Local business owner enjoys providing ‘top notch jerky’ for customers in eastern Idaho
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SUGAR CITY – If you ask customers about the products offered at a local jerky business, many of them will tell you the product is “top-notch.”
And that phrase is part of its name.
Top Notch Jerky opened in December at 450 North Frontage Road just off U.S. Highway 20 in Sugar City.
The company makes four different flavors of jerky — original, teriyaki, peppered and hot — along with several varieties of snack sticks. The original and the peppered flavor seem to be the most popular.
Owner Jed Jacobs tells EastIdahoNews.com most of the business is for custom orders of different cuts of beef and all the meat comes from locally-raised cattle.
“We offer taco meat that’s diced up already. Some of the taco wagons and Mexican restaurants take some of that product. We also sell some steaks,” Jacobs says. “We raise all of our own beef. We have a feedlot in St. Anthony. We also buy cattle from local ranchers in the valley.”
Broulim’s and Teton House are among the list of clientele.
The company produces about 2,000 pounds of jerky and other fresh meat products daily. All the meat is butchered at another facility before it’s brought in to be processed. From butchering the animal to packaging it, the production process takes about 48 hours to complete.
“If we get the boxed beef, we can usually cut it up the next day and marinate it, let it sit overnight. We cook it the next day and package it,” says Jacobs.
Jacobs grew up in the cattle industry and he opened the jerky plant so he could provide a quality product directly to consumers.
Jacobs says there’s a lot of demand for jerky right now and it’s a profitable business to be in.
“It’s a healthy snack and it has an 18-month shelf life. It’s something that everybody loves to have, especially when they’re going on a long drive. We get a lot of people going on road trips come by here and buy a bag of jerky,” he says.
After four months of business, Jacobs says it’s a thrill to serve customers and he enjoys keeping a steady flow of products daily that meet quality standards.
“If you’re having a big party or family gathering and you want x amount of prime ribs or steaks, we can custom make beef to your specifications. If there’s something we don’t have on the shelf, we can get it for you and cut it the way you want it,” Jacobs says.
Top Notch Jerky is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Visit the website or Facebook page for more information.
If you want your business featured in the Small Business Spotlight, email rett@eastidahonews.com. Please use “SBS” in the subject line.
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