Had things worked out, Pottstown’s Better on the Bone was to have been somewhat of a vindication for owners Mark and Dottie Spillane, proof that their ongoing woe was finally behind them. But an unexpected equipment issue has instead cut them to the bone. Chantelle Calhoun served up the story for WFMZ 69 News.

The Spillanes’ entrepreneurial journey was a long one. For almost a year, they were homeless, living for a time in a tent in Norristown.

But lately, things were looking up.

They opened Better on the Bone on East High Street in July. The butcher and sandwich shop leveraged Mark’s prior experience in the meat industry and Dottie’s former role as a supermarket deli manager.

Their point-of-sale system, however, could only process certain transactions by levying a fee each time.

“One charge after another charge, now that’s adding up and recharging the same thing a couple times over again. Because our computer hit us and hit us again. And then we kept getting overdraft fees,” said Mark.

The Spillanes want to return the hardware, but cannot, owing to its purchase through a third-party vendor.

As a result, they’ve closed temporarily and shelved the planned grand opening.

“This stuff doesn’t happen by accident,” Mark commented. “There’s a reason for it. …And we are blessed when we get past it,” he concluded.

More on the Better on the Bone butcher shop is at WFMZ 69 News.