Meat House Moves In to Chelmsford

Chelmsford has a new butcher shop in town and so far, residents are welcoming this family owned franchise with open arms.

When Len Carpenter retired from the restaurant business in 2007, he learned of a new franchising opportunity — an upscale butcher shop that also sold grocery items that complimented the array of steak, chicken, turkey and other meats.

"I really liked what I saw," said Carpenter owner of The Meat House located at 120 Chelmsford St.

Since opening in June, The Meat House has found its niche in the community, and simple word of mouth has quickly brought much attention to the new business.

"My staff is great. We are a team — I try to develop a family culture here," said Carpenter. Len's wife, Bea, and their two daughters, Christine and Stacey, all own a part of the business.

Products come in on a daily basis, and meats are marinated in-house. The meat case holds the many different options, including prime steaks, fillets, sausage, turkey, pork, chicken, beef and a full Boar's Head deli. Carpenter's favorite choice for dinner is a cowboy or ribeye steak on the grill.

Many college students that were home from the summer began working at The Meat House when it opened, said Carpenter.

"Even when it gets busy and hectic in here, it's still a great place to work," said employee Greg Mandeville, a college student who will be returning to school shortly. "They've kindly offered me the chance to work some hours here during my winter break, which is awesome."

The Meat House will run some specials during the back-to-school season, including sales on deli meats, and 10 percent off entire purchases every Tuesday. They plan to match 50 percent of the 10 percent savings every week, and make a donation to different organizations and charities in the surrounding towns.

"I believe in giving back to the community you do business in," said Carpenter.

There has been discussion about whether or not The Meat House will be opening an additional room in the store for wine and beer.

"I firmly believe that guests have shown a need and desire for us to be able to sell wine and beer to complement the food sold here," Carpenter said.  "We hope that this will turn out favorably and that we can move toward being able to receive a liquor license."

So far, the Meat House family is happy to call Chelmsford its home.

"We are glad to be here," said Carpenter. "We love the location. We hope to support the town, and that they will support us in return."