MANSFIELD — A few months ago, a father and son from Crestline opened Chad’s Country Meats at 518 Mansfield-Lucas Road.
Formerly Stover Farms Custom Meats, the business was purchased by Chad Rank Sr. in mid-October and has since been managed by his son, Chad Rank Jr.
“I didn’t personally think I’d own a meat shop, but I knew Chad probably would someday,” Chad Rank Sr. said.
He intends to eventually turn over the business to his son and only child, who is 27 years old.
“It’ll be his, down the road, no matter what,” Rank Sr. said.
He was quick to recall the date he bought the business, Oct. 12, and went on to explain that the shop only closed for three days before it could reopen under the new name.
“We were about three days closed for the state to approve the name change, and we had a grand opening about two weeks later,” Rank Sr. said.
He purchased the business at the request of the former owners, partly because his son was already working there.
Since then, Rank Sr. says he’s been busy. In addition to the meat shop, he owns Blue Ribbon Custom Concrete in Crestline.
“I’m pretty busy with two businesses, running them,” Rank Sr. said. “I’ve been in the concrete business all my life, but Blue Ribbon, I started it around 2007.”
And so far, he’s enjoyed the experience.
“I just enjoy being around people — I’m kind of a people person,” he said, mentioning how he’s liked talking with customers at Chad’s Country Meats.
The shop sells deli meats and cheeses and a variety of fresh meat, including chicken, beef and pork. Meat is smoked on-site.
“Plus, some of the regular stuff you might need to pick up, like bread, buns, chips and eggs, things like that,” Rank Sr. said.
Further, Chad’s Country Meats offers custom butchering and deer processing.
Rank Sr. hopes that the business will continue growing in the new year, and within a few years, he’d like to open a retail store in Ontario or somewhere nearby with “more traffic.”
“If things go well, I’d like to have a retail storefront. That way we could supply the meat,” he said.
Hours at Chad’s Country Meats are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The business is closed Sunday and Monday.
