Beth and Chris in their cheese shop
Beth Lewand and her husband, Chris Gray found a storefront in Brooklyn, New York (Greenpoint) and opened their own cheese (and beer) shop – Eastern District. They owned it from 2010-2017. The shop is still there, very much as it was, but Beth and her husband have moved to western Massachusetts where Beth is now the manager at Cricket Creek Farm in Williamstown.
Beth Lewand in her office at Cricket Creek
When she owned the business, Beth wrote a blog with a lot of good information about cheese and where it comes from. She visited many creameries and documented those trips as well. The blog is still available – click here.
One of hundreds of posts on Beth’s blog
How did you into this?
The shop started off almost as a joke between my husband Chris and me. In a day dreamy kind of way we would say, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a store in our neighborhood that sold awesome cheese and beer? Hey, maybe we should do it! Ha ha!” He is a longtime craft beer lover and home brewer, and I had been cultivating my love of cheese by visiting cheese counters, reading, and taking classes at Murray’s Cheese.
In 2008, I was laid of from my digital media job, and I took the opportunity to work behind the cheese counters at Artisanal Bistro and Bar Artisanal (now closed). I learned a lot about cheese and hospitality there, and I decided this was something I wanted to commit to. I spent a few months working on a business plan, we spotted a storefront we liked around the corner from our house, and we got to work!
Was it fun?
Running a small business is like a roller coaster ride – often terrifying, but usually fun! For me, the most fun parts were constantly learning more about cheese, and sharing what I learned with our customers. I loved getting to know our local community: customers, neighbors, other local business owners, and the professional cheese community in New York City. As an introvert I also enjoyed the time I spent alone with our cheese! I spent so much time caring for it, making sure it was stored in the right conditions, and working on our displays – I kind of started to feel like the cheeses were my pets!
How did you share the responsibilities?
Chris was responsible for the beer side of the business, while I covered the cheese. I spent more time on the financial side – on admin and marketing, while he was responsible for facilities. We shared all the other duties, and had a couple part-time employees helping out, too.
They sold cheese platters for parties, etc.
Why did you sell?
Chris had wanted to move out of the city for a few years, and he finally wore me down! (The constant demolition and construction all around our house in Brooklyn also helped motivate me.) So, we sold the store in June, and I was lucky to find the job at Cricket Creek Farm within a couple of months. I’m so happy that I can continue my cheese career in a an interesting new role on a beautiful farm!
Cows at Cricket Creek – a long way from the city!
Do you have any advice for would-be cheese shop owners?
My main advice would be:
– Get some experience in the cheese and retail businesses before you begin. You can never be too prepared.
– Find a landlord who values your business: someone who sees your shop as an asset to their properties, rather than just another tenant.
– Raise twice as much opening capital as you think you’ll need. Starting a business is always more expensive than expected.
Beth recently became a board member of the Massachusetts Cheese Guild
