I can still remember the electricity in the air as a kid when my father took me to work with him. There was no greater thrill than riding to the shop with two men I admired most in the world: my father and grandfather. I felt honored to don the white bib and cadet-style paper hat and watch these men work. With impossible speed, my father and his butchers transformed whole sides of beef into sausage, hamburger, and beef jerky. My grandfather knew everyone. He greeted every customer as if they were family, which confused me because I had never seen any of them at family dinners or parties. There was something special about these early experiences. I was too young to fully comprehend it, but I could recognize that we did something exceptional.
A Man, His Family, and the American Dream
In 1929, my grandfather John Bianchetti founded Peoples Old Market in Downtown Los Angeles. His motive was simple: support his young family by doing what he knew best — quality meats. He started with nothing more than a few dollars and an indomitable will to succeed. His vision was to build a neighborhood meat shop that sold high quality products with honesty and hard work. He proved the validity of that vision in 1939 when he moved his growing business into our current location at 1132 East Pico Boulevard and changed the name to Peoples Sausage Company, solidifying our legacy in the specialty meat space.
Times May Change But Our Story Stays the Same
Despite the passing of time and generations, we have maintained our commitment to the founding principles of my grandfather. After serving in the Korean War, my father Paul Bianchetti joined the company in 1955 and became the standard-bearer of those principles. While he was (by all definitions of the phrase) old school, he taught me the importance of innovation. Over the years, we have been able to reinvent our products and services based on changing market trends while still retaining our identity. Our current line of natural-style beef jerky products is testament to this fact. Drawing inspiration from my grandfather’s recipes and simple techniques, our beef jerky products are a direct representation of what makes us great — handmade, quality meats made for modern times.
A Philosophy Four Generations in the Making
The most basic business model is to purchase raw materials, transform them into something new, and sell that product at a higher price. A profitable business is one that can do that repeatedly. But when does a business become something more? At what point does a livelihood transform into a way of life? I will let my grandfather answer that question. He always said that business comes and goes, new products replace old ones, and no man can predict the market, but relationships are the currency of sustainable success.
This Is What We Do
That philosophy has been the lynchpin of our business. It may come from the past, but it drives us into the future. It touches all aspects of our business. It is the reason why we may not always do it the easy way, but we do it the right way. Our product and customers come first. My grandfather and father taught me these lessons and principles and I will pass them onto my son and he to his one day.
