Pittsburgh celebrated National Jerky Day on Wednesday with the grand opening of the Beef Jerky Outlet in the Strip District.

The outlet on 18th Street specializes in more than 100 varieties of premium jerky. There are meats like kangaroo, alligator, venison and elk, as well as specialty flavors such as Moonshine and Cajun. Gourmet snacks, popcorn, candy, jellies, jams, sauces, spices and rubs also are available.

“We are thrilled to be hosting our grand opening,” said Doug Young, who owns the store with his brother Rick Young, in a statement. “We can’t wait to introduce our community to the delicious treats we have in store while simultaneously raising money for an important cause. Not to mention, jerky makes a great present for dad.”

The store held a raffle Wednesday with proceeds benefitting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Happy National Jerky Day! Stop in and sample our amazing jerky today!https://t.co/Paszhj1jdb#beefjerkyoutlet#jerky#jerkyday pic.twitter.com/YPLzYgjBdQ

— Beef Jerky Outlet (@Beefjerkyoutlet) June 12, 2019

The Beef Jerky Outlet was founded in 2010 and is the country’s first national jerky franchise. The company is headquartered in Kodak, Tenn. with more than 100 franchise locations.

Did you know?

Jerky has traditionally been the number-one favorite snack of the military, and for years, NASA has sent it into space with astronauts. IRI, a Chicago based market research firm, reports sales of jerky jumped 46 percent from 2009 to 2015, and Americans spent $2.8 billion on beef jerky in 2015. Jerky is in the beef snack category — the fastest growing segment of the snack food industry (Convenience Store Decisions, Nov. 2012). Runners, weightlifters, hikers and weekend warriors eat it before, during and after exercise. Jerky is a popular snack for folks on the Paleo diet, which urges consumers to eat the kinds of foods eaten by their hunter/gatherer ancestors. Jerky is catching on for women too, because the cured, low-fat snack provides an energy boost without spoiling the diet. A Penn State University study found physically active women, ages 18-45, consider jerky more convenient and satisfying than tortilla chips. Chefs are now incorporating jerky into their gourmet dishes. You can find jerky on the menus of high-end restaurants in Four Seasons hotels and others throughout the country.

Source: Beef Jerky Outlet

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