MONROE - A line of gravestones outside a building doesn't always conjure the image of handmade meat products, but one Monroe business has been hidden behind the cemetery facade for the past four years.
Bruno Beef Strips was created by Bud Schwartz and his son Tyler. The small business, which boasts four types of beef strips, including landjaegers, and also more than a dozen varieties of brats and sausages, has been operating out of
the building owned by Neale and Vicky Tollakson of Tollakson Memorials in the 2900 block of 13th Street - hence, the gravestones littering the front yard.
Despite their lack of visibility, Bud and Tyler have been able to reach out to area businesses and successfully stock their beef strips in more than 70 locations. They have also slowly built
a customer base and make frequent cash sales out of the renovated space in the back of the building, which Bud said he was thankful to have due to the kindness of his landlords.
Since the beginning, the Schwartzes have set their standards high by using hard work and quality ingredients. Some of their products contain cheese, which they get exclusively from Silver Lewis Cheese Factory.
"I don't use cheap meat," he said. "I want to eat them, and I want to sell quality. I don't know if that sets us apart, but that's just what we do."
Bud, 51, and Tyler, 23, spend six hours per day at their shop, creating an average of 100 pounds of product each day. They then head to Belleville to work their full-time, second-shift jobs at Federal Industries. It's a lot of work, but the duo hope to eventually turn their sideline business into their full-time career.
Humble best describes the way in which Bruno's - named after the family's Saint Bernard - began. When Bud's interest in creating beef sticks grew, he began producing small batches in his basement. After sharing the products for years with co-workers, who complimented him on the quality, Bud decided he and his son should expand into an actual business to share with more people. He said a debt of gratitude is owed to his mother Opal, who supported him not only financially in this step, but also by being there, as the rest of his family has, through the progress he and Tyler have made.
Though they have expanded into a small business, the focus on the small things has remained the same. Everything is done by hand and they pay strict attention to little details, such as the amount of cheese included and the size of each product.
Tyler and Bud both described their small business as a work in progress. From the slow expansion out of a two-car garage, which they drywalled and filled with equipment to further their endeavors, the team acknowledged an uphill climb, one they know will take time to conquer.
"It never ends," Bud said with a laugh. "(We're) trying to build up, get more locations and try to do it for a living."
Over time, Bruno's has been working to make themselves more visible. Bud and Tyler have created social media pages dedicated to their business, manned a booth at Green County Cheese Days and built a website (brunobeef strips.com).
And they've scheduled an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 26 so the public can try samples.
Bruno Beef Strips was created by Bud Schwartz and his son Tyler. The small business, which boasts four types of beef strips, including landjaegers, and also more than a dozen varieties of brats and sausages, has been operating out of
the building owned by Neale and Vicky Tollakson of Tollakson Memorials in the 2900 block of 13th Street - hence, the gravestones littering the front yard.
Despite their lack of visibility, Bud and Tyler have been able to reach out to area businesses and successfully stock their beef strips in more than 70 locations. They have also slowly built
a customer base and make frequent cash sales out of the renovated space in the back of the building, which Bud said he was thankful to have due to the kindness of his landlords.
Since the beginning, the Schwartzes have set their standards high by using hard work and quality ingredients. Some of their products contain cheese, which they get exclusively from Silver Lewis Cheese Factory.
"I don't use cheap meat," he said. "I want to eat them, and I want to sell quality. I don't know if that sets us apart, but that's just what we do."
Bud, 51, and Tyler, 23, spend six hours per day at their shop, creating an average of 100 pounds of product each day. They then head to Belleville to work their full-time, second-shift jobs at Federal Industries. It's a lot of work, but the duo hope to eventually turn their sideline business into their full-time career.
Humble best describes the way in which Bruno's - named after the family's Saint Bernard - began. When Bud's interest in creating beef sticks grew, he began producing small batches in his basement. After sharing the products for years with co-workers, who complimented him on the quality, Bud decided he and his son should expand into an actual business to share with more people. He said a debt of gratitude is owed to his mother Opal, who supported him not only financially in this step, but also by being there, as the rest of his family has, through the progress he and Tyler have made.
Though they have expanded into a small business, the focus on the small things has remained the same. Everything is done by hand and they pay strict attention to little details, such as the amount of cheese included and the size of each product.
Tyler and Bud both described their small business as a work in progress. From the slow expansion out of a two-car garage, which they drywalled and filled with equipment to further their endeavors, the team acknowledged an uphill climb, one they know will take time to conquer.
"It never ends," Bud said with a laugh. "(We're) trying to build up, get more locations and try to do it for a living."
Over time, Bruno's has been working to make themselves more visible. Bud and Tyler have created social media pages dedicated to their business, manned a booth at Green County Cheese Days and built a website (brunobeef strips.com).
And they've scheduled an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 26 so the public can try samples.