Meats & Treats: The Story of Evergreen Butcher + Baker

J.Rich Atlanta believes in elevating influential voices in our community. Today, we hear from Emma & Sean Schacke, Founders of Kirkwood’s Evergreen Butcher & Baker!

If you have driven down the streets of Kirkwood lately, you may have noticed a new face on the block nestled behind the neighborhood stalwart that is Ardens Garden. Evergreen Butcher + Baker, has moved into the building at 2011 Hosea L. Williams Drive and transformed a space loaded with potential into a thriving business poised to become a new anchor in Kirkwood’s quaint business district. Evergreen is an homage of sorts to a time past, when you could walk to a local butcher or bakery to procure fresh meats and breads. We took a moment to sit down … well actually stand up … and speak with Sean & Emma Schacke, the husband and wife duo behind Evergreen, to uncover what inspired them to start the business and why they chose Kirkwood to call home.

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Q&A with Sean & Emma

1) How did you guys dream up this entire idea and concept; where did it come from?

Sean:
For as long as Emma can remember, she's wanted to own a bakery. It kind of started for me once I started cooking. I always thought it would be cool to have a sandwich shop, deli kind of thing. That was 15 years ago, and we have been working and learning different avenues in our crafts. I started butchering five years ago or so and really loved it and got into it.

Emma:
I've been working in bakeries for the last 10 years, so I feel like I just kind of pulled all my favorite things about each one. I worked in a bakery in Amsterdam that was kind of like this, where it was just all grab-n-go stuff, and it was so nice that everyone who lived in the area was able to grab something.

I always wanted a bakery. He always wanted a sandwich shop so ….

Sean:
Once Emma started doing the bread, it all just went hand in hand — bread, meats, pastries.

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“I worked for Eli Kirshtein when he was on Top Chef. It was my first job, and it was kind of baptism by fire.”

— Sean Schacke

2) Where did you start your careers?

Emma:
I went to a French pastry school when I was 19.  After pastry school, I worked at Cacao, Atlanta, as a chocolate maker for a couple years. Then I went to Amsterdam and worked as a baker. I came back and worked at the One Eared Stag as a pastry chef, and that’s where I met Sean.

Sean:
I started about 15 years ago in a restaurant called Eno that was in Midtown. It closed a few years back. I worked for Eli Kirshtein when he was on Top Chef. It was kind of baptism by fire. I went from there to a few other kitchens around town and got the job at One Eared Stag, and I was there for about three and a half years. I became the sous-chef there, and that's where I met Emma.

We moved to Nashville. I was the executive sous-chef at Jonathan Waxman's place called Adele's. Then we moved to Chicago, and that's where I realized I was a little burnt out from being in the kitchen, the long hours…

Emma:
He was working like 90-hour weeks!

Sean:
I had gotten into butchering whole hogs and goats at the Stag here, and Emma was like, “Maybe you should try to find a butchering job in Chicago.” I agreed and got a job at Publican Quality Meats.

Emma:
In Chicago I worked in Floriole Bakery and Pleasant House Bread which is where I switched over to sourdough breads, particularly. We were doing all wood-fired bread and milling flour, so I feel like that's where I got an appreciation for grains and the techniques that go into it.
Then we moved to Portland, Maine together, and I worked at Scratch Baking Company.

Sean:
I worked at a small butcher shop there, so I kind of got the sense of what it's like to be a huge mass production in Chicago and what it’s like to be the neighborhood place where everyone comes in everyday for their meal. I kind of got both sides, which helps us envision this place a little better to best fit the neighborhood.

“We were doing all wood-fired bread and milling flour, so I feel like that’s where I got an appreciation for grains and the techniques that go into it.”

— Emma Schacke

3) Where does the name come from?  

Sean:
It comes from our time in Maine because they're the pine state and it's evergreen.

Emma:
It really is because we just kind of want to be steady and stable for everyone's lives and households. We don't think bread or meat should be some luxury item. We think you should be able to have access to good quality items to take home and feed your family. We want to be able to stay constant in people's lives.

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4) Since you guys got started here, how have things been going for you so far?  

Emma:
It's been going really great.

Sean:
Yeah, we couldn't ask for anything more.

Emma:
It’s also been overwhelming because we didn't really expect the reception that we've been receiving, so that's really nice.

Sean:
Yeah, we had confidence that what we were doing would be well received, but everyone seems to really love it, and we're just trying to keep up right now.

Emma:
We can't quite make enough bread for everybody.

“It’s also been overwhelming because we didn’t really expect the reception that we’ve been receiving, so that’s really nice.”

— Emma Schacke

5) Why Kirkwood? 

Emma:
Kirkwood kind of fit exactly what we really needed because of our vision for being a specific neighborhood place where everyone can easily come here and buy what they need.

Sean:
It's so easily walkable, and parking is at a premium in the city already anyway. Just knowing that there was already a built-in base here in this neighborhood was great because we're not trying to get anyone driving in. I mean, we'll take that, too, but our whole idea was that we could just survive with a neighborhood.

Emma:
And the best part already is that we have customers that we already recognize and know their names and they come in every week. That's the best part about it. That's what we wanted.

6) Why this building? 

Emma:
We were like, this would be perfect. It was an empty shell, and we could make it exactly what we needed, but it was just hard to feel like we deserved such a great opportunity. We’ve been moving around for the last 10 years of my life, so it was kind of a big thing to be like, we're here and we're staying for good.

Sean:
With this whole building, our whole dream of being able to live above our workspace was easy to accomplish.

Emma:
The low was waiting an eternity for all of the zoning and permitting and everything when we had just moved back from Maine and we were living with my parents, so it was a process. It felt like it took forever.

Sean:
Yeah, we definitely learned patience, I think. That was the worst part. We really wanted to get back to work.

Emma:
We were definitely out of our comfort zone learning how the whole process works. I don't want to do it again.

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7) Since you guys have been open, what's been the biggest hurdle for you to overcome? 

Sean:
Getting our production down so that we're not spending every waking hour here.

Emma:
I mean, we expected a lot of hard work obviously. Twenty-hour days is a little much though, but we're willing to do it. It’s just, I didn't expect to need so many extra hands, especially with the pastries.

Sean:
We thought we could handle it but ….

Emma:
Yeah, we made numbers based on the maximum number I could produce alone. I hit 400 pastries and 75 loaves of bread a day, and that was selling out in 2 hours, so now I need more hands because people are buying boxes of pastries at a time.

Make sure to check out Evergreen Butcher + Baker.
PRO TIP: Get there early because they sell out of the good stuff fast!

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A look into public service & working for Congressman John Lewis by: Tuere Butler

J.Rich Atlanta believes in elevating influential voices in our community. Today, we hear from Tuere Butler, director of Congressman John Lewis’ Atlanta office. Tuere has been with Congressman John Lewis for more than 20 years and has played a part in many programs, initiatives, and decades of positive change their office has brought to Atlanta!

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For me, the idea of public service began at home... I remember this concept was common in my house. The question “what did you do today?”  was synonymous with “ did you help anyone?, What did you do for someone else?” At a very young age my parents instilled in me “if you aren’t doing for someone else, then what are you doing?” It is this question that continues to navigate my moral compass.  As an only child my parents wanted to make sure that I didn’t end up self-centered. As I got older and witnessed how they lived their lives, and treated people it became apparent it’s in our DNA. They not only talked the talk but walked the walk.

“I am a firm believer that you give value to your life by impacting the lives of others.”

This idea followed throughout my adolescent years and manifested itself through my volunteering at senior homes, hospitals, and completing hours of community service projects in high school and college. If I ran down the list of my service activities, it would be extensive. To have a lengthy list was never the goal. It is simply a part of me.  Public service is something not to be merely checked off but it calls for your complete engagement.

I am a firm believer that you give value to your life by impacting the lives of others. For the past seven years, I along with my Husband serve as mentors to 18-25 years old through our church’s ministry. I believe we were not put on this earth just to live in an isolated self serving bubble but rather we were put on this earth to live in a loving community. The matrimony of giving and receiving, servicing and being served is the “ying and yang” to a harmonious life.

“Congressman Lewis continues to be my shining example of sacrificing for the greater good. ”

I didn’t realize the impact that coming to work for Congressman John Lewis would have on my life when I first began in his District office.  May 2018 marked my 20th year serving my community, state and country under the leadership of one of the great civil rights icons, a trailblazer: Congressman John Lewis.  He has afforded me the opportunity to use my skills, talents and knowledge to assist 5th congressional district residents. I work on behalf of men and women who need support, advocacy and guidance to deal with sometimes complex federal issues that impact their lives.  My objective is to make a positive difference in the lives of the constituents. Congressman Lewis continues to be my shining example of sacrificing for the greater good. What he and his colleagues endured during the Civil Rights Movement remains a constant reminder of the power of perseverance; pushing out what is wrong, unjust and unfair to make things right.

My work, while satisfying, comes with its disappointments and frustrations. I am often asked “how do I keep from getting burned out?” My response is the Congressman remains a steadfast example, my motivating force. I’ve adopted his mantra of “never giving up, never giving in.”

As a public servant working with Congressman John Lewis I know I can not give up when there is so much work to be done. I keep in mind this quote “ If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”- Congressman John Lewis

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““ If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”- Congressman John Lewis”

Tiny House Atlanta

J.Rich Atlanta believes in elevating influential voices in our community. Today, we hear from Will, founder and CEO of Tiny House Atlanta(now Micro-Life Institute); one of the leading organizations for tiny houses and micro living in the United States! Enjoy!

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Take a look around you, around your house.  Which rooms do you actually use? Which box of stuff have you not opened in a while?  Which items brought you temporary joy? Are you holding on to items because they belonged to someone else? Are your possessions guilt tripping you about that hobby you want to start or closet that needs to be organized?  So many of our possessions and spaces have weight and baggage, and I am not talking about the actual physical weight but the psychological weight and what it does to you on a daily basis. This weight brings you down.  It is a constant distraction from the purpose of your life- being present.  Welcome to the mind of a minimalist, and one who wants to live in less space and have more life.  

Five years ago, I thought I had everything: a career, great car, social life, and great home.  It was the American Dream definition of success. But every day I would wake up and blurt out “This can’t be my life - there has to be something more”. I couldn’t understand why I was not connecting to my current existence, but I knew I needed a change.  So, I sought change, a big change.  I quit my job, sold all my stuff, and got on a plane, ending up in New Zealand for 3 months, backpacking and working on vineyards.  This was not planned (OK, the ticket to New Zealand was) but the experience was a “makeup as I go” ordeal. Through this trip, I fought anxiety, societal expectations, and challenged my personal beliefs, embracing this disruption to change my life’s course. 

Returning to Atlanta, I immediately noticed a greater sense of freedom from possessions, freedom from expectations, and freedom from the weight of society. I was really excited to completely let go and just exist every day. Naturally, I wanted to know who else was following this path.  It didn’t take long to come across tiny houses in articles and on social media. I was awestruck. The intentional movement is what drove me deeper to understand it. How could we utilize tiny houses? Where could we put them? How would we make them more of the solution for all aspects of housing? I kept digging and couldn’t find a local expert at the time, so I decided to start a group. July 14, 2014 Tiny House Atlanta was born. 

Since its inception, Tiny House Atlanta (now The MicroLife Institute) has become one of the leading organizations for tiny houses and micro living in the United States.  We have embraced and embodied what small spaces can do for our society and community and we want to educate individuals, groups and cities about the positive impacts of micro living.  Our efforts have helped change state and local policy as well as inspired conversation on how municipalities can strategically utilize smaller spaces to drive community.

One inspiration is our tiny office now placed temporarily on the east side of the Atlanta Beltline. Our Tiny Office, built in conjunction with The Mayor of Atlanta’s Office of Sustainability, is the MicroLife Institute’s headquarters to educate and advocate, research and create pilot projects to support Micro Housing.

Other ways we inspire are our events. Coming up in September is The Innovative Housing Summit at GSU College of Law (September 28) and then The Decatur Tiny House Festival in downtown Decatur (September 29-30 ).  These events allow people to see, feel, touch and be a part of the solution process on how we innovate and take steps to create micro housing products for our communities.

So that has been my journey so far.  I came across a movement that gave me the space that I need to “right size” my life and make a positive impact in my community.  I see so many positives of how this idea of living in a smaller footprint can improve peoples’ attitudes and lives in both rural and urban settings.  I get excited creating new ideas of where we can go from here because any tiny idea could have a HUGE impact. 

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Q&A with Will

1. What do you see as the future for tiny houses in Atlanta?

I see them being added to the mix of potential products. I see them playing a vital role in adding additional housing options to our market.  Micro spaces can be utilized by all generations as well all demographics. What designers can do with a small space nowadays amazes me and I feel like everyone would feel at home in 500 ft.² versus 5000.

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2. How many people are already living in tiny houses in Atlanta?

I would say only a handful. Though counting ADUs other micro spaces I would say there're at least a couple hundred people living in a single family home under 750 ft.²

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3. Real talk, how do you live in such a small space?!

Easy, I just sleep there. Smaller spaces are meant to propel you out into your community. We stay inside all the time and that’s not what we are meant to do as humans. We need experiences and we need people, that’s happiness. Live outside your space.

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4. What do you see as the most exciting thing for the future of tiny houses?

I think the most exciting thing for me it’s just normalize these options. I’m excited when no one thinks of this movement as a trend or a fad. Viva la micro space!

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Continue learning more about Will & The Tiny House Movement by watching the video below!