A stewardess for change and a beacon of hope for the revitalization of west Independence, Curt’s Meat proprietor Donna Pittman is helping the business celebrate its 20th anniversary this week by hosting a fundraiser for the Van Horn High School athletic department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday inside the business at 10101 East Truman Road. 810 Sports Radio’s The Program with Soren Petro will broadcast live during the fundraiser.
Pittman, president of the Maywood Merchants Association, answered some questions for The Examiner about her involvement with civic, business and educational issues that affect the western side of the city.
Q: Tells us about the 20th anniversary of Curt’s Meats
A: The store has been here for 62 years, since 1947, but I have had it 20 years.
Q: What are some of the things that have allowed you to stay in business for 20 years?
A: I would say we have had support from all over the metro. Our store is definitely a destination. Customers come from all over to buy quality meat. We offer our customers a high level of service and quality. We are attracting new customers on a daily basis.
Q: Curt’s Meat is hosting a fundraiser for Van Horn’s athletics program. How did you get involved with Van Horn.
A: With the proximity of the business to the school – we are only three blocks from the school – but also I was very active in the boundary change. I served on Sen. (Victor) Callahan’s task force that studied the change.
Q: How has it been for you since the district change, reaching out to the kids at Van Horn?
A: Oh, it’s been great! This is our second fundraising event. The kids come up and meet the disc jockeys and people of the community. I think it makes the kids really proud.
Q: What are some of the specialties of Curt’s Meat?
A: For one thing, we have about 20 different meat bundles that we sell and they are a mixture of beef, pork and chicken. Many of our customers will call about once a month for a meat order, give us a 24-hour turnaround an they are set for the month. The meat bundles offer substantial savings for the customer.
Q: Tell us some things about the Maywood Merchants Association.
A: The organization was established in 2003. We were looking at upgrading the infrastructure of this area and we ended up actually with a $1 million project we just completed this year. The project was the result of an effort between the city (of Independence), the Chamber of Commerce, Council for Economic Development and property owners here in Maywood. We put in new sidewalks, curbs and green pendant streetlights.
Q: What are some of your goals for the future of Curt’s Meat?
A: Expansion. Our goal is to expand the business here. We have over 5,000 square feet. I would also like to provide our customers with more ready-to-serve items. We already have a deli and we do a lot of lunches, but expansion is our biggest goal.
Independence, MO —
