A GOOD, FRESH, juicy hamburger can make any day better, and when the meat comes from Rian’s Fatted Calf Meat Shoppe, it is almost guaranteed to be good. As a family-owned and -operated local business, Rian’s works hard to bring healthy and local meat to the city of Bowling Green. The shop’s success, through many challenges, speaks to the family’s connection with the local community.
Rian Barefoot was not the original owner of the shop on 31 W. Bypass, but he has been the head butcher from the very beginning. He bought the shop in 2007 when the owner retired and has since grown Rian’s Fatted Calf through a location change, a pandemic, a tornado, and all the other ups and downs of life. His wife, Penny, and his three children, Steven, Kathy, and Jamie, work with him. His son, Steven Bartos, said the store thrives on that family-friendly atmosphere. Working together drives each of them to work harder.
“Who you can trust most is your family,” Bartos said. “We strive to always please the customer and to help each other out.”
The first significant change at Rian’s Fatted Calf was their move from 31 W. Bypass to Broadway Avenue in 2019. Bartos said this move gave them more space to grow and made the shop more comfortable for customers. The move was successful, and the shop flourished.
“Being on 31 W. Bypass, our parking was abysmal, and we wanted a larger space,” Bartos said. “We continued to just put our head down [and] grind forward. A lot of times, it was just me and [my dad]. Then my mom started really coming aboard, and then we just kept growing and growing.”
It wasn’t long after the move that the pandemic hit, shutting stores down across the nation and making supply lines slower. For Rian’s, however, it wasn’t all bad.
“As much as it crippled our economy and hurt so many, COVID was a blessing and a curse for us at the same time,” Bartos said. “You had a lot of the grocery stores during that time that were limiting the amount of stuff that you could purchase. They were running out of it because they deal with primarily factory farms, and with us, we have a consistent supply.”
Rian’s didn’t change their price and kept everything as friendly and safe as possible, and in response, their business boomed.
“We grew so many customers during that time that just never really knew about us or gave us the opportunity,” Bartos said. “Once they found out our quality of product, they’ve been with us ever since.”
Even after the pandemic ended, things didn’t remain positive for long. In 2021, the devastating tornado that swept through Bowling Green destroyed their building, forcing Rian’s to close for over a year.
“It was devastating for residential properties, commercial properties, and unfortunately, the loss of life,” Bartos said. “We were shut down for 15 months. It really kind of boiled down to the supply chain. We couldn’t really get [the] materials that we needed for our contractor to get us to open.”
The family was worried they would lose many of their long-term customers because of that closure, but when the shop opened again, the community came swarming back.
“[It] really meant a lot to my family,” Bartos said. “We just continue to grow and just continue to be a staple and try to have a quality product.”
One blessing that came during the tornado’s aftermath was a new connection with a seafood provider. As a landlocked area, it is unique for the shop to be able to carry fresh, wild-caught seafood alongside its beef, chicken, and pork. Now, after reopening, Rian’s Fatted Calf is still steadily growing in customer base and products offered.
“We’re continuing to grow here locally with everyone, and there’s more demand as people are becoming more educated on the subject for more of an all-natural product,” Bartos said. “As our community becomes more educated, there’s a higher demand, so our farmers are more inclined to supply that product. That way, they can put food on their table.”
Rian’s Fatted Calf Meat Shoppe connects local consumers with local growers, and the family is proud of the work they do for the community.
“We will always pride ourselves with carrying only the best products for our great city of Bowling Green and surrounding counties — plus being as fast and as efficient and friendly as possible,” Bartos said.
With hard work and community support, Rian’s will continue to provide excellent products for years to come, no matter what challenges arise. GN
