Petaluma Cheese Shop
The Petaluma Cheese Shop has become a go-to stop for browsing cheeses, picking up picnic supplies or settling in for a tasting. Inside, the cases are stocked with dozens of cheeses, alongside wine from the owners’ label, Barber Cellars. The menu, which can be enjoyed in-house or to-go, includes an eight-cheese tasting, fondue, charcuterie boards and sandwiches—making it as much a place to linger as it is to shop.
This business reflects the entrepreneurial spirit of owners Lorraine and Mike Barber, who built their ventures step by step, often guided by curiosity and conversation. Lorraine Barber says the decision to strike out on their own came as a matter of course. “It was a natural step in our journey. We’ve both always been good at jumping into what interests us. Mike and I worked plenty of office jobs, and when the opportunity presented itself, we agreed that betting on ourselves was a gamble we wanted to take,” she notes.
That mindset has led them from wine to spirits—and eventually to cheese. Over time, their tasting room evolved to include food experiences that pair naturally with their wine. When visitors browse the shop today, they’ll find cheeses selected for both casual grazing and thoughtful pairings, whether someone is building a board for a gathering or simply exploring something new.
The couple’s process for expanding their business remains collaborative. “First, it’s about finding something that we are both interested in and passionate about. Then, it’s about agreement. We’ve always made it a hard rule both in our personal relationship as well as business that if we don’t agree on something, then it is not the right thing to pursue. So most of our business development comes out of a lot of conversations,” Barber points out.
Listening to customers also helped shape the cheese shop experience. As Barber explains, “We wanted to listen to our community and give them what they wanted.” Today, that shows up in a space where tasting, shopping and conversation all come together around good cheese. — Kary Hess
Petaluma Cheese Shop, 112 Washington St. 707-971-7410. petalumacheeseshop.com.
