A local craft cheese shop and lunch restaurant is closing its doors after more than 14 years in business in downtown Sarasota.
Artisan Cheese Company, a staple of Sarasota’s culinary scene for more than a decade, is officially closing, owner Louise Converse wrote on social media Friday. The announcement came during a preplanned weeklong closure following Labor Day.
"I tried unsuccessfully to keep the doors open, but I have failed," Converse wrote in a Facebook post announcing the closure. "The cheese industry is incredible. I wish I could have stuck it out. I love all of it. I have been so proud to be part of it. I have let you down. I am so sorry. I mean it."
Another restaurant is expected to take over the 3,000-square-foot space at 550 Central
Ave. in downtown Sarasota’s Rosemary District, according to Converse. She said two people had hoped to take over the cheese shop and had spent two months working with her on the transition, but the landlord approved a restaurant instead. Converse acknowledged that she was behind on rent.
The shop will open Tuesday, Sept. 15, and Wednesday, Sept. 16, to sell its remaining inventory and hold a yard sale, according to a follow-up Facebook post published Saturday morning. Converse said customers could say goodbye to staff members Samantha and Jessie on Tuesday.
"I will start the painful process that is ahead for me. I leave this with nothing. To say that my mental health has taken a hit is an understatement. I have a small circle of people who have known about this, and they are putting their arms around me," she wrote on social media.
The building that the cheese shop is located in is owned by Rosemary Square LLC., an entity connected to Mark and Mindy Kauffman, according to Sarasota County property records and Florida Division of Corporations records.
Artisan Cheese Company's struggle
The Artisan Cheese Company opened in 2012, offering “fine specialty cheeses and other lovely things,” as previously reported by the Herald-Tribune. The business originally operated for about six years in a 1,100-square-foot space at 1310 Main St. Breaking Wave Coffee later occupied that storefront before closing its cafe in September 2025, announcing on social media that the building had been sold.
Artisan Cheese Company has experienced several operational hurdles over the past several years, but Converse wrote on social media that the closure was unavoidable this time. She shared that this year, sales were down by 40%, making it "impossible" to stay open.
Converse's business previously faced closure in May 2025 but was saved by its loyal supporters and community generosity. The shop was able to keep operating after launching a GoFundMe that raised more than $42,000.
Last year's planned closure was sparked by inflation, international tariffs and other financial difficulties, Converse previously wrote in a newsletter to customers.
“It’s not one thing, but everything,” she wrote. “The economy. Tariffs. Skyrocketing inflation. Lack of staff. Lack of customers. Hurricane aftermath. Traffic. Parking. Okay, maybe not those last two, but it’s Sarasota, so it felt fitting.”
Converse, originally from Scotland and formerly employed by Harvard University, said she had always dreamed of opening a cheese shop. Before launching Artisan Cheese Company, she and her husband, Parker Converse, toured England, Scotland and New England in search of “cheesemongery.”
Herald-Tribune archives were used in this report.
Kendal Asbury is the real estate and development reporter for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Have an idea, tip or question about development? Send her an email at kasbury@usatodayco.com. Connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Instagram @wordsbykendal, and support local journalism by subscribing to the Herald-Tribune.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Beloved Sarasota cheese shop closing after more than 14 years
