Butcher shop to replace laundromat at popular Whitefish market

The Alpine Village Market has saved more than a few last-minute shoppers in need of a quick bite or a tank of gas on their way up to Big Mountain. It stands on Wisconsin Avenue as the northern outpost of Whitefish’s commercial activity, and coming soon, the Alpine Village Market will offer an even meatier array of options at the popular grocery store and gas station complex.

Owner Alan Reisch is in the process of converting the coin-operated laundromat on site into a butcher shop, and he hopes the new feature will be open early this summer. Reisch said the addition — tentatively dubbed “Alpine Chop Shop” — should be an added convenience at the multipurpose business.

“We just try and provide what the customer wants in one location,” Reisch said, acknowledging the Alpine Village Market operates in a kind of gray area between a traditional convenience shop and a full-sized grocery store.

“It’s kind of unique,” he noted.

He described the business model as “a grocery store that sells gas,” and he thought bringing on a full butcher shop would enhance that approach.

Though the gas pumps are an obvious draw for the Alpine Village Market, Reisch said the spot has gained popularity over the years thanks to its large selection of grocery items and, particularly, the expansive wine and beer selection.

That’s partly why he thought the turn to a butcher shop would go so well with the current setup there.

“I figured it would be a good fit,” he said.

MEATS HAVE long been featured as part of the Alpine Village Market’s grocery selection, but Reisch noticed a desire for a more local approach to this side of the business.

“We’re trying to provide a unique experience that our customers have told us that they want over here,” he said.

Some of Alpine’s meat products previously had to be sourced from beyond the market, but with Alpine Chop Shop, meat can be cut and packaged right next door. What’s more, Alpine Chop Shop is going to employ a local butcher with some 20 years of experience in the industry, so quality will be just as important as convenience.

Customers will have the option of going directly to the butcher shop to pick out their cuts, or meat selections will be packaged separately and sold ready-to-go in the market.

The Alpine Chop Shop will fall under the Alpine Village Market at least in the beginning, but Reisch said it’s possible he might eventually hand the reins to the butcher.

That will likely depend on future factors, such as when the space is renovated and ready to open, how customers respond to the change and the workforce that can be brought on to staff the butcher shop. Reisch said the butcher has a few go-to guys he can count on to join him at the new shop, but the staff most likely will need to expand to cover all the new responsibilities.

It will certainly be a big change from the unmanned coin-op laundry that’s currently in place at the site of the future butcher shop.

Reisch understands a few laundry patrons might be disappointed by the announcement of the new butcher shop, but he ultimately thinks it’ll be better for everyone to move the business in a new direction. The laundromat had reached a point where it needed a lot of equipment updates and renovations, so Reisch decided it would make the most sense to start fresh.

In general, consumer trends seem to favor the Alpine Village Market’s forthcoming transformation.

Reisch said the past year has been a busy one for the store. It was a record year for ski season pass sales drawing extra traffic to Whitefish Mountain Resort, and COVID-19 restrictions that curtailed bar and restaurant business translated into a banner year for Alpine Market’s alcohol sales.

“We’ve been fortunate,” Reisch said in reflection, and he’s looking forward to continued good fortune as he beefs up his local business.

Alpine Village Market is located at 721 Wisconsin Ave. in Whitefish.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at (406)-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.