A husband-and-wife team is turning part of a former diner space in Concord Township into a full-service butcher shop stocked with dry-aged steaks, house-made sausage and an imported aging cabinet from Italy. Southern Steer Butcher, owned by Mike and Kristi Bryan, is set to open at 7649 Crile Road on August 22, bringing hand-cut meats and hands-on cooking education to the Crile Crossing plaza.
The Bryans are taking over part of the space once occupied by Mary's Diner of Concord, according to Cleveland.com. The diner had operated multiple locations across Lake and Ashtabula counties before closing, and its commercial restaurant equipment was auctioned off online in January 2024, according to RCI Auctions.
A Butcher's Path Back to Concord
Mike Bryan is a trained butcher who started working in a meat department at age 13, per the Cleveland.com report. He went on to study culinary arts, hospitality and restaurant management, attended the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, and managed a Hyde Park restaurant before spending eight years at Aldi and working in restaurant management in Colorado and Kentucky.
Mike and Kristi were high school sweethearts who now live in Concord, the report notes. After years in corporate roles, the couple left that world behind to build their own business, with Mike saying he wanted to control his own destiny. He's also described as an avid backyard pitmaster who hopes to share his enthusiasm through tastings and demonstrations outside the store itself.
Dry-Aged Steaks, House-Made Sausage and an Italian Cabinet
Southern Steer Butcher cuts everything fresh in-house, with Mike personally processing large primal cuts of beef and pork. The shop's imported Italian dry-aging cabinet will hold beef aged anywhere from 30 days to a full year, and customers will be able to choose the thickness and size of steaks cut from that aging beef loin, or buy larger sections of loin to have cut into steaks over time.
Beyond steak, the shop will offer house-made sausages and salami, along with bison, duck and lamb. Prepared side dishes and appetizers will round out the counter, alongside sourdough breads and buns supplied by a mentor baker and a rotating selection of baked goods and pastries. Cleveland Ketchup Co. condiments will also be stocked on shelves.
Where the Meat Comes From
The shop's premium Black Angus beef and Duroc pork come from Creekstone Farms, a supplier that emphasizes animal care and works with independent ranchers and farmers, according to the Cleveland.com report. Creekstone runs a processing facility in Arkansas City, Kansas, designed by animal welfare expert Temple Grandin, featuring a Never, Ever program guaranteeing the cattle never receive added hormones or antibiotics, per West Coast Prime Meats. The processor operates a 600,000-square-foot facility with 1,200 employees and added a $35 million automated distribution center to keep pace with demand from retail butchers and restaurants, according to Drovers.
Classes Aimed at Home Cooks
Southern Steer Butcher aims to help people cook better at home, and the Bryans plan to back that up with cooking classes focused on unfamiliar cuts of meat, charcuterie workshops and meal-prep demonstrations. Staff will also provide recipes and preparation ideas for shoppers looking to try something new at the counter.
A Growing Franchise Finds a High-Traffic Corner
Southern Steer Butcher is a Florida-based franchise that got its start in 2013 in Clearwater, founded by former Bloomin' Brands executive Greg Snyder, who began franchising the concept in 2021 after more than 20 years in corporate restaurant management, according to FranchiseWire. The brand has since expanded into other southeastern and midwestern markets, including an Alpharetta, Georgia location that opened in August 2024, as reported by Connected Alpharetta. Opening a franchise location requires a total initial investment estimated between $376,000 and $797,000, according to Franchise Grade.
The Concord location sits along a stretch of Crile Road that sees more than 26,900 vehicles a day, in an area where average household incomes within a one-mile radius reach roughly $147,000, according to a report from Passov Real Estate Group. The plaza sits directly across from Lake Health's TriPoint Medical Center and near University Hospitals Concord Health Center at the Interstate 90 and Route 44 interchange, with co-tenants including Chipotle and Starbucks, according to Goodman Real Estate Services Group.
The opening also lands amid a broader surge in specialty meat retail nationally. U.S. meat department sales hit a record $111.9 billion in 2025, with 98% of American households buying meat regularly at an average of 48 purchases per year, according to a report from Amra & Elma. The number of specialized meat market businesses nationwide grew to 10,227 in 2026, driven by rising demand for artisanal craftsmanship, custom cuts and ethically sourced meats, the same report notes.
