09/09/2026
This.
I’ve been thinking about this whole beef situation, and I believe I have identified where we went wrong.
We let Winn-Dixie leave North Carolina.
Because Winn-Dixie wasn’t merely a grocery store that happened to sell beef.
They were THE BEEF PEOPLE.
That was their whole identity.
You walked through those doors and immediately understood you were dealing with people who had taken responsibility for the nation’s beef supply.
And they looked the part.
Burgundy and cream and green. Wood trim. Little striped awnings over the departments. Fancy cursive signs hanging above everything like the butcher might come out wearing a sport coat.
Then you turned down the cereal aisle and civilization collapsed.
Red boxes. Yellow boxes. Blue boxes. Cartoon characters screaming at you from both sides while Mama told you to pick ONE.
Rice Krispies Treats Cereal.
Hard to argue against it.
Then you had Crackin’ Good cookies, Thrifty Maid everything, Superbrand ice cream and enough flavors of Chek drinks to make purple versus red feel like a decision that might follow you into adulthood.
Meanwhile, over in the meat department, The Beef People were handling business.
We didn’t appreciate this arrangement.
We just assumed they’d always be there.
Mama pushed the buggy. You argued your box for cereal. Cashiers hollering for a price check. The Beef People tended to the beef.
America functioned.
Now there ain’t a Winn-Dixie left in North Carolina, beef costs enough that you ought to get a title with it, and this old sign is standing in the weeds like evidence from an investigation.
I’m not saying Winn-Dixie could’ve prevented all this.
I’m just saying things have clearly gotten out of hand since we lost The Beef People.
