NEW ORLEANS (press release) – St. James Cheese Company, a locally owned specialty cheese store and restaurant with two locations in New Orleans, is opening a third location on the Mississippi Gulf coast in Pass Christian.
Founded by Richard and Danielle Sutton in 2006, St. James Cheese Company has steadily grown from its start as a small store on the Uptown commercial stretch of Prytania Street, to opening a second location in 2015 in the Warehouse District, and then further expanding the footprint of their Uptown shop in 2021 with a separate dining room.
St. James also operates a robust wholesale business servicing many restaurants in New Orleans with cheeses and cured meats. With this expansion to Pass Christian, the Suttons are excited to bring their curated selection of imported and domestic artisanal and farmhouse cheeses, charcuterie, gourmet groceries and casual dining to all new customers.
The third location is situated at the front of a new hotel development called The Pass Bungalows spearheaded by Jourdan and Field Nicaud. Overlooking the Pass Christian marina, it is located on West Scenic Drive.
“We were not actively looking to open a third location,” said St. James co-owner Danielle Sutton. “But when Jourdan and Field approached us about this space in Pass Christian, we were very curious. As a native of the North Florida Gulf coast, I love the relaxed beach town atmosphere, and the hotel development and retail space overlooking the water really appealed to us. We could immediately see our business there.”
The new location will stock a core and rotating selection of cheese lover favorites and harder to find imported cheeses for the adventurous to try. Fresh sliced prosciutto, Iberico ham, salamis and patés will also be featured.
The casual dining menu will feature favorites from the other St. James Cheese Company locations, including:
- Cheese and Charcuterie boards
- Freshly made sandwiches with high quality ingredients, such as the Hook’s Cheddar & Turkey sandwich, the Hot Muffaletta, the classic French Brie & ham with French butter, the Smoky Blue & Roast Beef sandwich, a variety of grilled cheese options and specials.
- Freshly made cheese-centric salads, such as the Cantal with Cantal cheese, ham, apples & walnuts; the Parmigiano Reggiano with olives, artichokes, walnuts and salami; and the Manchego with arugula, pears, almonds and shaved Manchego.
- Crowd favorite Cheesemonger’s Mac & Cheese
- A breakfast menu, which is in development.
Customers will also find a carefully selected range of gourmet grocery items such as olives, crackers, chutneys and jams, Spanish and Portuguese tinned seafood, condiments and chocolate.
“We are looking forward to hearing what hard to get items our customers would like to see us sell in our Pass Christian store,” said Richard Sutton. “Coast living is different than living in New Orleans, so we are going to play around with the inventory we sell and see what customers are really drawn to.”
Catering will also be offered by the new location. St. James Cheese Company creates beautiful cheese and charcuterie platters and is also an experienced on-site caterer for grazing tables and cheese cake towers. “We know how people like to entertain on the coast, and we are excited to help them do just that with our crowd pleasing options,” says Richard Sutton.
St. James Cheese Company’s Pass Christian location is projected to open mid-summer. Visit stjamescheese.com for updates or follow along on Instagram @stjamescheeseinthepass.
