For years, beef jerky has been a high-protein, low-calorie snack among astronauts in space (and sofanauts at home). But did you know there’s a national chain looking to cater to the portable food’s popularity?
Neither did we.
The world’s first beef jerky franchise, Beef Jerky Outlet , has brought an entire store dedicated to jerky to Clearwater Beach — and the plan is to grow to more than 100 locations across the country in the next 18 months.
This isn’t your gas station or convenience store or supermarket beef jerky, though. The Clearwater Beach Beef Jerky Outlet, owned by married couple Carrie Stec and Craig Eihl, carries specialty meats like kangaroo, alligator and elk in jerky form, and flavors that vary from moonshine to Cajun.
At 483 Mandalay Ave., the local store’s grand opening at 11 a.m. Saturday will showcase jerky samples, deals, a live radio broadcast and prizes. The Pinellas chapter of Religious Community Services (RCS) will also receive 10 percent of the outlet’s gross sales.
These outlets stock 200-plus types and sizes of the dried, smoked meat for shoppers. The Clearwater Beach location is the chain’s fifth in Florida; the others operate in Destin, Orlando and Fort Myers.
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 6, 2016.