Beef Jerky Outlet in Columbia to celebrate grand opening

Store to donate a percentage of proceeds to uvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

 

Locals and people across the nation are devouring beef jerky with a vengeance, making the snack a favorite of men, women and even astronauts! The snack’s popularity is also growing across South Carolina, and the newest Beef Jerky Outlet franchise will celebrate its grand opening April 2 in Columbia. The celebration is going to be a spectacular event, complete with live radio broadcasts, tasty samples and amazing deals for customers.

This local Beef Jerky Outlet specializes in more than 200 jerky varieties and sizes, including specialty meats like kangaroo, alligator, venison and elk with exotic flavors ranging from Moonshine to Cajun.

“Beef jerky is the latest food craze with Americans craving high protein, low fat snacks,” said Kassandra Segars, owner of the Columbia Beef Jerky Outlet. “We are really looking forward to providing a different selection of the popular snack to people in our community and those just shopping in the area.”

Leading up to the grand opening event April 2, the store will have specialized sales each day of the week starting March 28.

• Moonshine Monday shoppers receive ten percent off moonshine jerky purchases.
• T-shirt Tuesday where all T-shirts are discounted ten percent.
• Humpday Ham Day offers a tasty ten percent off all ham jerky.
• Thirsty Thursday features a free 20-ounce coke product with the purchase of any bag of jerky.
• Fire Friday boasts a ten percent reduction on anything from our legendary Hot Zone.
• Saucy Saturday shoppers can enjoy ten percent off of any sauce, rub or extract.

As part of the grand opening celebration, one lucky customer will win free jerky for a year. The drawing will take place in the store April 2at 6 p.m. The big winner will get a 4-ounce bag of jerky each week for the next year.

To celebrate the Beef Jerky Outlet joining the Columbia community, ten percent of gross sales on April 2 will be donated to the Palmetto chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). As a former school teacher for Lexington County Public Schools District 1, Segars has a personal connection to JDRF.

“Watching children in my classroom struggle to learn and interact with their peers because of their juvenile diabetes was heart breaking. We at the Columbia Beef Jerky Outlet want to give back and help these kids in need. We want to do everything we can to fight this disease,” she said.

History of Beef Jerky:

The word jerky has its origins in the native languages of South America. In the 1800s, the term “jerky” quickly spread across the new world to describe the process of smoking, drying and curing beef. American Indians, cowboys and pioneers made and embraced jerky as an easily transportable and long lasting food source. Jerky has traditionally been the No. 1 favorite snack of the military, and for years, NASA has sent it up to our astronauts in space.

Today, jerky is selling like crazy with the general population because of America’s demand for lightweight, high protein foods. Jerky is lean, high in protein and nutritional value and low in calories, carbohydrates and fat (jerky is only 3 percent fat).

• IRI, a Chicago based market research firm, reports sales of jerky jumped 46 percent from 2009-2013, catapulting it to a $1.24 billion industry.

• Jerky is in the beef snack category – the fastest growing segment of the snack food industry (Convenience Store Decisions, Nov. 2012).

• Our nation’s health craze is fueling the jerky revolution as runners, weight lifters, hikers and weekend warriors eat it before, during and after exercise.

• Jerky is a popular snack for folks on the trendy Paleo diet, which urges consumers to eat foods from their hunter/gatherer ancestors.

• Jerky is catching on for women too, because the cured, low fat snack provides an energy boost without spoiling the diet. A study at Penn State University found physically active women, ages 18–45, consider jerky more convenient and satisfying than tortilla chips.

• Chefs are now incorporating jerky into their gourmet dishes. You can find jerky on the menus of high end restaurants in Four Seasons hotels and others throughout the country.

 

About the Beef Jerky Outlet

The Beef Jerky Outlet is the world’s first national beef jerky franchise that has grown to six founder-owned stores, 47 franchise stores, and in the next 18 months, will grow to more than 100 locations across the U.S. The Beef Jerky Outlet specializes in more than 200 jerky varieties and sizes including kangaroo, alligator, venison and elk with exotic flavors ranging from Moonshine to Cajun. The dried, smoked meat has traditionally been the No. 1 favorite snack of the military, and for years NASA sent jerky up to the astronauts in space. Today, jerky is selling like crazy with the general population because of America’s demand for low fat, low calories foods that are high in protein. IRI, a Chicago based market research firm, reports sales of jerky jumped 46 percent from 2009-2015, catapulting it to a $1.24 billion industry. For more information, please visit columbiasc.beefjerkyoutlet.com.