~ Three Generations Of History ~ Empire Store Great Grandpa and Grandpa Around the turn of the century, Great Grandpa Deering opened a meat market in the small town of Empire. The town was located near Michigan’s famous Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes on the shores of Lake Michigan. His children started working in the store at a young age and the sons eventually took over day to day operations. In 1931, about the time Grandpa Deering’s fifth child was born, he decided that the store could no longer support all the siblings and their children. He decided to move his family to the larger town of Traverse City.   In Traverse City, Grandpa bought a home near the corner of Twelfth and Union Street. The large corner lot allowed him room to build a second Deering’s Market. The children worked in the store after school and weekends, learning the meat business. When grown, their experience helped Grandpa’s two older sons open up their own grocery store. My father Paul, the baby of the family, took over the Union Street store. He expanded the store and added groceries, soft drinks and beer. Deertings Store 1930's Inside Store 1930's    Grandma and Grandpa   Around 1975, my father started experimenting with smoking Jerky in a wood smoker behind the store. The "Classic Beef Jerkey" was the result of that experimentation. In the mid 1970’s, a large section of the store was extensively remodeled. It was modified to comply with Federal Meat Inspection regulations and included a ‘state-of-the-art’ stainless steel smoker, preparation areas, a walk-in cooler and large freezer. The Great Jerkey experiment had begun!   Honey Honey Turkey Jerkey was the next successful flavor, soon followed by Barbecue and Cajun Turkey Jerkeys. A local company brought in their homemade style specialty mustards and the sweet taste of honey blended with the tang of the mustards made Honey Bunny Turkey Jerkey an instant success. My Dad   Jerry and his sons Jake, Paul, and James After working years for my father and another large grocery store, I finally bought the store from my dad in October of 1996. My name is Jerry and my three sons are learning the business, working at my side just as my Grandpa did with his father. We have added Cherry Beef Jerkey, Cherry Baby Turkey Jerkey, Hot & Spicy Beef Jerkey, Venison Jerkey and our newest star "Deering's Wonderful" Turkey Jerkey. This, too, is made with a local product named "Stuff’s Deering's Wonderful."   We are also continuing the tradition of growing with each generation. We have added a new cooler and a large selection of wines, including many from the fine local wineries in our area. We continue to make the delicious smoked meats we’ve become famous for and are constantly adding more. Our newest selections include smoked ribs, smoked chickens and turkeys and venison hunter and summer sausages. Three Generations of Deerings: Paul, Jerry, and James   Paul, Valeriy, James and Jerry                   Home  |  Gallery  |  History  |  Site Map  |  OnLine Store  |  Special Events                         Links  |  Order Form  |  Wholesale Order Form  |  Contact Us  Proudly Serving Our Clients Throughout Northern Michigan Copyright © Deerings Market & Deli Web Development and Search Engine Optimization By ProWeb Marketing