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A Short History
The Cheese Store of Asheville started in the Weinhaus in 2013. We were pleased to be one of two new additions to the Weinhaus in February 2013 in the midst of major renovations that included adding the Cork and Keg wine & beer bar to the retail business. The two new additions supported the tradition of exploration and experience that were always a part of the Weinhaus.
From November 2014 until early 2016 The Cheese Store of Asheville was a mobile store in order to cater to a wider audience. The goals of being mobile were to be out in the community and to bring cheese to nieghborhoods that were interested by partering with local businesses.
In 2016 The Cheese Store decided to focus on what it does best - offering pairings, hosting classes, catering and small business consulting.
A Longer History
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No small, artisanal cheese stores in Asheville? How can that be?
In 2011, during a family visit to food-loving Asheville, Katie Moore was caught by surprise when she came up empty handed while searching downtown for a place to buy cheese. It was late afternoon and the Tailgate Markets had closed up shop so she had missed her chance to taste and purchase local cheese direct from the makers. Her other option on that fated day was to venture into one of the larger grocery stores to sift through hundreds of prepackaged cheeses. Katie was shocked that a food focused city like Asheville had such limited options for finding delicious local, regional or international cheese sold in a friendly environment by a knowledgeable staff member who could share the history of the product. Voila, Katie’s idea for the Cheese Store of Asheville was born.
Katie had always loved to cook and dreamed of having a shop or cafe of her own one day. In 2003 she wandered into the Cheese Store of Silver Lake, a newly opened cheese shop in her Los Angeles neighborhood, and fell in love with the feel of the store. When she became more serious about opening a shop of her own, she turned to Natalia and Louis Pastis, the generous and knowledgeable owners of the Cheese Store of Pasadena.
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Fast forward to Asheville 2011-2012. Katie met with many merchants, cheese makers, Asheville foodies and average folks to determine if a cheese store in Asheville was a viable idea. Among the merchants she met with was Hunt Mallett, owner of the Weinhaus. Since the late-70's the Weinhaus had been a mainstay of Asheville's downtown. Hunt was expanding his wine and beer retail space to include a wine and beer bar. Housing the Cheese Store of Asheville was a natural fit so he invited Katie to join him and his team.
In 2014, The Cheese Store went mobile and that brings us quickly to present day. Follow the store on Facebook or check out our events page to see where we're popping up! You can also check out our Products page and order from there.
In 2016 Katie decided to pair down the retail operation to focus on what was most successful for her business. She also wanted to interact more closely with the small businesses she was coming in contact with. Katie decided to add consulting arm to her business. She's happy to be utilizing some of the skills and education she developed through past work and a Masters degree in Organizational Management.

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