Culture Cheese Shop officially opens in downtown Holland
HOLLAND — Just a few months ago, word got out that Liz Sluiter was working on bringing a cheese shop to downtown Holland.
Sluiter, a mother of three, a dental hygienist and small business owner, had the goal of opening before the holiday season.
That goal has been met and Culture Cheese Shop is officially open, located 211 S. River Ave., behind Anna Interiors.
For Sluiter, none of this would have been possible without the help of her loved ones.
“It was all because of my family and friends,” Sluiter said. “And my husband working long hours at the shop. Pretty much everything in here is his handiwork. When it comes to the decorating, I kind of designed it and he really put it into play.”
More: Downtown Holland is getting its very own cheese shop
Sluiter first started Culture Cheese Shop last year and had been operating out of the Grand Rapids Downtown Market.
It started with cultural cheese boards — her first was a board with cheeses, crackers and tasting notes from the Netherlands. Inspired by her trips around the world, she branched out to Spain and has continued to grow.
So far, Sluiter said the response she’s received has been overwhelming as the community — and other local small businesses — have supported her and checked out the new business.
“It’s been overwhelmingly emotional,” Sluiter said. “It’s just exciting to have people that love and care so much to make something that is mine. I can’t thank them enough.”
Along with offering a wide array of cheeses, Sluiter said her goal is to also serve as an educator, teaching customers the intricacies of cheeses. Her goal is to teach about cheese pairings and provide cheeses for all occasions.
She also offers other unique items to customers, including tortilla presses, Ethiopian flour, seasonings and other items. Her goal is to offer items that can’t be found anywhere else.
“I think my vision is to bring up those memories and to help customers to create new memories,” Sluiter said. “I just really love hearing about those memories that people have around food.”
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Ultimately, Sluiter said she’s grateful to the local community, which has already come out to support her and the business, and she looks forward to continuing to develop those connections as she moves forward.
“I can’t thank them enough for being patient and for giving me grace as I learned how to run a business and for understanding that there are going to be challenges that come up and still saying ‘don’t worry about it, we got you,'" she said.
Culture Cheese Shop is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Thursdays 4-8 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
For more information, visit culturecheeseshop.com or Culture Cheese Shop on Facebook.
— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Culture Cheese Shop officially opens in downtown Holland
