Village Gourmet Cheese Shoppe Introduces European Feel

The Village Gourmet Cheese Shoppe has always specialized in artisanal European cheeses, and now it is taking on the look and feel of a European café.          

Owner John Grecu and wife Danni explained during an interview Friday that when an espresso machine from Italy was added to their Southampton Village storefront over the winter the customers really took to it, and it created a new look and idea.          

While the shop originally had hightop tables both indoors and on the sidewalk, the furniture was recently swapped for tables, chairs and two-seater benches at a height that lets customers’ feet reach the ground.        

Danni Grecu, the marketing manager, said there was a debate over whether to stick with high seating or change to the conventional height, but since the change they feel the café is more inviting. In fact, some regular customers who normally take their orders to go said they will now stay to enjoy their coffee or cappuccino, because the place is more comfortable.          

There are other recent additions and changes as well — and more to come.

“When people walk in this is the first thing they see,” Danni Grecu said, sitting at one of the new tables. “But the chalkboard has been getting a lot of comments as well — good feedback.”        

The chalkboards — one behind the sandwich counter and another behind the cheese, salad and checkout counter — are actually large rectangles of black chalkboard paint, which can be written on and wiped clean again and again. They have been framed in wood to appear like actual chalkboards.         

The boards are several yards wide, taking up a good portion of the walls and prominently displaying the food and drink offerings.        

After the new paint dried for several days, Danni Grecu had the task of writing out the menus using erasable “chalk ink” markers. She said it was important to use markers rather than actual chalk, because no one wants chalk dust around their food.        

She said that when she re-wrote the menu of signature sandwiches, panini and wraps, such as the Parma, Hampton, Firenze, Los Angeles, Atlantic, Supreme and Japan, she made sure not to change a thing. “A lot of people come here for that particular sandwich — everyone single one of them represents something for someone.”        

New light fixtures and new artwork are coming soon to add to the café feel, she said.       

John Grecu bought the business in 2009. Before hand, he worked there for nearly two years, when it was known as simply Village Cheese Shop.

He said that back when he took over he replaced the electric, plumbing, refrigerators — “Things that are not seen by the customers, but it helps me a lot in operating the place.”  And after about five years, he said it was time for noticeable changes.        

But the cheese counter has stayed consistent, and the Grecus adhere to the same philosophy.       

“Most of the cheese — I would say 98 percent of the cheese that we carry in the store — are artisanal cheeses,” Danni Grecu said. “That means they are handmade and are all natural ingredients — no preservatives, no additives.”      

The majority come from Italy and France, and they also have cheeses from Germany and the Netherlands, among many other countries of origin.      

The keep their cheese in large blocks and wheels, which are only divided when a customer places an order. Danni Grecu said the reason is because cheese begins to lose its flavor once it is cut up and wrapped.       

Three weeks ago, they began serving mozzarella made in-house from just three ingredients: milk, salt and enzymes. Danni Grecu said fresh mozzarella has a noticeable difference in taste and quality.

Their salad bar and smoothies remain popular, she added, and a smoothie featuring the superfood kale was recently added to the menu.