Heather Ainsley
Greene Publishing, Inc.
For the last 100 years, Johnston's Meat Market has been a household name for those living in Jefferson, Madison and surrounding counties, as the company has spent the last century providing reliable butchering and meat-packing services for their customers. Locals from the region know and love Johnston's for the company's reliable services, locally- sourced product and quality smoked meats. But, while locals are familiar with the tried-and-true services of Johnston's, they may not yet know about the most recent changes made by owner, Patrick Figueroa, who bought the company in December of 2024.
Before owning the company, Figueroa spent several years working alongside previous owner, Hal Bennett, learning all the ins and outs that made Johnston's such a long- standing staple for the community. By learning everything he could about the business, Figueroa hoped to be able to continue to provide customers with the services that they had come to expect from the company. Upon taking over the business, Figueroa
has expanded on these core services and now offers a new and expanded line of services and products that he is especially excited about being able to offer to customers, particularly as many communities in the region suffer from food deserts following
the recent closing of local supermarkets. As many citizens anxiously struggle to find additional local sources of affordable food options, without having to travel to larger cities like Tallahassee,
Valdosta and Thomasville, Johnston's is stepping up to meet those needs.
Over the last year, Johnston's Meat Market has been in a constant state of upgrade and improvement, with repairs, updated equipment, and complete renovation to the front and back areas of the facility, as well as the installation of a 1000- sq. ft. freezer. Among the many changes that have been made is an extensive expansion of products offered in the store.
“People know we have meat,” says Figueroa, “but they may not realize we also now carry frozen and fresh veggies, farm-fresh eggs, milk, grits, coffee, local jellies, orange juice and even ice cream!”
Figueroa says that just about any food item customers may look for at a larger grocery store can now be found at Johnston's, with the added bonus of being fresh, health-conscious options from local sources. The shop even offers tallow and tallow products, as well as cooking kits for how to make homemade pizza, bread, soups and dips. Their deli offers a variety of cheese and deli meat options, and they have even recently begun carrying gluten-free items. Figueroa says the only staple they do not yet carry is bread, but mentions that fresh-baked bread options will be coming to the store very soon and are already in the works. In addition to all of the new items available, Johnston's (of course) still offers a range of farm-fresh meat products, including fresh cuts, ground meats and smoked options. In addition to being locally raised, Figueroa proudly boasts that all meat sold at Johnston's is American, not imported.
The majority of the grocery items offered by Johnston's are locally- sourced, coming from farms located within a 60 mile radius of the shop, which is located at 1480 W. Washington St., in Monticello. The decision to support local farmers, ranchers and growers is one that Figueroa and his family feel passionately about.
“We preach local,” says Figueroa firmly, “and we back it up. One of the key elements of owning this business is to help local people. We have grown a lot in the last year and now proudly employ 35 employees from all over our region, from Madison to Perry, Monticello and Jefferson County and even Tallahassee. In addition to that, every Saturday, we host a pop-up market from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., where we sell sourdough bread, spices and more from local vendors.”
In addition to supporting local farmers and makers, Johnston's regularly gives back to the community in other ways, from donating to local health fundraisers, giving to the public school system and raising money to support youth activities. They offer catering for local events and utilize their food truck to assist with business events as well as storm response during hurricane season.
“We love to give back to our community,” says Figueroa, adding that Johnston's is always looking for additional local farms and vendors to connect with at their shop. Those interested in partnering with Johnston's can reach out to them atinfo@johnstonsmeatmarket.com for more information.
While all of these changes are exciting, customers can look forward to even more to come! As of Thursday, Jan. 29, Johnston's is officially open for grab-and-go breakfast! Breakfast runs from 6-9 a.m., with lunch following from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This fall, the company is expecting to finish their newest addition – a new facility that will serve as a new packing and processing center that may even be utilized for locally-caught wild game.
With this year marking the 100 year anniversary of Johnston's Meat Market, plans are already in the works for a big fall celebration, with vendors, music and more, celebrating an entire century of community, connection and quality local goods. one hundred years down, and many more to come!