LINCOLN PARK — Change isn't common at Gepperth's Meat Market, but sometimes it's necessary to stay afloat.
The nearly 110-year-old butcher shop is about to start selling beer. Wine, too.
It will also be extending its hours to include Sunday afternoons, perfect for those looking to celebrate the summer with backyard burgers on the grill.
For Otto Demke, it wasn't an easy choice, but even little changes such as this are strange when the business has kept things smooth and steady for decades.
"For 33 years people have been asking, 'Where can I get a nice wine to go with a great steak?'" Demke said.
Until now, he's sent them packing.
Hopefully by the end of June the shop will be carrying a selection of four or five wines and four types of beers, he said.
Demke plans to include three Chicago brews and one European, likely German.
Demke bought the business from the original owner in 1981 and has kept up a strong reputation for having some of the best meat in town.
It's a two-man show behind the counter, as Demke and his sidekick Don McCormick are the only full-time employees.
Paul Biasco discusses Gepperth's history in the neighborhood:
Gepperth's is the kind of place where the butcher knows your name when you walk in. If he doesn't, then he likely will by the time you leave with a new knowledge of and appreciation for the multitudes of cuts and sausages available.
He also will provide customers with recipes and tips on the specialty cuts and sausages.
"There's not many of us left," Demke said. "I'd like to leave a good legacy."
Things haven't changed much since the original owners, Frank and Joseph Gepperth, sold the business to Demke.
According to a Tribune article at the time, the shop was known for personalized service that the Gepperth brothers used to set themselves apart from other butchers in the city.
"We want to keep things going just like they've always been," Demke told the Tribune in 1981. "We plan no drastic changes, only a few subtle ones."
Chicago's famed chef Charlie Trotter was a regular at Gepperth's, as his restaurant was around the corner.
"Charlie was one of the great guys," Demke said.
The shop at 1964 N. Halsted St. naturally finds its way into Chicago and national food publications.
Demke, who arrived in America by boat at age 16 via Germany, loves it, but isn't about the fame.
"I would never put myself in any celebrity status, but it's a nice thing to hear people say, 'I read about you' or 'I heard about you,'" he said.
The shops new Sunday hours will be from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
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