Location
255 Ottley Drive, Suite 110
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlantans finally got the cheese shop of their dreams in July 2022 with the long-awaited opening of Capella Cheese in Armour Yards, a “creative office community located between Buckhead and Midtown.” The expansive 3500 square foot converted warehouse, equipped with a 12-foot cheese case and state-of-the-art high humidity, zero airflow cheese storage rooms, offers a contemporary environment for shopping.
One exciting feature of the shop–the return of active cheese sampling. Although the pandemic temporarily squashed the popular activity, tasting through the cut to order cheeses at the counter with highly trained staff is alive and well at Capella.
Shop photo courtesy of Capella
The Store
Industry vet Raymond Hook, owner and cheese mastermind behind Capella with partners Clay Jackson and Samantha Naik, curates a broad, tantalizing selection of over 200 local and international artisan cheeses at all price points. Of course, there’s charcuterie and Hook himself can be found on the Berkel flywheel meat slicer, he also hand carves legs of Jamon de Bellota Iberico on occasion. The store has carefully chosen specialty products from all over the globe–wine, beer, crackers, condiments, chocolate to accompany the cheesy delights.
According to Hook customers have been very enthusiastic about the shop, adding, “They love the look and design of the store, it has an open feeling and lots of natural light. They’ve also enjoyed being able to sample cheeses before buying so they can know what they like…and trying new products.”
Capella employees make fresh cheeses right on site, bringing another dynamic twist to the space. “The customers love to watch Brittany Billups make fresh mozzarella and burrata right in front of them. They can buy it when it’s still warm, which is a new experience for many.”
Top Selling Cheeses
Capella Mozzarella
That house made mozzarella quickly became the number one seller. “We offer our guests the treat of getting to see their mozzarella being made,” says Hook, “and the ability to eat it fresh, as it was intended. It is exceptional, hand crafted, and only sold the day it is made.”
Green Hill photo courtesy of Sweet Grass Dairy
Green Hill
A local cow’s milk softie made in Thomasville, GA by Sweet Grass Dairy, less than 250 miles from the shop, clocks in at number two. “This cheese is made from the milk of cows who live in pastures every day and 90% of their food is grown on the farm,” adds Hook. “It is a double cream white bloomy rind cheese that gets super soft and creamy as it ripens.”
“File:Etivaz.jpg” by Guy Waterval is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
L’Étivaz
L’Étivaz Is a classic gruyere-style raw cow from the Swiss Alps. “This is one of the finest cheeses we have,” Hook says, adding “ it’s an exquisite example of fine Swiss Cheese. Our Swiss Cheese importer goes to the farm where the cheese is made and aged, and hand selects it for us.”
Also Look For
Craving good cheese but can’t get to Atlanta? Capella’s robust e-commerce platform is set to launch in September, with nationwide shipping employing MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) technology, so the precious cheese will arrive tasting as good as it did in Georgia.