Illustration by Mike Dougherty
How did you come up with the name?
Tennel: When it comes to meat, people always think of “country, farm-fed, great quality,” not that processed stuff. That’s where the name “country” comes from—it symbolizes freshness.
How many years did this take to come to fruition?
Chanel: About three years, from the beginning stages to the build out, to the final end here.
Tennel: I think it’s different when you have more of a corporate structure, when you have multiple stores. But when you’re doing one store—your first store—there are numerous challenges that occur.
Like what?
Tennel: Construction not being on time, and parts not readily available to finish certain things when you’re trying to build out your cases. Nothing ever goes as planned when it comes to a new build, logistics, staging, to even when you’re about to open.
Chanel: And then just trying to make it be perfect. We wanted it to be this store we could pick up and put in any neighborhood. It doesn’t just have to go into an inner-city neighborhood. It can go in a Hyde Park, it can go in a Mason, it can go in a Montgomery.
How did you come up with the design/layout?
Tennel: We worked with a company that was awesome at seeing our vision. I wanted a feel of invitation, and I wanted a feel of community. Lighting was important. We were able to come up with different concepts to mix modern design with traditional textures to give you that fresh modern market feel.
What kind of customer feedback have you gotten?
Chanel: They feel like it’s an experience, a destination. They love the energy. They love the staff. It’s inviting.
Tennel: They told me that we were beyond blessed, and that we were superheroes for bringing a store to Avondale, where no one else would do it.
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