If you are a local in Traverse City, you may of stopped at the corner of Union and Twelfth Street for a hot dog or brat. During the summer, Deering’s Meat Market has seasonal employees that are close to their heart, their grandkids.
“I usually start off with one pint and then keep on going,” said Rocky Deering, grandson. “I feel like the most popular one is either the chicken feta or the Italian. I like the original.”
If you’ve driven down past Deering’s Meat Market you’ve probably seen a someone behind the grill. Rocky Deering started using the grill when he was seven.
“My dad has a big grill in the backyard,” says Deering. “And he taught me how to cook.”
Rocky is nine years old, and every Monday and Wednesday in the summer, you can find him outside his family’s store, ready to grill and serve some brats and hot dogs to customers.
“Sometimes I get lucky when I have customers not right when I start,” said Deering. “Usually I take a hot dog because the brats are like the same colors, so I don’t get them mixed up. I usually put like an original hot dog in between them. So, then it’s kind of like a bookmark, but for hot dogs and brats.”
The Deering family loves watching sports and they usually get the grill out to celebrate the occasion.
“My family really loves the Lions and the Tigers,” said Rocky. “And when the Lions are playing, my dad and I cook hot dogs, brats and hamburgers. And sometimes when I peek in the middle, my dad still tries to help me. He’s wants me to know how to cook, so when I’m older I know how to cook.”
Rocky also loves knowing everyone around the store.
“Walking inside or out here, it’s like I can just walk in the store and almost everybody that walks in the stores is related to me.”
And Rocky isn’t set up without a jar, which is for money to go towards his college fund.
“I have a little envelope at home,” said Rocky. “I put my college money in that. And then the money that some people say just for you. The people that say that, I can put the money in my actual wallet and spend on like things, if we go to like a Pit Spitters game.
Rocky enjoys having some cash in is wallet.
“It makes me feel like more mature,” said Rocky.
