The “old world” flavor and quality of Mackenthun’s homemade sausages began at the turn of the century in a little butcher shop in Plato, Minnesota, owned by August Mackenthun. In 1917, August’s son Arthur imported a sausage maker from Germany and opened his own meat market in Waconia which soon built a reputation for the finest quality meats and most delicious sausage anyone ever tasted. In the 1940s and ’50s, Arthur’s son Marvin added a full line of groceries to their market.