The Modern Butcher Gets Danvers Beer, Wine License; Eyes March Opening

DANVERS, MA — Customers of the much anticipated The Modern Butcher location opening in Danvers this spring will be able to have a glass of wine or beer with one of the whole-animal butcher shop's signature sandwiches.

The Danvers Select Board granted owners Lisa Nichols and Warren Means the liquor license on Tuesday that Nichols said will help make a trip to the whole animal butcher shop a true "experience" at its new Maple Street location.

"It's always been a dream to have that element added to the butcher shop," Nichols, a Danvers native, told the Select Board at Monday's hearing. "Our shop is an extension of our kitchen. It's an extension of our home. We don't want you to just come in really quickly and get a pound of steak tips and leave. We want you to really experience it.

"Have a sandwich. Enjoy just a really great selected craft beer or beautiful wine. And be able to watch Warren breaking down a forequarter, ask him questions, and have that full experience."

Nichols and Means said the ability to provide that look inside the butcher shop and their passion is one of the things that drove them to seek out the larger location — which is set to include limited bar seating with a view of the butcher area — in Danvers after existing in a smaller Newburyport location for three years.

They said they are eyeing a "mid-March-ish" opening for the former Dunkin' location.

Nichols said the new menu will continue to include the signature "Sandwich of the Day" but will also have five or six other sandwiches available each day, as well as additional menu and shop items, that make use of the "whole animal."

"As a small business, it would be more financially stable for us to do just a regular butcher shop that would only bring in the high-end cuts, ribeye and the New York (strips). But, for us, it's: 'What do you do with the rest?'"

She said that will include making broths, stocks, candles and creams out of the remaining animal parts.

"We have a lot of bones," she said. "It's a lot of work — but you've got to love it."

Means said the tentative hours for the new shop will be Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)