The award-winning products from Wahoo Locker are now available at Wine, Beer and Spirits at 1111 Allen Drive in Grand Island.
Wahoo Locker, known for its various award-winning meats and as the home of the Wahoo Wiener, has gained a reputation for excellence.
Charlie and Kristi Emswiler took ownership of Wahoo Locker in November 1998 and have since continued the tradition of sausage-making in Wahoo, resulting in significant growth and expansion over the years.
Now, Wahoo Locker’s products can be purchased at all WBS stores. These include fresh and frozen USDA choice meats such as steaks, burgers and chicken; the famous Wahoo Weiner available in more than 10 flavors; a variety of cured meats including jerky, sticks, and summer sausage in more than 20 flavors; gourmet sauces, spices, snacks, seasonal gift sets and more.
People are also reading…
Beau Starkel, CEO of Wine, Beer and Spirits, expressed excitement about adding Wahoo Locker products to their stores.
He said WBS has established a strong presence in key markets in Nebraska and believes that partnering with WBS will expand Wahoo Locker’s reach and accessibility to a larger portion of Nebraska’s population.
Established in the 1950s in Wahoo, Wahoo Locker has earned numerous state and national recognitions through countless competitions.
As a family-owned meat processing business, they opened a much larger retail location in 2013, with the second generation now learning the trade.
Wahoo Locker offers a full lineup of USDA-inspected choice meats, as well as a variety of cured meats, gourmet sauces, spices, snacks, kitchenware and catering services.
“It was just a great opportunity that I couldn’t turn down,” Charlie Emswiler said. “I wasn’t really looking to do all this, but sometimes you just get dealt what you get dealt. You don’t really want to just turn it down.”
He said the expansion to Wine, Beer and Spirit stores will help his family business.
“It’s definitely going to build our brand,” Emswiler said. “It’ll get our products out to probably close to 65% of the population of Nebraska by hitting all these bigger towns.”
Creating variety has also helped expand the brand name.
“We developed the majority of the recipes and all the different flavor profiles that we have developed them over the years,” Emswiler said. “I’ve tweaked them and changed them, and now I feel I’ve perfected them.”
He said they continue to diversify their line of meat products, spices and rubs.
“We brand our own stuff,” Emswiler said. “We’re family-owned. It’s all locally made. It’s good quality stuff.”
The Wahoo Wiener recipe was developed from a recipe given to him by an old-timer back in the ‘90s.
“It was his father’s and his father’s father that came from the old country when they came here from Germany,” he said. “He gave me that recipe that no one else had. It turned out to be a winner that put Wahoo Wieners back on the map.”
Companies like Wahoo Locker promote value-added agriculture in Nebraska as much of the source materials come from state producers and local processors.
“Just give us a try,” he said. “If you haven’t tried it, try it. The quality is very, very good. We use very good ingredients. We have a huge variety. Just give us a try.”
For more information, visit Wahoo Locker online at www.wahoolocker.com.