Wayne’s Meat Market

Wayne Sosebee, his wife Debbie, and his son Eric are the new owners of Wayne’s Meat Market, located at 307 W Emery Street in Dalton, Georgia. Wayne has been working in the grocery business for 41 years and counting. He met Debbie, his wife, while working together at Stafford’s Foodlane in 1980. They married in 1983 and have been married for 37 years. They have two children, Eric and Briana, the latter of whom lives in Oregon. The Sosebee family feel fortunate to own their own business. The journey began with Wayne’s learning and accumulating skills and knowledge from a young age over the years. He credits this to some great mentors throughout his career.

Wayne started out working for Neil Westmoreland at Town and Country Market. Neil took him under his wing and taught him a great work ethic. At Stafford’s Foodlane, Ed Pippin and Fletcher Cline had years of experience and shared with Wayne their wisdom and skills that he took to heart to improve himself as a meat cutter. Marvin Green hired him at The Green Spot Grocery, where he worked for 12 years in the meat market. After Marvin’s death, Wayne went to work at The Chop Shop, then Emery Street Market. He feels blessed to have had these men influence his life for 26 // September 2020

the better. He was pleased to play the role of mentor for his own son.

Eric began working with his dad at the Chop Shop training as a butcher and grill cook right out of high school. In December of 2019, Emery Street was going to close the butcher shop, and Wayne and his family decided to look for a location and start their own business. The opportunity to lease their current location came quickly. On January 1, 2020, Wayne’s Meat Market was formed. Debbie, who owned her own day care business for 12 years, closed it so she could join the business in March full time. She serves as accountant, oversees groceries, helps Eric make deli salads, and bakes desserts. They work well together and take pride in the services they provide.

The support from the customers and community of Dalton and Whitfield County has been a blessing. We were so happy during our first month of operation with the support that we received. We have gained many new customers from as far away as Chattanooga, Atlanta, and Blue Ridge, Georgia. The recent pandemic crisis that affected food supplies at major stores caused people to seek meat elsewhere. We were fortunate, being a small business, that our suppliers didn’t have any issues getting products to us. We worked hard but were happy we could continue to provide needed food to our community. Our great customers helped spread the word that we were here.

We would love for people to visit our store in Dalton. Wayne’s Meat Market is a butcher market with oldfashioned meat counters. Customers can order meat by pound, pieces, special cuts, or any way you want it. We grind our ground beef and ground chuck daily in house with top-quality meats. We have the best cube steak you can buy: so tender you need a spatula to turn it. We proudly sell Certified Angus Beef that’s aged a minimum of 28 days and all-natural chicken and pork. In the deli, we have oldfashioned stick bologna, market-shaved ham, and Boar’s Head Meats and Cheese selections. Eric and Debbie make all deli salads in house, and customers love Debbie’s sweet cole slaw. They also make a variety of homemade cakes sold by the slice, or you can order whole cakes. We have Eric’s great twice-baked potatoes and sweet potatoes, and we offer a great variety of grocery items that complement our meat selections: fresh produce, Thomason Eggs, and local produce when it’s in season.

We support our community and go the extra mile for our loyal customers. Customers can come into our store

and be greeted by name and talk about their families. We offer a friendly atmosphere where everyone feels welcome. Wayne proudly shares his fishing stories. He always has a story or comment to make you laugh: a little conversation for everyone. We guarantee everyone will leave with a smile and a greeting that lets you know we care about you. Customers can find us on Facebook at Wayne’s Meat Market. Like our page to receive weekly sales ads and notifications. We are open Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Our phone number is 706-671- 1105. We will forever be “Your Hometown Butchers.”