When Halenda’s Meats’ first retail location was opened in 1979, Michael Halenda and his son Richard could hardly have anticipated that just a few decades later, the Halenda’s family would encompass seven retail locations and two provincially licensed meat plants.

Like most expansion, it started based on a simple need: in this case, more space to produce their own local ham kobassa. Halenda’s delicious kobassa, combined with the company’s excellent service, eventually led the family to open another location in the Durham region area. And then another store, and another… and, as they say, “The rest is history.”

Fresh is always best

Halenda’s Meats is ruled by one simple idea: fresh. Quality, according to Halenda’s, has and always will be their number one priority. They understand that while price is always an influence on customer behaviour, quality is what customers value. No matter how good a price you offer, if your product is poor, nobody will buy it. The best way to avoid that scenario is to offer a great quality product.

How has Halenda’s managed to develop this great quality of product? By building relationships with local and provincial producers who, according to Marketing Director (and family member) Christine Hobson, they “trust to provide us with top quality local product.”

That, along with highly trained butchers who take into account the needs and wants of the customers to produce a meat case that offers the best quality for price. Take their Ontario pork ribs, for example: Halenda’s has trained many young butchers on their methods. As Christine says, “They learn that our customers just love how we leave tons of tender meat on our fresh cut pork back ribs. More meat, less work!”

A family affair

To this day, Halenda’s follows in the tradition of being a family-oriented company—four of the third-generation children work with the company in different areas, and the fourth generation has started working in retail. As well, every single one of their franchises has family involved in the business to some degree.

Throughout the growth of the company, their core belief in family has helped Halenda’s stay true to their original message and allowed them to expand while holding on to their original values of fresh and quality products.

Starting with the best

One of the other unique offerings from Halenda’s is their wide range of smoked meat offerings. Take the freshest of ingredients, smoke them, and, according to Halenda’s, they will “make your eating exciting.” They swear you will taste the difference.

Essentially, the secret formula to success isn’t so much a secret for Halenda’s but more a policy of common sense that they recognized and took to heart. Quality local ingredients produce quality products—offer those products at good prices and the customers will come.

Or, as Halenda’s would say: “Start with the best, end with the best.”

Sounds like a winning formula to us.

Learn more about Halenda’s—including store locations and hours—at halendas.com.