Kroger, Murray's Debut New Shop

MATTHEW ENIS

CINCINNATI — Murray's Cheese, the trend-setting Manhattan-based artisan cheese shop, debuted its first retail venture outside New York City last week, opening a department in Kroger's newest “Fresh Fare” store in Cincinnati's Kenwood suburb. The partnership between the nation's largest traditional supermarket chain and one of New York's most venerable specialty markets was first announced in August 2007.

“Our mission is to bring great cheese to as wide an audience as possible,” Rob Kaufelt, owner of Murray's Cheese, said in a release. “This partnership is a huge step toward that goal. I have spent many years building Murray's reputation, and I would not have agreed to this partnership without complete confidence that Kroger is committed to offering a cheese program to which I can proudly attach my company's name.”

In an effort to offer Kroger shoppers a similar level of service found in their flagship store, Murray's — which regularly offers three-day cheese “boot camp” courses for chefs and restaurant owners — sent several employees to Cincinnati for a month to train their Kroger counterparts, and wrote an exclusive, 300-page service guide for the new associates.

The companies have said that two additional Murray's Cheese departments will open in Cincinnati-area Kroger stores during the coming weeks.