Community News for Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Northeast Phoenix, Carefree, Cave Creek and surrounding areas.

CITYSunTimes Online Extra June 2010 | Read the full REVIEW

FOOD & WINE

[ Read the rest of Susie's review in our June issue.]

In Arizona, specialty cheese shops were as scarce as snow in Scottsdale. That all changed on August 15, 2009.
“Years ago, there were more specialty cheese and gourmet food stores like Duck and Decanter and other pockets of places. Americans in general just started to have their food tastes change and companies started to private label, our support of mom-and-pops and boutiques started to change,” explains Lara Hardwick, owner. “Now the economy has shifted again and people are supporting local. Also, having a cheese shop is a very difficult business. I wouldn’t be able to open a retail shop if I didn’t have the wholesale business. Partly because of the sheer volume of products and the cost associated with buying these specialty goods. Everything is hand made, hand wrapped by farmers themselves.”
Hardwick’s cheese collection is impressive. During our visit, she served up some tasty goodness to Jay and me and I was enamored. 
Hardwick calls herself a “cheese geek” who spends a plethora of time researching products and says she handles “an absurd amount of cheese on a daily basis.”
She mixes local and other domestic cheeses with some imports from Italy, France and a few other countries.
Some of her best sellers come from Rogue Creamery, Bee Hive Cheeses and Oregon Blue Vein.
“Most of my cheeses you won’t find anywhere else. I have organic teas and olive oils no one else has and goat butter,” says Hardwick.
Consumers can special order quality products that she can get to Arizona in good condition.
“Shipping in summer months is super challenging. I monitor quantity and volume during the cool months to make sure we have enough here for summer time,” she says.
I found out about Petit Fromage through Twitter and asked Hardwick how it has impacted her business.
“Twitter is responsible for 60 percent of business that walks thru our doors. It’s how people found out about the shop, where we are. I can’t imagine where I would be without it,” she says.
Her short-term goal is to get even more people through the door. She’s open 11am-8pm Monday thru Friday and 11am-6pm on Saturdays.
Long term, Hardwick hopes to open a wine bar concept in Scottsdale or Arcadia in addition to the cheese shop.
“This could be expanded to a bigger, sit-down eating experience with wine and beer pairings and a venue we could do events at, etc. I am actively pursuing that option,” says Hardwick.
Hardwick plans to do more events and classes in the summer time as she says that “a lot of people want to expand their palates and learn more about cheese.”

FOOD & WINE Foodies Like Us Online Extra | CITYSunTimes June 2010