Casey and Adrienne D’Arconte are working with what they know – and love – cheese.
A New England Culinary Institute-trained chef, Casey’s training features stints across the local culinary scene, including as executive chef at Pot au Feu in Providence. In 2004 the couple purchased The Breakfast Place on Pleasant Street in Attleboro, and more recently, in May 2015, opened the Edgewood Cheese Shop and Eatery in Cranston.
“We both love cheese, and have spent a lot of time trying different cheeses, and wanted to bring something like this to our neighborhood,” said Adrienne, a self-professed “lover of food.”
Adrienne said the Broad Street shop doesn’t have any specialties but stocks imported and domestic cheeses, crackers and select charcuterie.
“We always have a wide array of things [and] … we do try to support local producers,” she said of the multiple Rhode Island and New England cheeses available, as well as Del’s bottled lemonade and Yacht Club soda.
The variety, she said, makes it feel like the “adult version of getting to be a kid in a candy store.”
In fact, she added, “My favorite part of going to cheese shops is that you get to taste different cheeses” before you buy – something she frequently encourages among customers.
Even with the try-before-you-buy policy, Adrienne said she has found there is some trepidation among customers who have never shopped at a specialty-foods store before. However, she and her husband attempt to counteract that feeling by creating a “friendly and accessible” atmosphere in the shop.
As both a retail store and a small café, Adrienne said she hopes the shop is “a fun place where you can try lots of stuff and discover new favorites.”
Guests are even encouraged to bring a bottle of wine to sip while dining on cheese and meat boards; a fennel salami, gruyere and onion chutney sandwich or a simple grilled cheese – all available on the menu for dine-in customers.
The pair’s efforts seem to be paying off. In 2016, their second year in business, Edgewood Cheese Shop and Eatery was named the Best Cheese Shop by Rhode Island Monthly. The award, said Adrienne, helped spread awareness of the shop and drew in new customers.
The D’Arcontes hope to increase the number of business-to-business ties they have built with the surrounding culinary community – especially Rhode Island’s brewing industry. Adrienne said they recently hosted a beer and cheese pairing with Foolproof Brewing Co. out of Pawtucket that was a big hit for both companies.
The D’Arcontes also host a Cheese 101 class they use to grow their customer base and educate the public.
“The more you know about cheese, the better you are for us because you’ll know the differences,” she said.
CO-OWNERS: Casey and Adrienne D’Arconte
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Specialty cheese shop
LOCATION: 1828 Broad St., Cranston
EMPLOYEES: Three
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2015
ANNUAL SALES: WND
