Loeffel Meat Shoppe

Open and operating since the 1960s, the Loeffel Meat Shoppe is a USDA-inspected retail meat sales operation that sells fresh and frozen cuts of beef, pork, lamb, goat, smoked and slicing sausages, brats, naturally cased wieners, multiple varieties of ready-to-eat snack sticks, in addition to fresh eggs.

The shoppe is named in honor of Professor William J. Loeffel, the first meat scientist at the University, who was a faculty member from 1919-1962 and served as chair of the department from 1938-1959. Loeffel is one of many pioneers in the meat industry from Nebraska. In the 1970s, Roger Mandigo developed the technology which led to the creation of the McRib Sandwich for McDonalds and Chris Calkins’ work with new cutting procedures returned over $1 billion to the beef industry, including the development of the Flat Iron Steak.

Retail sales from the meat shoppe help offset costs associated with the academic programs in the Department of Animal Science. Livestock are harvested and processed for sale in the Loeffel Meat Laboratory with assistance from Nebraska students in the department. Students gain experience by learning how to process, package, and sell the products that they process, in addition to playing a role in developing new products to sell in the shoppe such as the Jalapeño Popper Bratwurst, which was a two-time national award winner.