Perry County: Four generations at Stonie’s Sausage Shop provide nearly 60 years of local hospitality

By Lori Trepasso | Photos by Laura Simon

When people think of Stonie's, located at 1507 Edgemont Blvd. in Perryville, Missouri, they usually think of their great selection of meats.

That's because Stonie's sells all kinds of meats, including smoked sausage, brats, pork links, bacon, various meat sticks and jerky as well as smoked links and ham.

When asked what are some of Stonie's most popular selling items, Tyson Wibbenmeyer, vice president of Stonie's, says "Apple brats and pineapple brats are very popular as well as our Cheesy Goddess of Bratwurst. [As far as the meat sticks go], our original quick sticks are our biggest seller along with our sweet and sassy quick sticks. For summer sausage, the jalapeño and cheddar and the original [sell the best]."

Along with all of the different meats to choose from, Stonie's also sells sausage seasonings, Stonie's apparel and a variety of cheeses and beers.

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Eliot Lee shops with his family at Stonie's Sausage Shop on Saturday, March 25, 2017, in Perryville, Missouri.

"We offer beers that are good pairings with our meats plus a large cheese selection," Wibbenmeyer says.

Stonie's is also a popular place to pick up a gift basket or box, and all Stonie's items can be purchased in-store or ordered online.

If you're hungry for lunch, Stonie's has a variety of soups, salads and sandwiches, including ham, turkey, roast beef and pork loin.

"Our Dagwood and our Turkey Club are probably are most popular sandwiches," Wibbenmeyer says.

Stonie's also offers fundraising programs where groups can sell their quick sticks or summer sausage to make money for their organization.

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Briana and Eliot Lee shop with their parents at Stonie's Sausage Shop on Saturday, March 25, 2017, in Perryville, Missouri.

If shoppers want to buy their meat in bulk, Stonie's sells beef and pork bundles where customers can get a variety of cuts of either beer or pork for one price. And, for hunters, Stonie's does deer meat processing.

Stonie's was started in 1959 by Stanislaus (Stonie) Wibbenmeyer, and it has been a family business for the last 58 years. It is currently being operated by third and fourth generation father and son, Roger and Tyson Wibbenmeyer.

"It's just always been in my blood," says Tyson Wibbenmeyer when asked why he chose to join the family business back in 1997.

"It has been exciting to jump on board," he says. "Me and my father had a similar vision on where we wanted to take the business. ... It's hard to believe that what started out as a mom-and-pop operation is now a business that employs 20 people."

Wibbenmeyer thinks it's the quality of their meat products that has made Stonie's stand out for all these years.

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Stonie's Sausage Shop in Perryville, Missouri.

"We've always been a family-owned business," Wibbenmeyer says. "And, we make all of our meat products here in house. We use all of our own recipes, and we don't outsource anything."

Wibbenmeyer also thinks Stonie's has been good for the Perryville community.

"We draw customers from a large area," he says. "We have a lot of regulars who stop in when they are traveling, plus we have a lot of local regulars."