A small business that cut through many challenges

Salt and Strings, a small business located within the village of Louisville, Illinois, is to the average passerby just another local grocery store that also serves a variety of cuts of meat to purchase. But, if you were to look a bit closer into the history of the place, you would see quite an interesting history located within its white and gray walls. 

But how did they get here? 

Quinn Bible, the current store owner, purchased the business at just 22 . Before he came, it was known as Mike’s Market from 1983 to 2016. Mike's served the community the same way, as a grocery store that also sold cuts of meat. Anthony Cummins first began working at Mike's in 1996. After the store was sold, Cummins kept working there, becoming a valuable employee who did everything needed to keep the store moving.  

Even before Mike's, the store was known as Burke's Market from 1948 all the way up to 1983. But, the very first store was in 1944, when it was originally a Kroger grocery store. Although the store has evolved through different owners over its 80 years, it has kept the same concept of a grocery store.

Anthony, Tim, and Quinn preparing for a rib cookout- Salt and Strings Facebook

After moving away from Louisville, IL to Nashville, TN, Bible decided to come back to his hometown after hearing that the store was going up for sale. He talked to Frost, whom he had met before and was quite good friends with, and eventually Bible was the new owner of the store. He kept it the same for a while before deciding it was time for a makeover.  

A new look for a new store 

Starting around 2020, Bible decided to do some renovations around the store; however, COVID had other ideas. Due to the virus, it took more than three years to finish. There were many changes made around the store. The entire deli moved from the back to the right side of the front, and the fridges were put on the left side. The entire back area was cleaned up and painted over, and the kitchen moved out from the back up to where the back of the deli was. During this time, they continued to operate so there would still be cash flowing in. They kept the renovations going even with the added stress of juggling the two things at once.

“It requires more out of you than you think.” - Bible 

Even though it was quite strenuous, he knew he had to put in effort and work if he wanted change to happen. After countless hours working on the renovations and cutting meat, eventually, after a year, renovations had finally been completed. They could finally be fully functional without needing to work around the people renovating.

The final touches 

After the renovations, the store could finally go back to a new normal. The money was flowing, and there were plenty of things to be done. Firstly, deer season could be fully managed with the coolers finally being functional. Deer season is the most profitable time of the year for the store since every deer can bring in well over a few hundred “bucks” once fully processed. Despite all the work needed to deal with hundreds of deer per season, they were able to get through it all.  

Along with that, there was also the catering implemented which allowed the store to expand its portfolio. With the help of the well-known local and friend Ted Whitehead, the new services became popular. Over the years the store grew to be as beloved in the community as its predecessors were, providing the town with a reliable supply of fresh cuts of meat, a place to take deer and get them processed, and a catering service. Throughout the years there were many problems and mistakes, but the store was always able to figure them out and fix every one of them.

“If you do mess it up, fix it, do what you can to make it right” - Cummins 

Where are they now? 

Currently, the store is alive and thriving. Last deer season was one of the largest they had ever experienced. Salt & Strings brought in thousands of dollars for the store and donated plenty of ground deer to the local food shelters. Bible is still the owner and looks to be for many more years to come now that the store is in a quite stable state without having to worry about the renovation or the starting years of working everything out. Cummins has continued to work, cutting and grinding hundreds of pounds of meat throughout the years.

Many people share a similar view towards the store; it is a warm and welcoming place that provides good service to anyone. 

What can I learn from this? 

"Be willing to work hard, show up with a good attitude, and try to find good people to do work with, and build relationships and never burn any bridges.” - Bible 

On the outside, it is just another small business in a small town that you could easily just pass by. But look into what it actually is, and you would find a store with a long history. It is more than just a meat processor, but a store that serves the community through its fresh and inexpensive meat, catering for any activity needed, a warm and inviting atmosphere, and donations of deer meat to local food. 

With Bible at the helm keeping everything in check, he wants everyone out there wanting to start their own small business to know that they can do it with plenty of hard work and effort.