Imagine this scene: You walk into Dorfler’s Meat Market (a.k.a. Dorfler’s) in Buffalo Grove and almost instantly you’re greeted warmly by your name. And yes, I do believe that they’re glad you came! Often, you’ll have the great opportunity to run into an old friend, your son’s teacher or your daughter’s dance instructor and catch up on each other’s lives. And that’s when you realize that Dorfler’s isn’t just a place to buy meat and other foods. It’s quite simply one of those places that builds a sense of community.
Dorfler’s is that special neighborhood “mom-and-pop” place, where many residents of Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Kildeer and surrounding neighborhoods frequent to buy their meats, fish, Boar’s Head deli items and other great products like the delicious bread from Shalom Bakery just around the corner. Need something fresh to serve for dinner? Or maybe a delicious sandwich for lunch? How about just once, catering that special occasion? I would be remiss to not include Dorfler’s most popular recipe; the infamous Dorfler’s Marinated Steak. Just throw it on the barbecue and BAM!, you’re serving up some delicious marinated steak! Served hot or cold, this steak is a family favorite.
The Great Employees of Dorfler's Meat Market
Now I know what you’re thinking, the above sounds like a marketing “plug” for Dorfler’s. However, that is not this post’s intention. You see, our family was transplanted here almost a decade ago from South Florida and while initially getting to know the area was new and exciting, we soon missed our old favorite local haunts and more than that, we missed being part of a community that already knew us. Dorfler’s helped ease our “homesickness” and for that I’m forever grateful.
We live in a world now where literally everyone in the world has the ability to not only “know” your name but are familiar with a version of you and your life thanks and according to the internet. Scary. Yes, I agree. Therein lies my reason for being a huge fan of Dorfler’s. I love the simplicity of walking in to Dorfler’s where an actual person will indeed greet me with a smile by my name. There’s a lot to say about building relationships on the internet but nothing beats “IRL” (in real life) interactions. Yes, a lot of people and businesses are trying hard to make their “presence” known and/or “branding” themselves on the web using a variety of social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or even Pinterest but in the end, are these channels really building viable relationships? Maybe, maybe not. I’m still on the fence on that one. What I do know for sure is that as humans, we cannot ever forget the importance of building healthy relationships offline. As a parent, I’m going to do my best to teach my kids how incredibly precious this opportunity is because I would so hate for them not to experience some of the “old school” stuff I did.
So, a big thank you to Keith and Julie Walger and the great gang at Dorfler’s for keeping it real =)!
