By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
Donny Arnsperger says we’re living in a craft culture.
“We talk of specialty socks, and specialty bourbon,” he says.
So, what did he do?
He created a specialty beef jerky. Enter Ari Jerkowitz – but more on him, later.
“We were butchering our own steaks at Walts,” the co-owner of the famous Hitching Post in Fort Wright told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “We’d use that meat for burgers, chili and quesadillas.”
Still the overflow had to be – and was – donated to local charities like the Soup Kitchen, according to Arnsperger.
“There’s just gotta be a way to make some money with this extra meat,” he remembered. “I walked past the beef jerky aisle in Kroger, and figured it out.”
Arnsperger purchased a table-top dehydrator and the creation was underway.
“The early tests were quite positive,” he said,. “Everyone loved it, including our staff.”
What was so different?
“Normal beef jerky,” he said, “You can pull your teeth out. Ours was like a filet.”
So, about five or six years ago, Arnsperger could not exactly remember, the Beef Jerky Company was formed.
Not so easy. And not so fast.
“We really had to find someone to make it for us,” he said, “And with the pandemic, well, that really slowed the progress.”
Finally, after numerous calls, he said we found a distributor. In Michigan.
“Yeah, he finally called me back,” Arnsperger joked. “We shipped him, a five-gallon bucket of with our barbeque sauce.”
And guess what – the man from Michigan nailed it – at least that was Donny Arnsperger’s response.
So much so, the company was started – and the man from Michigan and his company was contracted to make the new concoction.
Next – what to call it? And that is where the craft comes in.
Arnsperger and partner Bronson Trebbi are not only foodies – but marketers.
“We looked at every bag of beef jerky,” Arnsperger said, “And the packaging looked the same. We wanted something with pizzazz. Something with vibrant colors.
And something with a name that, well, stands alone.
Enter Ari Jerkowitz
“My son’s name is Ari,” Arnsperger said. So where did the Jerkowitz come from? “Bronson played football at Western Michigan University and had a roommate with as last name of Jerkowitz.”
It fit. Perfectly.
Now – how to market Mr. Jerkowitz.
Arnsperger and Trebbi met with Adam Greenberg, owner of TOPICZ.
“They distribute to all local gas stations, food marts and convenience stores,” he said. “A buddy of ours introduced us to Adam, and he said at the time, ‘I’d like to take a look at your beef jerky.’”
Today Greenberg is more than looking. “It’s taken off,” he told the Tribune, “With great success; and it’s a great local staple.”
Ari Jerkowitz is sold on-line and in Shop-the-King on Amazon and in Adam’s e-store. It is Keto friendly tender cuts of smoked and dried round steak beef jerky.
Locally, Ari Jerkowitz is available at Kremer’s Market (755 Buttermilk Pike, Crescent Springs) and, of course at Walt’s Hitching Post (3300 Madison Pike, Fort Wright).
The name may be funny – but the beef jerky is deadly serious.
As for Trebbi and Arnsperger, they purchased Walt’s from the Melton Trust in September, 2012.
“It’s an icon, and we wanted to bring it back,” said Arnsperger.
So, did Ari Jerkowitz.
Wonder what ever happened to that guy, anyway?