IU graduates open business next week

For two IU graduates, a class assignment is about to come to life. \nBeginning Oct. 11, a new meat market called The Butcher Block will be open on the corner of Third Street and the Bypass between Starbucks and Best Buy. Its specialty will be in serving the finest meats cut to the customer's wishes. \nThe Butcher Block is owned and operated by two IU graduates: Jason Schaffer, a Kelley School of Business graduate, and David Shell, a School of Public and Environmental Affairs graduate. The two formed the idea of opening a business that specializes in meat cutting.\n"The Butcher Block will offer high quality meat cut on demand, fresh seafood, fresh local grown chicken, a specialty deli and an inside smoker," Shell said. "The store is a combination of old meat market service with the features to meet the needs of today's methods of cooking." \nBut the alumni didn't begin with high hopes in the meat cutting business. While working at Mr. D's grocery store and attending college, the two students heard the need for better customer service than most grocery stores in the area could offer.\n"We would hear customers wanting their meat cut a certain way or requesting a certain type of meat. (The) majority of the time, the grocery store could not offer anything except for what they had behind the case," Shell said. "Working at Mr. D's and listening to the customers, we decided to go into the meat cutting business."\nSchaffer was taking the IU course W311 Small Business Entrepreneurship in the Kelley School of Business when the course required him to develop a 35- to 40-page business plan for opening a business in the Bloomington area. Schaffer used the duo's idea to create a butcher shop as his W311 business plan. Schaffer's professor, Joe Denekamp, took a serious interest in what the two students were working toward. \n"In Jason's business plan, he did extensive research about opening a butcher shop in the Bloomington area. Jason realized that a part of Bloomington wasn't being served," Denekamp said. "Jason and David created a business that will offer high quality meat that will be cut to the individual's liking."\nDenekamp helped Schaffer formulate and fine tune his business proposal. \n"Professor Denekamp helped David and I develop our business," Schaffer said. "I was in constant contact with him and he offered very helpful advice, which helped us get our business off the ground."\n-- Contact staff writer Nick Pittman at npittman@indiana.edu.