Saturday Business Spotlight: J&M Meat Market
[August 09, 2025] Though
J & M Meat Market has only been opened since April 2024, Terry and Robin
McClallen have roots in retail food businesses that go back decades.
J & M Meat Market’s website shares some of their background:
Terry McClallen “grew up in central Illinois where his parents owned
three grocery stores, two in the Pekin area and one in San Jose. Terry
learned to cut meat in the family stores, and he and Robin moved to
Logan County in 1984 to manage the San Jose store.”
In 1988, Robin began working at Kroger, serving “as the deli manager for
13 years. She then became the first manager of Russell Stover’s shop
[which she managed] successfully for 8 years before retiring in 2009.”
During this time, “Terry built a career in the software industry at
Integrity Data until he retired in 2021.”
As their site says, both Terry and Robin McClallen “always loved small
business and especially food businesses. After months of thinking and
planning, they decided to “unretire” in 2023 to open J&M Meat Market.”
J&M Meat Market
sells hormone free beef cuts, chicken and pork products that are mostly
locally raised. Besides meat, the market also sells eggs and a variety
of chips, sauces, canned fruits and vegetables and sides such as twice
baked potatoes, macaroni salad, beans and Cole slaw.
Terry McClallen said they chose to open the store because they perceived
a need for a meat market with locally sourced meat. He found that many
people were going out of town to shop for meat.
What Terry likes is having a short supply chain of local producers. Most
of their meats come from the Little Blue Farm in Morton, Illinois. The
seafood they sell comes from Dixon’s Fisheries in East Peoria. The eggs
they sell come from a farmer in Pekin. The milk they sell comes from
Little Brown Cow Dairy in Delavan.
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By getting these products from people in nearby areas, Terry said they
keep money in Central Illinois when they sell them.
Terry and Robin McClallen chose this location for a combination of
reasons. Terry said when the building was for sale Ethan Hoinacki
purchased it and he and Robin talked to him about being a tenant.
Additionally, because the meat market is located at 101 S. Kickapoo
Street in Lincoln at the intersection of Kickapoo and Broadway Streets,
it is on one of the busiest corners in town, which Terry said is nice.
Their number one product line is the beef products. Terry said their
ham, chicken and potato salads are also extremely popular.
Terry’s favorite part of owning a business is being a part of the
community and interacting with people in the community. He finds having
a positive impact on the community to be rewarding, Another rewarding
part is helping to fulfill a need by providing high quality meat in
town.
Additionally, as their website says, J&M Meat Market fulfills the
McClallen’s twofold dream and vision of “making healthy and delicious
farm-fresh food easily accessible to the people of Lincoln and Logan
County [and] participating in a vibrant business community that wants to
see the town thrive economically and culturally.”
For others looking to open a business in Logan County, Terry McClallen
says, “Do not do it alone. Reach out to those who have gone before you.
Relying on each other brings community together.”
Store hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday’s 8 a.m.
to 1 p.m. To shop online, you can go to jandmmeatmarket.com.
[Angela Reiners] |
