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Growing up, Brew Cheese owner Dave Striffler was not a fan of cheese, to say the least.
“If you told me now there is where I’d be [when I was kid] I would say, ‘What? That is crazy,'” he said.
Yet the 32-year-old from Sayville is now one of relatively few people in the U.S. to be certified as a Cheese Professional from the American Cheese Society.
“There are only 500 to 600 people in the world who have the certification,” he said.
Striffler, who opened his second cheese shop and craft beer bar location in Northport this summer, said his love for cheese came out of first job as a cheese buyer for Whole Foods after graduating from Stony Brook University.
It was there where he discovered hundreds of cheeses which prompted him to launch his first cheese venture in Stony Brook at 127 Main Street in 2015.
Since then, business has been booming.
The Brew Cheese menu spans from grilled cheese sandwiches to cheeseboards, while also offering a wide variety of craft beers on tap.
And the new Northport menu at 40 Woodbine Avenue is even bigger than the original location, with added dishes like soups.
“It is like Stony Brook but on a bigger scale,” he said.
As business continues to grow, Striffler says his next goal is to open a third location, possibly in Oyster Bay.
Top: Cana de Cabra, strawberry preserves, and spicy Sriracha on a freshly baked rosemary brioche bun with a IPA from Barrier Brewing Co. (courtesy)
