The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills facts for kids
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills in 2015
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| Private | |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Founder | Sigmund Roth |
| Headquarters |
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U.S.
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Key people
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Norbert Wabnig |
| Products | Gourmet foods, most notably cheese |
| Owner | Dominik DiBartolomeo |
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills is a special food shop in Beverly Hills, California. It's famous for having a huge collection of 500 to 600 different cheeses! They also sell fancy wines and other delicious treats. This includes a very rare type of caviar called Golden Imperial Osetra. The store is often talked about in magazines like Bon Appétit and Entrepreneur. It's known as a great place to find amazing foods. The store says it has "the largest collection of goat's and sheep's milk cheeses anywhere." Norbert Wabnig, the store's former owner, became a well-known person in Los Angeles.
The store is in an old brick building from the 1920s. It has provided cheese and other items to many top restaurants in Los Angeles. These include famous places like Wolfgang Puck’s Spago and the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.
Contents
History of the Cheese Store
How the Store Started
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills began in 1967. It was first a part of a chain called Cheese Shop International. Colonel Sigmund Roth started this branch. In 1978, Colonel Roth's health was not good. Norbert Wabnig, who worked at the store, bought the business. He used to work there during the day and play music at night.
Norbert Wabnig's Vision
Norbert changed the store's name to The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. He made it feel more like a traditional European shop. This is the style it still has today. Norbert often said he loved the community feeling of the store. They often host fun wine tasting events there.
Helping Food Producers
In 2004, Norbert Wabnig started the American Artisanal Treasure Awards. He wanted to celebrate people who make special handmade foods. Awards are given for the best cheese, best olive oil, and best condiment.
New Products and Location
In 2005, the store introduced its own wine called Scoundrel. It was a cabernet wine made in Paso Robles, California. Norbert's daughter, Talia, designed the label for the wine. In June 2023, The Cheese Store moved to a new location. It is now at 9705 South Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills.
Special Products They Sell
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills is known for its fancy foods. They carry many hard-to-find and high-end ingredients. Over the years, they have sold special items like:
- Austrian pumpkin seed oil
- Fresh truffles (when they are in season)
- Different kinds of French butter
- Various types of Russian caviar, like Golden Imperial Osetra
- French and Spanish hams
- Italian prosciutto
- 25 different kinds of extra virgin olive oil
The store also cares about the environment. They encourage customers to bring their own bottles. Then, the store fills them with olive oil.
About the Owner
Norbert Wabnig's Early Life
Norbert Wabnig was born in Vienna, Austria, on August 11, 1948. In 1955, his family moved to New Orleans. But they went back to Vienna every summer. There, Norbert learned to cook in his uncle's restaurant. It was a popular place for famous people.
From Music to Cheese
After college, Norbert moved to Los Angeles. He wanted to be a musician with his band. To earn money, he took a job at what is now The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. He later bought the store in 1978.
Norbert's Cheese Adventures
Norbert travels all over the world to find new cheeses for the store. He is a member of the American Cheese Society. He also helps top cooking schools with their cheese classes. These schools include The Cordon Bleu Program and The New School of Cooking. Norbert also helped write the theme song for the Los Angeles chapter of Meals on Wheels.
Awards and Recognition
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills has won many awards:
- It received a 2-Leaf ranking from Greenopia Los Angeles. This made it a Distinguished Business for 2008–2009.
- MyFoxLA voted it Best Cheese Shop in Los Angeles in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
- Editors and readers of the Los Angeles Best of Citysearch website poll gave it "Best Gourmet Food Store" in 2006 and 2007.
- Zagat rated it #1 Overall, #1 for Cheese, and #1 for Beverly Hills every year from 1997 to 2001. In their 1999/2000 Survey, it was one of only two food places to get a score of 29 points.
- Los Angeles Magazine included the store in its "Best of LA 1996" list.
