Cheese CONNOISSEUR - Retailer Profile

Arkansas’ First Cut-to-Order Cheese Shop

As retailer Sweet Freedom celebrates its fifth anniversary, it focuses on what it does best. Northwest Arkansas’ first cut-to-order cheese shop, Sweet Freedom in Bentonville can be held up as an example of a retailer that has done everything right. Owner Jessica Keahey was able to turn her passion into

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Bedford Cheese Shop’s Evolution

This Manhattan gem sources more obscure cheeses, while going the extra mile to educate customers. When friends Jason Scherr and Jason Jeffries established Bedford Cheese Shop in Brooklyn, NY’s Williamsburg Mini Mall back in 2001, they had no idea it would become a beloved part of New York City. Fast

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A Rhode Island Cheese Institution

 Casey and Adrienne D’Arconte, owners of Edgewood Cheese Shop Edgewood Cheese Shop has become a destination for New Englanders seeking specialty cheese. Wanting to open a shop filled with things they loved, Adrienne D’Arconte and husband Casey set out in 2015 on what she calls their “passion project”. “I always

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Artisan Cheese in the Mile High City

Denver’s Truffle Cheese Shop proves a small space is no obstacle when it comes to selling gourmet cheeses. When Lisa Morris purchased the Truffle Cheese Shop in August of 2021, she set out to change the offerings of the previous store, which focused on truffles and exotic foods. “Prior to

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A Labor of Love

Best friends and goat.sheep.cow owners Patty Floersheimer and Trudi Wagner have created a Charleston, SC cheese destination. Even though Patty Floersheimer initially came into the cheese industry as a novice, it was her and best friend and business partner Trudi Wagner’s passion that has propelled them into being successful cheese

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Going with the Flow

Portland, Maine’s The Cheese Iron has successfully adapted to different business climates. Since Vince Maniaci and his wife Jill Dutton became familiar with the specialty cheese world in the 90s, they knew that someday they would head out on their own journey as cheese shop owners. “My wife Jill and

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Orrman’s Sets Out to Educate Its Customers

This Charlotte, NC cheese shop provides productand insight on all things cheese. As North Carolina’s most populous city, Charlotte is steeped in history and culture. The third fastest-growing city in the U.S., and topping the country in Millennial occupation, this town is extremely ripe for cheese sellers. Rachel Klebaur was

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A Small and Mighty Venture

Orlando’s La Femme du Fromage has become the go-to for artisan and hard-to-find cheeses. Big things do come in small packages. That is definitely true for Orlando’s La Femme du Fromage. Although only encompassing 212 square feet, what this cut-to-order cheese shop lacks in size it makes up for in

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Cheese-Centric Through and Through

Virginia’s Cheesetique has steadily expanded its business, but the focus has remained on cheese. Celebrating more than a decade and a half in business is an accomplishment, but Virginia’s Cheesetique has discovered that the secret to success is continued evolution. Opening as a traditional cheese shop in 2004 in Alexandria,

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Taking a Different Path

Las Vegas’ Cured and Whey expanded its operationsto fulfill a need in the region. There’s not much Las Vegas is lacking, especially when it comes to food. However, when Michael Stamm moved to the Vegas Valley area in the mid-1980’s, it was due to a need for specialty foods.

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Testing a Monger Model

Cheesemongers at Chicago’s Beautiful Rind provide customers full service and education. Opening up his new Chicago cheese shop/foodservice operation, Beautiful Rind, during a pandemic obviously wasn’t ideal, but owner Randall Felts was still able to make a statement in the city’s trendy Logan Square neighborhood.

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A Domestic Cheese Mecca

For almost a decade, The Cheese Shop of Des Moines has cultivated its offerings of mainly regional and domestic artisanal cheese. The impetus for C.J. Bienert opening The Cheese Shop of Des Moines was simple; after years of working in the cheese industry for different retailers, he was tired of

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