Artisan Cheese Shop Coming to Winter Park

Cheese enthusiast opens specialty cheese & charcuterie store offering thoughtfully sourced products from around the world
Artisan Cheese Shop Coming to Winter Park
Photo: Official

This summer, Winter Park will welcome a new business to the neighborhood that promises to be a “one stop shop” for all cheese lovers. Michigan-born and raised owner, Ann Thornton, will open the doors of SIMPLY CHEESE located at 2258 Aloma Avenue in Winter Park, FL on Saturday, July 23.

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The concept behind the shop came to fruition on a visit home to Grand Rapids, Michigan
when Ann and husband Kyle stopped into an area-loved cheese store. While not recognized as the cheese state, Michigan and other Midwest states more commonly offer cheese shops and stores due to their accessibility to dairy farms and geographic location making them ideal cheese-yielding climates.

“Sometimes you don’t know where your passions are until it smacks you in the face. It wasn’t until I walked into that cheese shop that I thought to myself, why am I not doing this?” said SIMPLY CHEESE Owner & Founder, Ann Thornton in a statement.

Despite businesses worldwide being negatively impacted by the pandemic, the cheese industry is up by 30% since 2016 with current projections of reaching $124 billion by the end of 2022. More specifically, the specialty cheese market is slated to grow faster than the cheese industry as a whole, largely due to the interest of at-home cooking and demand for quality products during the pandemic.

SIMPLY CHEESE will honor its roots with farmhouse-like decor and offer over 60 different cheeses hand-selected from across the US and the world. Unlike supermarket competitors, Simply Cheese will offer “cut from the wheel” cheeses that customers can sample prior to purchasing or taking home a “snack pack” of samples to enjoy. While cheese will be their primary focus, the shop will also carry charcuterie accompaniments like prepackaged meats, spreads, jams, honey, and even vegan options.

“We’re just raised differently in the Midwest. If we had a family gathering and we didn’t have a cheese ball, something wasn’t right. I just love cheese and I feel like there’s a lot of people like me, where they’d like a place to go to taste and sample cheese before they buy it. We want it to be a cheese lover’s dream and a true multisensory experience for them,” said Thornton.

The shop will also lift up the community and aim to carry goods from local Florida and Michigan makers, breweries and wineries. Grand Opening is scheduled for Saturday, July 23 with a farmer’s market-like celebration where guests can taste and shop from 9 am – 4pm.

Lisa Hay

Lisa Hay

Lisa is a staff reporter for What Now Media Group. She covers new restaurant, retail, and real estate openings across all of our markets. A true foodie, this Air Force veteran has lived all over the world — from Aviano, Italy to Nairobi, Kenya — but her favorite spot is NOLA for its rich history, architecture, culture, and of course, its good eats.
Lisa Hay

Lisa Hay

Lisa is a staff reporter for What Now Media Group. She covers new restaurant, retail, and real estate openings across all of our markets. A true foodie, this Air Force veteran has lived all over the world — from Aviano, Italy to Nairobi, Kenya — but her favorite spot is NOLA for its rich history, architecture, culture, and of course, its good eats.

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