1936
John & Lois Mull moved from Pennsylvania to Southern Nevada. John (a carpenter by trade) intended to work on the Hoover Dam. Instead, he found work in casino construction and settled the Mull family in the Las Vegas area.
1943
In the early 1940s, John Mull started working in meat processing. Recognizing an opportunity to provide quality meats to the people of Las Vegas, he opened John Mull’s Meats.
During the time, rationing was in effect due to WWII and minority communities were having difficulty obtaining ration stamps. To help solve this issue, John Mull decided to utilize his ranching capabilities in Utah and bring beef down to Nevada to process & sell.
John Mull’s business started as a Meat Market but soon functioned primarily as a slaughterhouse. The Mull’s family acquired a 640 acres section of land where they held cattle and ran John Mull’s Meats.
1950's
Although the family business had been operating since the 1940s, official paperwork was filed throughout the 1950s. Many of the city’s original documents have been lost to time, leaving the “official” start date in a bit of a gray area. John Mull’s first business license was filed in 1951. In 1953, the company received their first health permit. The 1953 health permit is the oldest document still on record with the City of Las Vegas. That document was what the City of Las Vegas referenced when recognizing John Mull’s Meats status as a historic business.
Don Frommer (son-in-law of John Mull) briefly took over the business, maintaining his father-in-law’s business model.
1964
In 1964, Don sold the business to John Mull’s younger son, Bill Mull, who continued to run the newly named shop: John Mull’s Meats & Deer Processing.
Bill innovated the business, pushing beef production to its limits and expanding the selection of meats (deer, elk, hogs, etc…) that could be processed and sold. During this time, Don & Bill also operated a profitable fat rendering business, processing beef bones into tallow which was then sold to buyers such as cosmetic companies.
1981
Chuck continued to operate the meat market & slaughterhouse while introducing a fresh perspective and approach to the business.
However in 1997, a cow got loose and changed the trajectory of the business. The troublesome cow managed to make its way into the intersection, damaging several cars and prompting Chuck to “take care of the problem.”
Unfortunately, the infamous cow incident caused the slaughterhouse to lose their FDA permit. But as a result, the business pivoted to barbecue.