Family links
Jan. 15—GENESEE — A customer stopped by Genesee Meats with a $100 bill on a recent weekday eager to buy sausage.
He asked the owners, Dan Callahan, 63, and his son, Travis Callahan, 26, to give him as many links as his cash would cover, which turned out to be in excess of 14 pounds.
The man stayed for about 10 minutes, praising the meat as he chatted with the Callahans about their donation to a charity event, the ties between their families, weight loss, music and other topics.
That type of transaction, which is as much about building community as it is about business, is common at Genesee Meats, a fixture on the Palouse that's more than half a century old, the Callahans said.
The venture is at a crossroads. The younger Callahan is taking the reins of Genesee Meats from his father, settling down in a family-friendly career after holding a series of jobs in logging and construction that often took him away from home most of the week.
"(My dad) can't do it by himself," Travis said. "It's crazy to see how many people enjoy the sausage. A lot of them have been coming here forever. It would be hard to watch it die out or go to someone."
The business's iconic sausage still will be its focus, with Travis building on the tradition by growing sales and expanding its selection of specialty flavors.
What makes the sausage unique is its authenticity, Dan said.
The recipe has been passed down from the Genesee Meats founder, who brought it with him when he moved to the United States from Germany.
The Callahans make each batch themselves, mixing the pork with spices without any fillers, putting it in natural casings and smoking it over applewood.
"The Genesee sausage is mild so you can taste the meat and taste the smoke all kind of equally," Dan said.
To appeal to a larger audience, the Callahans have added more flavors, such as pepper jack and potato, selling them for $8 per pound, just $1 per pound more than the original variety.
The process for each variety takes five days. They cut the meat on Monday, make sausage on Tuesday when they taste it (one of their favorite parts), smoke it on Wednesdays, then wrap it on Thursdays and Fridays.
The approach has helped Genesee Meats develop a large following. The business supplies the Reubens Sausage Feed with 1,000 pounds for its annual event, Dan said.
The holidays are when sales are the heaviest, with orders arriving from as far away as Virginia, Arizona and California.
Dan has been one of the Callahans helping fill orders since he was a teenager.
He was entering ninth grade in 1973 when his parents, the late Marlyn Callahan and Loretta Callahan, purchased the business, which was then called Theissen and Sons.
Marlyn was among a number of butchers who worked at Meats Inc., a custom slaughterhouse in Clarkston, displaced when slack water arrived in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley and flooded the site where the business had been, Dan said.
He was soon working in the business, some of the time participating in a Genesee High School program that allowed students in apprenticeships to earn credits.
His parents taught him a lot, including how to interact with customers, some of whom appreciate the friendliness of Genesee Meats so much they've composed songs about the business, Dan said.
"Some of it was about how Mom and Dad trusted everybody," Dan said. "Customers could order sausage and Mom would just put a receipt in with it. When they got it, they could just send a check for the amount because we've never done plastic."
By request, they've completed special order types of sausages with meat provided by customers, including emu.
One hunter had them combine pheasant, duck blueberries and porridge.
"I don't think I tried it," Dan said. "They said it was good."
Though the reputation of Genesee Meats is solid, Travis believes he has some challenges ahead. After his grandparents died last year, some inaccurately thought the business might close.
Foot traffic fell when the most direct route from U.S. Highway 95 was blocked, forcing customers to drive into Genesee to reach the business.
That access was important since Genesee Meats is the only retail outlet for the sausage.
Travis is excited to tackle those issues and may even consider accepting credit cards.
"It will be nice to keep it going and keep people happy," he said.
Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.
Dan Callahan
Age: 63
Job Title: An owner of Genesee Meats
Education: Graduate of Genesee High School.
Job history: Has worked at Genesee Meats his entire career.
Family: Dan is the son of the late Marlyn and Loretta Callahan, who purchased Theissen and Sons in Genesee in 1973. He is married to Missy Callahan. They have two grown children, Cody Callahan and Travis Callahan. One of his sisters, Debi Zenner, is the Genesee City Clerk.
Hobbies: Plays bass and sings in the band Cowboy Justice.
Travis Callahan
Age: 26
Job Title: An owner of Genesee Meats.
Education: Graduate of Troy High School.
Job history: Worked jobs in construction, excavation and logging before joining Genesee Meats in November.
Family: Married to Kaitlan Callahan.
Genesee Meats is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1050 Genesee Ave. The telephone number to order sausage is (208) 285-1321.
"It's crazy to see how many people enjoy the sausage. A lot of them have been coming here forever. It would be hard to watch it die out or go to someone."
Travis Callahan, who is taking over the family business, Genessee Meats
