1926 was the year Johnston's opened its doors in Monticello Florida. Felix and Alice Johnston operated a grocery store and a meat locker rental service for folks before households had refrigerators. Johnston's Meat Locker was open around the clock so the locals could drop off or pick up their food at their own locker space. Rural living back then meant that most people did nearly all of their shopping and errands locally and Johnston's Meat Locker very quickly became interwoven into the community.

As the national and local economy headed into the Depression, Felix Johnston continued his dedication to providing fresh food and quality service to Monticello by becoming known as "Mr. Cash" as bartering or credit were the main options for many local families to keep food on the table. Back then, deals were done with handshakes and a person's word was their credit score. This community spirit in the region of northern Florida and southern Georgia held through the Depression and continues today.

The 1930's and early 1940's was a peaceful and more prosperous time for Monticello and Johnston's expanded along with it by selling animal feed and processing chickens while also growing the retail store business. At the height of World War II in 1943, Felix Johnston made a very bold decision. He purchased the eight-acre parcel in Monticello and built the store and dining room where they are right now. Due to lumber during the War, Johnston had to build with local and very green wood. Over the years, this lumber cracked and shrunk, adding to the "rustic" look to the building.

Right after World War II, so many changes were affecting the country and the local area as well. The economy was growing and changing while inventions were affecting everyday life. With the invention of the home refrigerator, Johnston's slowly dropped out of the Meat Locker business and began to concentrate on their retail store and smoke house processing. By now, Johnston's reputation expanded beyond Monticello as more people experienced the unique flavor of the hickory smoked sausage.

By the 1950's, Johnston's Meat Market was well established in the community, but another page was turning. It's amazing to think that in 1958, a Meat Locker rental was only $8.50 as shown in the invoice shown here. The next generation stepped up to the plate with Felix's daughter Felice and her new husband "Cap" Shuman. When "Cap" returned home from the Korean War, he and Felice continued Johnston's tradition of the old-time religion of outstanding service and the craft of country-cured smoked meats with customers around the entire state of Florida and into Georgia.

1962 was another big leap for Johnston's due to a handshake and a mutual trust between Johnston's and a loan from Farmers and Merchants Bank right here in Monticello. With only his name as collateral, Johnston secured a loan to expand and upgrade the entire building and add onto the retail counter and dining room. Johnston's Meat Market appreciates the support of the local Farmers and Merchants Bank and continues a very strong relationship with them today.

As "Cap" grew the business, he counted on the dedication and tireless work of local people like Randolph Wade who spent so many years helping Johnston's build their reputation for local fresh food and old fashion customer service. By the 1960's Johnston's expanded their store to include general farming supplies in addition to the animal feed. At the same time, "Cap" upgraded their hickory smoked meat processing operations and the expansion of their market for the varieties of hickory smoked sausage.

People would visit family in Monticello, have just one taste, and then they kept coming back for more - from as far away as Miami. During the 1980's Gussie Hamilton drove to the Monticello area to visit family. Johnston's sausage was on the menu and after just one meal, Gussie made a stop to Johnston's before she left to drive home. A few years later she carpooled with friends from Gainesville just to stop by Johnston's Meat Market.

When "Cap" decided to retire in 1997, his daughter Becky's husband Hal Bennett made the decision to continue the family tradition. For nearly a year, he commuted 100 miles from his home in Georgia to carefully learn the business and meet the customers. In 1999, The Tallahassee Democrat featured an article about Hal's future plans for Johnston's. With his background in the trucking business, Hal set about to expand region-wide deliveries of Johnston's smoked meat products. Even today, Gussie Hamilton receives deliveries from a bright red truck all the way in Miami. Hal calls her when the truck is on its way and by the time it arrives, all of Gussie's neighbors gather around to pick up their orders too.

As the years kicked on beyond 2000, Hal kept on expanding the delivery service and made a major decision to remodel the building. Hal's background as a homebuilder was brought to the surface as he planned and rebuilt the building now standing with the trademark front porch and side porch for dining. After the expansion was completed, the buffet and dining areas became even more inviting to the local community.

By 2007, the Meat Market and the Buffet Dining became very popular in Monticello and around the region. As 2008 arrived, the grilling tradition of Johnston's hickory smoked sausages continued expanding into Tallahassee when FSU called on Hal to offer the sausage dogs at the college baseball games.

In 1926, it all started with a small local store with binding ties to the community and that is what still has customers returning year after year - a family tradition of the old-time religion of great customer service.