Chevre shop photo courtesy Mario Naar
Mario Naar just wasn’t satisfied with the cheese offered at his local grocery stores in the U.S., so he decided to do something about it.
Naar, a partner at Chèvre, a cheese shop and restaurant in Panama is a Miami native, saw the success of his Panama City location and decided that Miami needed the same love. Naar, along with partner, Navin Mahtani, were working on Chèvre Miami in 2019, when the pandemic hit. With their brick-and-mortar plans on hold, the two decided to create an online market.
A Pandemic Plan Falls into Place
The pair enlisted the help of cheese maven, Carlos Yescas, to curate a selection of cheese that would tap into the creativity of small makers. They then offered wine and cheese tastings on Zoom, conducted by Yescas, during the pandemic. These classes, accompanied by a kit of products, proved to be a hit. “We started with one-hour classes, and they just blew up. After the class, people would stay on the Zoom to drink wine and socialize. One couple even started dating after meeting at one of the classes.”
Starting in a few weeks, Chèvre will deliver nationwide, with a selection of international cheese selected by Yescas, says Naar. “Carlos started off selecting cheese from some of the best cheesemakers in the world.” The website also makes discovering new cheeses easy, according to Naar. “Carlos has basically written an encyclopedia of cheese. Every single product lists the story of the cheese, its tasting notes, and what it pairs with,” says Naar. For example, a Mimolette from Normandy is described as looking like a “cratered, smooth, fudgy finish”. The description gives a nod to the “tiny affineurs” that help give the cheese its distinct look, flavor, and aroma and suggests the cheese is best paired with bourbon or a merlot.
Right now, the shop offers about 80 different items, selling charcuterie, bread, and wine locally in the Miami area, with Naar acting as both co-owner and delivery person while Chevre ramps up for nationwide mail order.
In addition, Chèvre offers a cheese club that offers a monthly subscription of four cheese for $80 (or $100 with a bottle of wine). Naar says this is a great way to expand your palate. “We’re taking people on a creative process. Out of those four cheeses, we’re hoping you discover a few new favorites. We’re trying to do more than sell cheese — we’re trying to educate people. Cheese makers are noble and humble, and we want to showcase them.”
Chèvre will also finally open its Miami-area restaurant and shop in Coral Gables in the coming months — complete with a pizzeria and bar. Naar has tapped into some big-name partnerships for the cheese-focused eatery. “When we open the location, Fabio Viviani will be the main chef,” says Naar. Viviani was a fan favorite on Bravo’s Top Chef and owns several restaurants including Riviera by Fabio Viviani in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The restaurant has also teamed with Macallan to offer whiskey and cheese pairings (“though don’t call it mac and cheese”, quips Naar).
Chèvre will also open their shop at a European-style artisanal market in Miami’s chic Design District neighborhood. The market will also house a fishmonger, a raw bar, a butcher, and a centralized bar, according to Naar.
Naar says that even he’s surprised by the enthusiasm people have for cheese. “We started some social media accounts to see how people react to cheese. You do a cheese pull on Instagram, and people go insane. People want to know more about cheese makers. They’re craving it.”