"It's going to be a little smaller at first, and then we'll continue to expand. But they're going to get the same culture, the same, you know, happy faces and the great meat." That's what owner Patrick Figueroa told WTXL about the second Johnston's location coming to Killearn Estates.
The store going into Killearn Village Square is a retail counter for a business that has spent decades as a USDA-certified processing plant for cattle and hogs in Monticello. That plant is throwing itself a 100th birthday party on Saturday, November 7, and it's offering facility tours that day. If you want to know what will be stocking the cases on Shamrock Street West, that party is the best preview you'll get.
What's Coming to Shamrock Street West
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the new shop will be at 3628 Shamrock Street West in Killearn Village Square, next door to Killearn Methodist Church. One of its neighbors will be The Country Flower Shop at 3610 Shamrock St. W., Suite 1. The florist is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, so a stop for flowers and a stop at the meat counter can happen in the same short trip.
The Monticello store isn't going anywhere. Johnston's announced the Killearn location on Facebook after its game day commercial ran on August 29, and the Tallahassee Democrat quoted the post: "We're still in the process of remodeling the inside and getting everything ready. We are hoping to open by the end of this year, as long as everything continues to move smoothly and according to plan!"
On September 11, WTXL reported a tighter target. Figueroa said he hoped to open by the end of November, and the shop was still waiting on its license to finish the build-out. No opening date has been announced yet. For the actual day, watch Johnston's own website and social pages.
The Democrat also quoted people reacting online. One person wrote, "You're in my neighborhood now, I used to have to drive 30 minutes for my favorite sausage and beef!" That 30-minute drive is the whole reason this opening matters to Killearn.
A Century of Processing Behind One Counter
Johnston's has been a lot of different businesses over 100 years, and nearly every stage added something to the processing side rather than the storefront. Here's how the Tallahassee Democrat traces the history, using the company's own account:
- 1926. Felix and Alice Johnston open a meat locker plant in Monticello. It rents out meat lockers and runs a local market.
- 1950s. Their daughter takes over and expands the business across Florida and Georgia.
- 1997. The third generation takes over and builds a larger retail space, a meat counter, and a processing facility for cattle and hogs. Johnston's becomes one of the premier USDA-certified meat processing plants serving Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
- 2022. Patrick Figueroa joins as general manager, according to Tallahassee Reports.
- December 2024. Figueroa becomes the owner. The Democrat credits him with moving the business toward its long-held goals, and opening in Tallahassee was one of them.
That history explains what Figueroa told WTXL. "It's, you know, farm-to-table kind of feel, and there's really not that happening right now in Tallahassee," he said. He also said the shop specializes in dry-aged beef, aged between 14 and 30 days. A butcher shop that also runs the processing plant controls how long its beef ages. That's where the claim comes from.
Some customers in northeast Tallahassee were already making the drive. WTXL talked to Tom Patterson, an Allstate agency owner who lives and works near the new location. "Their smoked sausage, their breakfast sausage is absolutely incredible, and it's a staple in our house," he said. "Now, just having it down the street from us, they're going to be super busy."
What to Put in the Cart First
You don't have to wait for the Killearn store to try Johnston's. The Johnston's website links to an online store where you can add items to a cart, and questions go to the market by phone. These are some of the smoked and cured items on the online store right now. Prices can change at any time.
| Product | Listed price |
|---|---|
| Smoked Brown Sugar Pork Sausage Link | $6.99/lb |
| Fresh Brown Sugar Pork Sausage Patty | $6.72/lb |
| Fresh Brown Sugar Breakfast Pork Sausage Link | $8.27/lb |
| Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast | $7.89/lb |
| Smoked Deli Ham | $7.00/lb |
| Smoked Pork Ham Steak | $5.16/lb |
| Smoked Pork Ham Hocks | $4.13/lb |
The Brown Sugar sausage is the product people bring up most. One of the online comments the Democrat quoted mentioned picking up "some of your Brown Sugar Sausage (regularly)." For dry-aged steaks, ask at the counter which cuts are in the case and how long they've aged, since Figueroa described a range of 14 to 30 days.
November 7 Is the Day to See the Rest of It
Figueroa expects the Killearn store to start small, so the bigger Monticello operation is the place to see everything Johnston's does. On Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Johnston's is celebrating 100 years at its home store, 1480 W. Washington St. in Monticello. The company expects more than 5,000 guests.
Johnston's event page lists the following:
- Facility tours offering a behind-the-scenes look at Johnston's
- Smoked hog sampling and a demonstration
- A quarter-cow giveaway and several raffles
- Live entertainment from the Mountain Dew Cloggers, Easy Goers, Baby Gray, Madden Metcalf and Platinum Dance Center
- Local vendors, including artisans, makers and small businesses
- A fireworks show at 6 p.m. to close out the day
The facility tours are the reason to go. The Killearn store will sell what comes out of that plant, and November 7 is the day the public gets to see where the smoking, curing and aging actually happen. Fireworks start at 6 p.m., so plan on staying until the end.
Lining Up the Holiday Calendar on the North Side
The end-of-November target lands in the middle of the holidays. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. That's also the first night of the free holiday light display at Dorothy B. Oven Park, 3205 Thomasville Road, which the city plans to run nightly through January 1, weather permitting. The park's free Elf Night with Santa and Mrs. Claus is Sunday, December 13, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Johnston's isn't the only family-owned business to land near Killearn this year. Growler Country Tavern & Grill reopened at 8110 Killearn Plaza Lane on June 12 with owner Mario Fernandez and his family, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee Table reports the menu includes Cuban sandwiches, tacos, burgers, seafood and craft beer, and initial hours were Friday through Sunday.
If the license comes through on schedule, Thanksgiving week could be the first time you can buy Johnston's smoked ham and Brown Sugar sausage at a counter in Killearn Village Square instead of in Monticello.
I grew up here, and I like keeping track of which local businesses are moving closer to Killearn, because they're part of what makes a street feel like home. If a new butcher shop down the road has you wondering what your own house on the north side is worth these days, Tally Home Search can help. Get your free home valuation, and I'll tell you what's selling near you right now.
