Today we’d like to introduce you to Troy and Melissa Boyce.
The Cheese Bar was created by Troy and Melissa in 2015. Having moved to Cypress from Pittsburgh, PA in 2014, they noticed that there was no place nearby to get some good cheese. And when Troy was laid off from his job in November 2015, the seed was planted to run their own business and bring a little foodie love to Cypress.
They wanted to provide not only great quality, artisanal cheeses and meats, but also serve some upscale casual menu items along with wine and beer. The shop has a friendly, down-to-earth atmosphere, and welcomes both cheese aficionados and those whose only knowledge of cheese has been that it’s orange, square and wrapped in plastic. 🙂
Troy has a long history in both the restaurant and cheese industry. He managed several Outback Steakhouses in California and Pennslyvania (go Steelers!), and headed up two of the largest retail grocery cheese departments in the Pittsburgh area. He also oversaw the opening of an independent cheese shop as part of an expansion to an Italian restaurant. Troy is the manager of the shop and places customer service and good team leadership as top priorities.
Melissa was introduced to good cheese and wine living in Northern California for 26 years, close to the Napa Valley, and also through her work in the travel industry. She is a freelance graphic designer, and she has good knowledge of the cheese and wine. Troy and Melissa have one daughter, four dogs, five cats, 1 guinea pig and a whole lot of dust bunnies! When they have free time (which, let’s be honest, no longer exists since they opened the shop!), they enjoy building furniture and support animal rescue efforts by fostering.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Ha, we could write a book on the topic! Or at least lead a self-help group called “Small Business Owners Anonymous.” Although we have an incredible group of “regulars” guests for whom we are grateful, starting a brand new restaurant is the toughest thing we have ever done. We are about a year and a half into our Cypress shop and we struggle to make ends meet every week.
Cash flow has become the “word that shall not be spoken” in our household! 🙂 Besides the financial challenges, establishing procedures and guidelines has been slower than we would like, and getting a consistent product and level of service is a constant, ongoing process. And being a husband and wife team, we live and breathe the shop from the second we wake up (usually to a text regarding the store) to the minute we lay down.
That being said, we have been blessed to have several publications, such as yourself, approach us to do features, and that kind of exposure has been great. We are winners of the Best Mac and Cheese for Cheesefest 2016 (the 2017 event was canceled due to the hurricane), and we were voted Best Gourmet Shop in Cy-Fair 2017 by Living Magazine readers. So we must be doing something right!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Cheese Bar – what should we know?
We are the only business in Northwest Houston that offers this quality of cheese and charcuterie meats and we’ve got the best cheese board around. It’s filling, and it’s low carb! We are unique in that we not only specialize in a small cheese-centric sit-down menu, but we also offer our cheeses, meats and almonds by the pound to go in our deli.
Besides our award-winning mac and cheese, we have, plain and simple, got some really good food (try our fried cheese curds or our number one selling Turkey, Brie and Apple grilled cheese). We have a genuine, down-to-earth culture, and a comfortable, laid-back environment.
We are not a fancy wine bar; although we have a specially-curated wine and beer list, our focus is primarily the cheese, and the stories behind the cheesemaker. Afterall, cheese and wine is really just peasant food that fermented and turned out great, so with those humble beginnings, we pride ourselves on making guests feel comfortable and providing excellent, personal customer service.
Plus, it doesn’t hurt that our location sits on the green of the Boardwalk at Towne Lake. Our surroundings are beautiful and our patio offers a view of the lake. We love that mom and dad can enjoy wine and beer on the patio with friends while their kids eat their grilled cheese and then safely play on the grass. So whether it’s date night or super casual family night, we have it covered.
Do you feel like our city is a good place for businesses like yours? If someone was just starting out, would you recommend them starting out here? If not, what can our city do to improve?
Well, everyone likes cheese, so we have that in our favor already! Our Katy in LaCenterra is a well-established shopping and dining destination, and the demographic in that area enjoys going out to eat and seeks good quality product and service. Our Cypress location is more challenging because the complex is still new, and we don’t have a large number of big businesses near us (to provide a lunch or happy hour crowd).
Contact Info:
- Address: 9945 Barker Cypress Road, #125 Cypress, TX 77433 (Cypress)
23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd. Suite #D130 Katy, TX 77494 (Katy) - Website: www.thecheesebar.net
- Phone: 281-245-0909 (Cypress), 281-394-7500 (Katy)
- Email: melissa@thecheesebar.net
- Instagram: the.cheese.bar
- Facebook: facebook.com/thecheesebarcypress or facebook.com/thecheesebarkaty
- Twitter: @cheesebar14
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cheese-bar-cypress https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cheese-bar-katy-2?osq=cheese+bar+katy
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
