By Leigh Flynn Doty, Rapides Parish Journal

Keeping a legacy alive while preparing for the future are two of the main motivators for one central Louisiana business owner.

Chris Warren and his brother, Nick, are the fifth generation of their family to operate meat markets. They, along with their mother, Barbara, took over operation of Town and Country Meat Center earlier this year when their father, Randy, passed away.

“This last year was a really tough year,” he said. “But we wanted to keep his dream alive and make him proud.”

The long family business actually began in Memphis, TN. Once the family moved to central Louisiana, Larry Warren, Chris’s grandfather, opened the store on Masonic Drive. That was in the early 1980s. Randy took it over in the early 2000s, and now his wife and sons are carrying on the tradition.

The ways in which the Warrens are keeping the family story alive are numerous. One of the most visible indicators is the new “Warren Brothers Town and Country Meat Center” sign that was hung this past week. Their grandfather’s story began at Warren Brothers in Memphis, and now, with the most recent brothers taking over operations, Chris said “it just felt right” to include their history in their name. “But don’t get me wrong! We are still Town and Country.”

In fact, Chris says it’s the quality of the product that sets them apart from their competitors.

“This is going to sound funny, but customer service is not our number one priority,” he said. “It’s actually the quality of our product. We only sell the best!”

With prices rising on virtually everything, he said it is difficult to keep their prices level for their customers. But, one thing he emphasizes is that the quality of their product will not be sacrificed for the sake of savings.

Having been in the meat business for more than 20 years, Chris has seen many changes. The push for more “fake meat” to reduce costs for consumers may be appealing to some stores, but “That’s one thing we will never have. It has absolutely no nutritional value.”

Some people may be persuaded by the “choice meats” that some of the bigger markets sell, but Chris warns that consumers need to be aware of some facts.

“What we have is about 75 percent better than what big box stores carry. Choice meat is a term that is confusing, because it may sound superior, but there are many different grades of meat.”

Town and Country does work to meet the expectations of customers who want grass-fed beef, but even that is not, in Warren’s opinion, the best choice of meat. “You can tell the difference. It is tougher than grain-fed beef. With tenderloins displayed side by side, you can see the difference.”

Ultimately, he said that consumers need to remember that, although their meats may be more expensive than larger markets, the quality more than makes up the difference. “If you want a good cut of meat without harmful antibiotics, and you want to eat healthy, come see us. You will get better quality. You will notice the difference. It may cost a bit more, but you will notice the difference.”

Some of the products that Town and Country Meat Center offers include homemade boudin and sausage. They also sell turkeys and hams, and they are offering some newer items such as salmon and lobster tails.

In an effort to support other local businesses, they also provide steaks and ground beef to some local restaurants.

The fall is one of the market’s busiest times, since they process deer meat in addition to the other services they provide. And during the holidays, they offer smoked turkeys, fried turkeys, fresh turkeys, smoked brisket, ham, leg quarters, stuffed chickens, and many other items.

They also have boudin balls, boudin links, and cracklins available for purchase during the day.

“We are trying to bring in new ideas while we still take care of the things we know well,” he said. “We are just doing the things and keeping his dream going like he would have wanted us to do. These are our roots. It’s what we do.”

Warren Brothers Town and Country Meat Center is located at 5801 Masonic Drive in Alexandria. Their hours are 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday. They can be reached by calling 318-445-2791.