Patrick "Pat" LaFrieda, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer, Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors

Pat LaFrieda's first foray into the meat world began in the summer of 1981 when he was just 10 years old. Learning the tricks of the meat trade from sun up to sun down under the watchful eye of his forefathers. That particular summer changed the course of his life. 28 years later, he owns and operates New York City's most prestigious and most valued meat packing facility. Selling to nearly 600 of Manhattan's finest restaurants and bistros as well as creating over 50 custom hamburger blends, Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors is synonymous with quality. As the New York Post put it "If carnivores really want to get respect, they need to name-drop cult butchers like Pat LaFrieda."

Ironically, the 2nd generation of LaFriedas never wanted his son to become a permanent fixture in the business. With the sole intention to teach his son about strong work ethic, Patrick Sr. introduced his son (as his father introduced him) to working in a constant 36 degrees, standing for hours on end, working under the dangers of band saws and knives - all with the hopes that his son would turn around and get an office job. Fortunately, for the restaurants of New York, his plan backfired. "There was something about what we did and how we did it which fascinated me. The thought that being successful meant that the family survived... was poetic to me," LaFrieda Jr says. But he knew that in order to keep the poetry alive, things had to change. With only 5 employees and 40 customers, Pat hit the streets and started selling the brand that has won him the title of Manhattan's "Meat Prince."

Today, LaFrieda Meats boasts over 600 customers and is rapidly growing. The business is up seven days a week around the clock. That unmatched LaFrieda work ethic not only gained notoriety but much deserved respect. So much respect that in 2003 New York City renamed the street where the shop was located to Pat LaFrieda Lane after the first generation of LaFrieda meat men.

LaFrieda has been featured in numerous publications, including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Men's Vogue, Saveur, The New York Post, and Time Out New York. He has also appeared on The Food Network, Martha Stewart, ABCNews Nightline, Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations (fall of 2009), and The Mike Colemeco show on PBS (fall of 2009).