Roundman’s Smokehouse
A Carnivore’s Paradise in Downtown Fort Bragg
by Lisa Ludwigsen
Sometimes life works out in unexpected and altogether gratifying ways. For Steve Rasmussen and Greg Braden, co-owners of Roundman’s Smokehouse and Butcher Shop in Fort Bragg, a series of coincidences and a couple of leaps of faith have landed them in just the right spot.
Roundman’s has been a fixture on Main Street in downtown Fort Bragg for over 30 years. As its name reflects, Roundman’s smokes and sells a full selection of meat, fish, and cheese to retail and wholesale customers in Northern California. Roundman’s is also a full-service butcher shop, that increasingly rare place where the butcher will expertly cut, trim, or filet to order and offer excellent advice on how to prepare your selection. It’s hard to find a good butcher shop these days, and Roundman’s butchers stand out for their expertise and service.
It’s not unusual to hear an out-of-town visitor to Roundman’s exclaim, “I wish we had a store like this where I live.” The residents of Fort Bragg are indeed fortunate. But the secret sauce for the success of this relatively modest shop in a small coastal town isn’t just the high-quality ingredients, careful sourcing, or the onsite, full-time USDA inspector. At its core, Roundman’s success stems from its people. From the owners to the loyal, hard-working staff, everyone at Roundman’s shares a dedication to the success of the business.
Though Greg Braden’s background in Mendocino County ranching and farming, and as a private chef, follows a relatively straight line to owning a smokehouse and butcher shop, Steve Rasmussen’s path is more unorthodox. As an instructor with Ford Aerospace satellite and surveillance systems in San Jose, Rasmussen used to ride his motorcycle up the coast to visit his aunt in Fort Bragg, back when the town was just a little “hole in the wall,” as Rasmussen called it. She introduced her nephew to Roundman’s Smokehouse, and when it came up for sale, something told Rasmussen to go for it. So he did. That was 34 years ago.
Braden got to know the Roundman’s staff from the back door, literally. He delivered Covelo Beef from his neighbor’s inland ranch each week. “Through those deliveries, I came to respect the entire staff and appreciate how they run their operation.” When Rasmussen’s partner decided to sell his half of the business, Braden was at the top of the list of potential buyers, much to his own surprise. It wasn’t on his bucket list to own a smokehouse and butcher shop. But he bought in on September 1st, 2021. The rest is history, as they say.
“Buying into the business is an incredible opportunity for me,” shared Braden. “The shop allows me to serve people high quality food and still be home for dinner every night,” he said. There aren’t the long, demanding hours of a restaurant. “I can create new recipes and forge new relationships with suppliers and customers.”
The two partners agree that building and maintaining a strong team is essential for the success of their business, and while many businesses talk big about company values and team building, these guys walk their talk. “This is an employee-driven business,” said Braden. Rasmussen added, “We treat our 18 employees as family, and we love them as such. We’re on their side.”
In an era when employers complain about finding and retaining employees, Roundman’s folks stick around. “Because we want to offer the best possible product, we make everything by hand,” said Braden. This is a very labor-intensive operation. “None of our equipment is automated, so all of our slicing and processing is done by hand, including smoking and slicing up to 3,000 pounds of bacon each week and 1,000 pounds of sausage, hand ground and twisted.” That attention to detail by well trained staff results in a loyal customer base who can purchase in the store, wholesale by delivery, or by mail order. With low staff turnover, the business is able to keep expanding to meet the needs of its growing customer base.
That customer service is key to Roundman’s success. They deliver twice a week to restaurants, wineries, and grocery markets throughout Mendocino County. “If a customer wants just one or two of something, we’ll deliver it,” Braden said. Chances are that if you enjoy a fabulous flat-iron steak at a local eatery, it was cut and delivered by Roundman’s. They are permitted to sell products outside the shop because of their onsite USDA inspector. (As an interesting aside, large chain grocers are inspected by the FDA just twice a year.)
Braden’s expertise and a task he loves is tweaking traditional recipes and creating new ones that reflect current culinary interests. He uses celery as a natural sodium nitrate for flavor and preservation, for instance. He and Rasmussen also take the time to carefully nurture relationships with their suppliers to ensure that the products they’re selling are sustainably raised. Producers like Stemple Creek Ranch, Demkota Beef, Vande Rose Farms heritage pork, and Superior Lamb are a few of the established companies they do business with. It is easy to know where your food comes from with this shop.
It takes creativity and persistence to create and maintain a successful business, regardless of size. After 34 years, Roundman’s Smokehouse is going strong and the future looks bright, even in these uncertain times. It is the type of small business that strengthens its community by offering trustworthy products and steady jobs. The next time you’re in Fort Bragg, make sure to stop in and stock up for your picnic or dinner. Your tastebuds will be delighted, and you will know that you are supporting a healthy and vibrant community. A win-win.
Roundman’s Smokehouse
412 N Main St, Fort Bragg
(707) 964-5954 | roundmans.com
Open Mon - Sat 9am - 5:30pm, Sun 9am - 3:30pm
Lisa Ludwigsen has been working in environmental education and small scale agriculture for 25 years. She chronicles her experiences and travels at Food, Farms & Families at https://lisaludwigsen.substack.com
Photos by Nick Zvolensky
