Murray’s Cheese, the legendary Greenwich Village shop, is opening stores inside Ralphs supermarkets in Southern California this fall.
The first store is scheduled to open next month at Long Beach’s Marina Pacifica mall, followed by stores in Sherman Oaks and Marina del Rey, and two locations in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times.
This marks the continuation of collaboration between Ralphs’ parent company, Kroger Co., and Murray’s Cheese that together have opened 80 cheese shops in other Kroger grocery stores in 11 states since 2008. Kroger plans to open 20 more such cheese shops in the near future, which each measuring approximately 350 to 450 square feet, according to the report.
In the Ralphs store, the plan is to offer artisanal cheeses from around the world, as well as cheeses made in California. Murray’s is reportedly considering local cheeses by Bellwether Farms, Point Reyes, Cypress Grove, Central Coast Creamery and Fiscalini Farms.
The shops will also offer a variety of charcuterie, cheese accessories, jams and condiments, high-quality crackers, and pickles.
“Murray’s provides the expert training to Kroger associates, selects the products and finds local cheeses to highlight in each location – we often host cheesemakers in-store for tastings and participate in community events,” Kroger said in a news release.
Murray Greenberg – who in the ’70s sold the Greenwich Village shop to his clerk Louis Tudda, an Italian immigrant from Calabria – founded Murray’s Cheese in 1940. In the early 1990s, Tudda sold the shop to current owner Rob Kaufelt, who has transformed the business into one of the most unique cheese shops on the East Coast, featuring new and obscure cheeses from all over the world. The store makes world-class charcuterie inspired by Europe but made in the USA, and sells Europeans selections as well.
