20-year-old Battle Creek man transforms passion for beef jerky into thriving business

BATTLE CREEK — Zaccari Frailey doesn't want to look back one day and wonder, why not?

At 20 years old, the graduate of Harper Creek High School is intent on making the most of every moment, transforming his love of beef jerky into a thriving business and now, a local convenience store.

Jerk Your Beef Local Convenience, 1125 E. Michigan Ave. Suite 3, opened its doors to the public on Dec. 1, offering a variety of snacks, beverages and other must-have items — not to mention a wide selection of Frailey's homemade jerky.

The store is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.

"I’m very appreciative and humbled to be in this position. I’m extremely blessed," Frailey said. "Surrounding myself with the people I’ve surrounded myself with made every difference … I'm just appreciative and hungry for more."

'My card declined'

Frailey was a junior at Harper Creek High School when his entrepreneurial pursuits began. In fact, it can all be traced to one moment.

While attending school remotely amid pandemic-related shutdowns, Frailey took a job in construction working for his uncle. Beef jerky soon became part of his daily routine as he'd walk over to a neighboring gas station each day to get his fix.

One day while purchasing his daily jerky, his card was declined.

More: Battle Creek to honor National Day of Racial Healing with community events, conversations

"I was like, 'Hey, I have to come up with an alternative,'" Frailey remembers thinking in the moment. He had only $100 to his name at that point, and after careful consideration, decided to spend $70 of it on all of the materials necessary to make his own jerky.

The process of learning how to make his own jerky was admittedly "trial and error," but by the second batch, Frailey knew he had something.

"I started just making my own for me and the guys at work, not even as a business, just as a hobby, just to try something and it was good, I enjoyed doing it," he said.

It got to the point where when Frailey stopped making the jerky for a brief period of time, his friends demanded he make some more, offering to pay him for it.

A friend subsequently asked if Frailey would be interested in selling his jerky during an informal event at the Battle Creek Harley-Davidson dealership. Frailey had to work that day, but he sent his girlfriend to the dealership in his place.

In four hours at the dealership, "I made what I made in an entire month at my job," Frailey explained. "(At the time), I was only making $100 a week, just getting by."

It was at that point Frailey flipped a switch, beginning the process of establishing an LLC in late 2020. He subsequently set up shop inside Sprout BC's incubator kitchen, making as much jerky as possible as he prepared to sell at farmers markets throughout West Michigan.

"I’ve always admired entrepreneurship," Frailey said. "I enjoy making jerky, I genuinely enjoy doing it and I’m able to also live off of it, that’s when I was like, 'OK, I’d much rather do this than (anything else).'"

With success at farmers markets in Battle Creek, Marshall, Kalmazoo, Portage, Grand Rapids and Vicksburg, Frailey and his team soon realized they were outgrowing their capabilities at Sprout BC. They needed a space of their own.

An opportunity at 1125 E. Michigan Ave. arose, where Frailey and his team now manufacture all of the jerky on-site. Flavors include honey garlic, teriyaki, hickory smoked and sriracha, among others.

"We get the most prime grade meat that we can get our hands on, so we get filet mignon and we hand trim it, we slice it, we throw it in our homemade marinade for 24 hours before we slow smoke it," Frailey explained. "It’s falling off the bone tender."

'Why just stop at beef jerky?'

A retail space in the front of the 1,200-square-foot location compelled Frailey to expand the venture beyond his beef jerky into a convenience store.

"I’m in the middle of two apartment complexes with a total of like 750 units. Why just stop at beef jerky?" Frailey explained. "I’m right here."

Frailey's focus is on how he can make the store "the most convenient for the people around here." He plans to offer thin crust pizza at the store in the coming weeks, offering takeout and free delivery within a 10-mile radius until 2 a.m. each day.

Reflecting on his journey thus far, Frailey is filled with nothing but gratitude.

"I can’t take any of the credit, it’s not me at all," Frailey said. "It’s the people around me that really kept me going."

For more information about Jerk Your Beef Local Convenience, visit jybjerky.com or the Jerk Your Beef Facebook page.

Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: 20-year-old Michigan man kicks off Jerk Your Beef Local Convenience