Meet Friendly Nick's Butcher, the new meat market coming to Fort Collins this summer

A new meat market with jerky, sausages and premarinated meals is coming to Fort Collins.

Nick Chase plans to open Friendly Nick’s Butcher by early summer out of an old consignment shop in the Scotch Pines Village shopping center at 2601 S. Lemay Ave. It will join a handful of other retail meat markets in Fort Collins.

“I think there’s a real need for a traditional Old World butcher shop,” Chase said. “I want to bring that atmosphere here.”

Chase has been finalizing homemade jerky and sausage recipes for the store with a smoker in the backyard of his Fort Collins home the past few months. Friendly Nick’s Butcher will also offer bacon, steaks, pork, presmoked ribs and seasoned meals that customers can take home and cook.

The operation plans to source whole animals from within a 200-mile radius. Retail meats will be the store's focus, although it will have a dine-in deli featuring a sandwich of the day.

Chase said he was inspired to open Friendly Nick's Butcher by his time living in Brooklyn near meat markets in Italian and Polish neighborhoods.

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He previously worked as a sous chef at three New York City restaurants and was a brewer for four years at the since-closed Pateros Creek Brewing of Fort Collins.

“I want to make as many unique products as I can and bring some diversity to the food scene,” Chase said.

A few other Fort Collins operations currently specialize in retail meat products.

Colorado State University has a student-run operation called Ram Country Meats that’s open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Emporium Kitchen & Wine makes some of its own sausages and has a large retail case inside the new Elizabeth Hotel. Choice City Butcher & Deli is primarily a restaurant but also offers a number of retail meats. Beaver’s Market has a storied meat department and is especially known for its homemade sausages.

There are also a handful of Mexican meat markets throughout Fort Collins.

Friendly Nick's Butcher will join Sprouts Market, Rebel Popcorn, The Fox and The Crow Bistro, Elevation 5003 Distillery, Great Harvest Bread Co., Moondance Wine & Spirits, Starbucks, Island Grill, The Garlic Knot and Rise! A Breakfast Place as part of the Scotch Pines Village shopping center.

Follow Jacob Laxen on Twitter and Instagram @jacoblaxen.

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