One of our better-performing posts recently was about reducing customer options to eliminate buying fatigue. I want to take that idea a step further—from the distributor/operator side. What we’ve learned the hard way is this: Over-committing on options doesn’t serve customers or the business. It creates friction, delays, missed expectations, and unnecessary stress on every link in the chain. When we actually look at the data, it’s obvious. No matter how many SKUs we offer, the products that move volume and generate real margin are: • Ground beef (we standardized on 85/15) • Ribeyes • New York strips That’s it. So instead of pretending every cut needs equal attention, we made a decision: • One ground blend (85/15) • One pickup window per month • One trip per butcher, per month • No “just this once” exceptions for one-off sales If someone wants custom blends or oddball quantities? That becomes case-quantity only and still on a monthly cadence. Why? Because a single “yes” can quietly turn into: • 40+ minutes of driving • 90 minutes of logistics • Perfect timing requirements • Zero margin for error • And a high chance of customer disappointment if anything slips One small sale does not justify a system-level headache. This isn’t about being difficult—it’s about training customers how to buy from us and clearly differentiating ourselves from: • Grocery stores • Retail butcher shops • On-demand food models Those models work for some. They’re needed. They just aren’t our model. Our role is logistics and coordination at scale. • Producers should raise animals at scale • Butchers should process at scale • Distributors should move product at scale When everyone stays in their lane, the system works. This is also why the big packers exist. They remove all decision-making: Drop livestock → receive check → no thinking required. But you give up the margin, the leverage, and the right to complain. We’re building the middle ground— more intentional than commodity systems, but disciplined enough to scale.