BEATRICE - Justin’s Neighborhood Meats in Beatrice is more than just your average butcher shop—it’s an important part of the community.

Owner Justin Schele serves southeast Nebraska with quality local meat, putting in 60 hours of work each week.

“We’ve been open six years and we try to keep it simple here,” Schele said. “We got your basic cuts of beef and basic cuts of pork and chicken as well."

Schele’s roots in butchering go back to his college days.

“In college I worked in a grocery store down in Marysville. They asked me if I would want to work in the meat department,” Schele said. “Of course I was just looking at the money, because it would be higher wage, so I went, and ended up loving it.”

But he didn’t stay in the business right after. Before returning to butchering, Shay-lee worked in retail. However, he couldn't stay away from the business he had grown to love.

“I was with them for 15 years and decided I wanted to get back on my own,” Schele said. “I always enjoyed cutting meat, so I was able to put this together and roll with it.”

Justin’s has all the meats one would need to have a quality grill out, as well as some unique items.

“Most popular on the steak side is the ribeye,” Schele said. “On the hamburgers, we have a chuck patty, we have a bacon burger, which is basically ground up beef with bacon inside, we have a brat burger.”

In addition to serving southeast Nebraska a wide-variety of quality local meats, Justin’s also serves the community, supplying a number of area businesses with their meat products.

“Basically, we have to watch each other’s backs,” Schele said. “We help them out, they help us out, just support one another, and build relationships as well too.”

To Schele, being a part of the community and helping other businesses is simply the way Justin’s does business.