Almost immediately the shop’s customers began requesting ready-to-eat items, and the owners knew they had another opportunity on their hands. Using Pope’s professional culinary training, they opened Pigwich, a food truck permanently parked outside the butcher shop to serve hot meals, including amazing cheeseburgers on onion buns with porcini aioli, arugula, and pickled onions, as well as cheesesteaks and other special items along with homemade potato chips.
It is not uncommon to find many Van Osdol & Magruder attorneys eating lunch on the Pigwich patio on any given day and the Local Pig is even sponsoring and providing meat to Chris Brown’s barbecue team, Brownie’s BBQ, in the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle.
If you’re looking for something to throw on your grill at home, or are hungry for a good meal, stop by the Local Pig at 2618 Guinotte Ave. or visit them online at www.thelocalpig.com.
