Keith Lebor didn’t think of himself as a butcher shop owner. After 20 years in commercial real estate, he started looking for a retail concept in an untapped market. When Fredericksburg’s Olde Towne Butcher at 401 William St. came on the market, he knew he’d found what he was looking for.
“I was drawn to Olde Towne Butcher because I really liked what owner Lee Russell was doing,” said the 47-year old Cincinnati native. His family frequented the local butcher in Ohio, but Russell found them scarcer on the East Coast.
“Olde Towne Butcher is a true butcher shop. There aren’t a lot of places in this area where you can buy local meat and other products,” he said.
Russell, who founded the shop, has been helping Lebor learn the ropes, but will officially retire in October 2015.
“When I bought the business this past April, I knew there was a lot I needed to learn. Lee has been fantastic and held my hand through it,” Lebor said.
Lebor buys from local farms and is constantly looking for the best products available. He will look for a good local product first, but if there isn’t one, he’ll provide the best he can find.
“I care about the environment, but wouldn’t have called myself a save the environment guy,” Lebor said. “I’ve learned a lot more about how buying local has an impact and the importance of sustainable farming. Often the quality is a lot higher too,” he said.
“My business concept is that everything should constantly be evolving, nothing should ever be stagnant. I’m not afraid to try new things,” Lebor said. Plans for the future include finding the best local products, and trying out new processes and systems.
“Everything we do takes a tremendous amount of customer service,” Lebor said. “When a customer walks in, they get one on one attention with a butcher or meat cutter. You can’t find that anywhere else. I would like to find the formula that makes that work in other markets, too.”
Lebor has called Baltimore, Boston, and New York home, but is now settled with his wife and four children in Leesburg. “I love Fredericksburg. The whole community has been friendly and helpful.”
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