Searing success: Southern Steer Butcher teams up with SiteZeus to stake its claim in the meat industry

With a commitment to providing sustainably sourced artisanal meats, Southern Steer Butcher prides itself on offering a wide selection of cuts, from juicy steaks to succulent beef roasts and homemade sausages. In addition to fresh meats, the brand sells complementary products like gourmet rubs, marinades, side dishes, and specialty sauces.

But at Southern Steer, it’s not just about the food; it’s also about the experience. Master chefs and novice cooks alike can rely on the staff’s expertise and food prep classes to find the ideal cuts, flavors, and wine pairings for their next culinary creation.

Pinpointing prime markets

Established in 2013, Southern Steer scaled rapidly even through the pandemic and now boasts four units in key Florida hubs. Eager to expand its operations, the company has joined forces with SiteZeus to accelerate its growth and facilitate strategic decision-making as it enters new markets and delves into franchising.

Southern Steer founder and CEO Greg Snyder intends to use the location-intelligence platform to develop the company’s growth plans for new regions:

One of the reasons we needed SiteZeus was to lock in our new territories, making them as strategic as possible to maximize the number of units.”

By determining which areas are the most promising and how many stores they can accommodate, Greg and his team can proactively minimize sales cannibalization and create an effective territory pricing structure.

Carving out a strong strategy

As it pioneers the return of the neighborhood butcher, Southern Steer is relying on SiteZeus to supply the intel it needs to help franchisees make sound decisions.

With SiteZeus, we’ll be able to validate the information brokers are giving us to help our franchisees make the best decisions possible.”

Unlike other providers, SiteZeus offers detailed insights beyond basic demographics with analyses like geosocial segmentation — an innovative approach to market research that uses data on customers’ social media interactions. Greg is excited to have quick access to this info, which has implications for every facet of the business, from site selection to marketing and operations:

We can find our top customer segments and study their online activity — a whole layer of traceability that’s beyond what you’d get from a real estate broker.”

Greg says that in addition to studying Southern Steer’s customer base, he can use SiteZeus to identify synergistic brands and competitors in each region. This context will guide the company’s site selection, helping it secure locations near other venues that are already attracting its target customers. Once Greg and his team have found a high-potential area, they can use mobile data to analyze customers’ travel patterns, which he trusts “will be a big indicator of how close together we can place stores and have them succeed.” By determining the optimal store proximity for each market, Southern Steer can mitigate sales impact to ensure sustained success for each location and safeguard franchisees’ investments.

Working with a seasoned team

While leaders at some emerging brands might be hesitant to adopt the latest location-intelligence technology, Greg knew that establishing a solid real estate strategy was crucial to positioning Southern Steer for long-term success.

My training with Marisa was great. She’s super thorough and very patient with us. Anytime I’ve emailed her a question, she’s been quick to respond and send me resources I can use, and her support has extended beyond the implementation phase.”

By partnering with SiteZeus, Southern Steer Butcher has prepared itself for full-speed infill growth, confident market expansion, and fruitful franchising endeavors.