Who is the Butcher’s Daughter? – Allison Davis Satterfield – Carrying On a Tradition of Community
Sherry Wilborn 
Allison Satterfield and her family and team at the Butcher's Daughter Second Anniversary Celebration. By Sherry Wilborn
From the moment you walk into Butcher’s Daughter Market and Deli in Uptown Roxboro, it is clear that it’s more than a place to grab a good meal. Butcher’s Daughter is a reflection of its owner, Allison Davis Satterfield, and the community she’s grown to love.
Allison didn’t grow up in Roxboro, but you’d never know it. Through years of connection-building – first behind a camera lens, then through nonprofit work, and now at the helm of a bustling small business – she’s stitched herself into the fabric of the community with care, authenticity, and an unmistakable spirit.
A Foundation of Family, Entrepreneurship, and Community
Allison grew up in Conway, NC, a one-stoplight town with a population today of just over 700 people, where, literally, “everybody knows everybody.”
Memories of her upbringing are rooted in spending her days, and sometimes nights, in the family-owned Davis Food Center, a grocery store owned and operated by her grandparents, J.C. and Ola Davis, beginning in 1953.
Allison’s dad, Johnny, eventually took over the operation of the store where Allison would get off the school bus every day and head inside to hang out and help out with whatever age-appropriate tasks she was asked to do, from pulling up stock, to sweeping, to later running the register and assisting customers. It doesn’t take a lot of engagement with Allison to know she’s a daddy’s girl, and as a 12-year-old, she said she would beam with pride when someone would come in and recognize her as “Johnny’s baby.”
Making Her Way Back to Her Roots
That early exposure to entrepreneurship and neighborly service planted seeds that would later blossom into Butcher’s Daughter.
Allison’s dad eventually sold the grocery store and opened another family business, Butcher Block, a beloved meat market known for quality products and a welcoming vibe, on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
The opening of Butcher Block coincided with Allison going off to college and later moving to Roxboro after meeting her now-husband, Alan, through her freshman-year roommate.
After studying public relations at UNC-Chapel Hill and exploring various professional paths, from corporate public relations to starting her own photography business to nonprofit leadership at Piedmont Community College and the Roxboro Area Chamber of Commerce, Allison eventually circled back to her roots.
Community at the Core
Butcher’s Daughter opened in March of 2023 with family helping out in the kitchen and systems and procedures being figured out along the way with a lot of trial and error, patience, and long hours behind the scenes.
Allison attributes her early support and success (she sold out of food the first week) to the network she had developed through her community involvement, especially her time serving on the board of the Roxboro Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Having grown up in a small business, I just care about small businesses so much. The Chamber is important to me because I see the people behind the businesses who need each other and need help,” she explained. “It has been such a benefit for me to have that network. This place would not be what it is, probably, if people did not know my name when we opened. I really believe in the value of a vibrant Chamber of Commerce and participating in it even when you might be tired and want to go home. I think networking is important, even in a small community, especially if you’re like me and not from here.”
Following its opening, Butcher’s Daughter quickly became a community hub; not just because of its central location or unique menu items, but because of Allison’s belief in building something that serves people well. “I want this place to be part of people’s routine, something they look forward to. I want to make it easy to be here, and I want it to feel good,” she said.
That same spirit led her to get involved with the Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments’ Food Council, working to strengthen local food systems.
“Our local food structure is also really important to me,” Allison shared as her reason for committing time to the Food Council. “In meeting with farmers, I realized how difficult it is for them to move their product locally. It’s also difficult for me to buy locally because I need a very easy process of distribution. I have 30 seconds a day to spare to place my order. I cannot talk to 12 different farmers about which type of lettuce and how many pounds of tomatoes. I need that structure that doesn’t exist yet in Person County. In being part of this council, I’m working to learn the current state of the food system in our region and see how we can improve it in all of our communities to allow local product to be moved in a way that is sustainable and good for everybody,” she explained.
Allison’s approach to community isn’t passive; it’s active, intentional, and rooted in collaboration. Whether it’s partnering on events, spotlighting other local businesses, or creating opportunities for young employees, Allison’s approach is simple: “If we are going to succeed, [we] just have to be a good neighbor, and you should.”
Keeping it Going
That neighborly mindset is also visible in the relationships she’s cultivated with her staff. Several on her team are high school students, and Allison doesn’t just offer them a paycheck. She offers mentorship as well. “I want them to grow here. I want this job to matter on their resume. I want to write their college recommendations,” she said.
As for the impact she hopes to leave on her two young daughters, Allison draws from her experience growing up in a family-owned business. “I had this notion of a perfect childhood running around having fun in a grocery store with it being my playground. Since opening these doors, I have had to forcefully understand how hard my daddy worked to make it like that for me,” she said. “I have tried to keep the business of being a new business owner out of my girls’ everyday situation. I’ve been really intentional about making sure that they can still play sports and go to dance and do what they want to do, but there’s also been times that they have been up here with me after 10 p.m. because the cooler went out, helping me move product. I did that, too, as a kid. What I hope is that they see me get through this hard beginning season and don’t forget it. I want them to be aware of their community, and I want them to see me doing that, too, even if it means we’re going to have to be flexible when it comes to doing some of the things we want to do sometimes.”
Butcher’s Daughter just celebrated its second anniversary – by throwing a party for the community, of course. Allison closed the kitchen early for the event so that her staff could also join as guests.
Visit Uptown Roxboro to experience the community Allison celebrates and strives to cultivate, and be sure to make a stop at Butcher’s Daughter as a part of that experience.
201 N. Main St.
Roxboro, NC 27573
(336) 647-4746
butchersdaughterdeli@gmail.com
Facebook.com/butchersdaughterdeli
toasttab.com/butchers-daughter-market-deli
