Thurn's

Thurn's, also known as Thurn's Specialty Meats, is a historic smokehouse and specialty-meat business in Columbus, Ohio. The business was established in 1886 by Alois Thurn, an immigrant from southern Germany who recognized an opportunity to serve Columbus's substantial German immigrant population. He initially sold smoked meats door to door from his home on South Front Street before opening a stall at Columbus's Central Market on April 24, 1886. The business developed within and around the city's Brewery District and German-American commercial community. During the 1890s, Alois Thurn acquired property on Greenlawn Avenue and moved the operation away from the Central Market stall. The family later relocated again in 1958 when construction of Interstate 71 affected the business's former site. Thurn's maintained a presence at Central Market until 1965, two years before the market itself closed. The company has remained family-owned across multiple generations. Robert Thurn and his two brothers sold the store to Albert Thurn in 1988, making Albert the fourth generation of the Thurn family to own it. Albert worked at the store with his brother Anton, his son Alec, and his sister Teresa. Robert Thurn died in February 2014. The family's continuing involvement has been central to the brand's identity and to its reputation as a traditional, locally rooted food business rather than a mass-market meat producer. Thurn's offers a broad range of smoked and prepared meats, reportedly carrying more than 70 products. Recognized products include capicola, double-smoked bacon, schinken, smoked tongue, blood sausage, smoked pork chops, and cottage ham. The business is associated particularly with German-influenced and Central European-style specialties, while its ingredients and meat supplies come from suppliers in Ohio. Thurn's is credited with being the first supplier of cottage ham in Columbus. Production emphasizes continuity with the past. The smokehouse uses a pit-fired smoker supplemented by steam radiators, with operating temperatures described at approximately 210 degrees Fahrenheit. Red oak and mulberry are used as smoking woods, and some of the equipment dates to the 1930s. The company presents these methods and recipes as substantially continuous with those used by earlier generations of the business. Thurn's has also received regional and national attention. Presidential candidate Bill Clinton visited the store on November 2, 1992, while campaigning. In 2011, food writer Josh Ozersky hosted a tasting of favorite Thurn's meats at the store. Historically, the business was open to the public three days per week and commonly sold products until its supply was exhausted. More recently, its retail schedule has become sporadic, typically concentrating on holiday periods, with opening dates announced through the business's Facebook presence. Thurn's therefore operates as a small, traditional, supply-limited smokehouse whose appeal rests on heritage, family continuity, local sourcing, and distinctive smoked-meat production.

Thurn's began in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 when Alois Thurn, an immigrant from southern Germany, started producing and selling smoked meats for the city's German immigrant community. He first sold the products door to door from his South Front Street home. After building demand, he opened a stall at Columbus's Central Market on April 24, 1886. During the 1890s, Thurn acquired property on Greenlawn Avenue and moved the operation from the market stall to a dedicated site. The company continued to maintain a Central Market presence for decades, finally closing its stall in 1965, two years before the market itself shut down. Construction of Interstate 71 through Columbus required another relocation in 1958, leading Thurn's to its current general location. The business remained within the Thurn family. Robert Thurn and his two brothers sold the store to Albert Thurn in 1988. Albert represented the fourth generation of family ownership. Other relatives, including Anton Thurn, Alec Thurn, and Teresa Thurn, worked in the store. Robert Thurn died in February 2014. Thurn's production has emphasized continuity rather than industrial expansion. The company uses recipes and methods associated with its earlier history, obtains its meats from Ohio suppliers, and operates a pit-fired smoker with steam radiators reaching about 210 degrees Fahrenheit. Red oak and mulberry are used as smoking woods, while parts of the production equipment date from the 1930s. Its product range includes more than 70 smoked and prepared meats. Capicola, double-smoked bacon, schinken, smoked tongue, blood sausage, and smoked pork chops are among the better-known items. Thurn's is also associated with cottage ham and is described as Columbus's first supplier of that product. The smokehouse gained wider public attention through a 1992 visit by presidential candidate Bill Clinton and a 2011 tasting event hosted by food writer Josh Ozersky. Historically, Thurn's opened to the public three days each week and often sold out of production during the day. By 2025, the business was described as operating on a more occasional schedule, usually near holidays, with dates announced through social media. Its identity remains tied to family ownership, Columbus history, traditional German-influenced meat products, and small-batch smoking practices.

• 2025

  Retail availability became sporadic

  [1]Thurn'sen.wikipedia.org

  The business was described as opening mainly around holidays and announcing dates through Facebook.

• 2011

  Food writer hosted a tasting

  [1]Thurn'sen.wikipedia.org

  Josh Ozersky hosted a tasting of selected Thurn's meats at the store.

• 1992

  Bill Clinton visited the store

  [1]Thurn'sen.wikipedia.org

  Presidential candidate Bill Clinton stopped at Thurn's during his campaign.

• 1988

  Albert Thurn became owner

  [1]Thurn'sen.wikipedia.org

  Robert Thurn and his two brothers sold the store to Albert Thurn, marking the fourth generation of Thurn family ownership.

• 1965

  The family ended its Central Market stall

  [1]Thurn'sen.wikipedia.org

  Thurn's closed its Central Market stall two years before the market closed.

• 1958

  Interstate construction prompted relocation

  [1]Thurn'sen.wikipedia.org

  Construction of Interstate 71 through Columbus forced Thurn's to move to its current location.

• 1890

  The business moved to Greenlawn Avenue

  [1]Thurn'sen.wikipedia.org

  During the 1890s, Alois Thurn acquired property on Greenlawn Avenue and closed the original Central Market stall.

• 1886

  Alois Thurn founded the smokehouse

  [1]Thurn'sen.wikipedia.org

  Alois Thurn began selling smoked meats in Columbus and opened a stall at Central Market on April 24.

A family-owned, heritage smokehouse offering German-influenced specialty meats made with traditional recipes, local Ohio-sourced meats, and longstanding wood-smoking techniques.

• Cured and smoked pork

  Capicola

  A signature cured-and-smoked meat in Thurn's range and one of the products specifically identified among its best sellers.

• Smoked bacon

  Double-smoked bacon

  Bacon subjected to an additional smoking treatment, representing the smokehouse's emphasis on pronounced wood-smoke flavor and traditional processing.

• Cured ham

  Schinken

  A German-influenced cured ham offering consistent with the company's southern German heritage and specialty-meat positioning.

• Smoked offal

  Smoked tongue

  A traditional smoked-meat item included among Thurn's recognized best sellers and reflecting its broad old-world product range.

• Sausage

  Blood sausage

  A traditional sausage made with blood, included in Thurn's selection of German-influenced specialty meats.

• Smoked pork

  Smoked pork chops

  Pork chops prepared through the smokehouse's traditional process and listed among the business's notable products.

• Cured ham

  Cottage ham

  A ham product strongly associated with Thurn's Columbus history; the business is described as the city's first supplier of cottage ham.

• 2011Josh Ozersky tasting event

  United States

  Food writer Josh Ozersky hosted a public sampling of his favorite Thurn's meats on September 10.

  Outcome. The event connected the local smokehouse with national food-media attention.

  Source
• 1992Bill Clinton campaign-trail visit

  United States

  Presidential candidate Bill Clinton visited Thurn's in Columbus on November 2 while campaigning.

  Outcome. The visit brought political and press attention to the local smokehouse.

  Source

• 2025

  Move to a sporadic public-opening scheduleStrategy

  Background

  The business had historically opened three days per week but later operated with less regular retail availability.

  Action taken

  Thurn's began opening mainly near holidays and announcing dates through Facebook.

  Aftermath

  Customers became dependent on announced opening dates rather than a consistently published weekly schedule.

  Source

• 1988

  Transfer of ownership to Albert ThurnM&A

  Background

  Robert Thurn and his two brothers owned the store before the transfer.

  Action taken

  The brothers sold the store to Albert Thurn.

  Aftermath

  The business remained within the Thurn family under fourth-generation ownership.

  Source

• 1958

  Relocation caused by Interstate 71 constructionStrategy

  Background

  Road construction through Columbus affected the business's former premises.

  Action taken

  Thurn's moved to its current location.

  Aftermath

  The relocation allowed the smokehouse to continue operating outside its earlier market-site premises.

  Source

1. 1Thurn'sen.wikipedia.org