Southport Magazine

If you’ve never visited The Cheese Shoppe on Howe Street, you may be depriving yourself. The shop offers the best cheese in town and is stocked with endless amounts of snacks and goodies alike, perfect for entertaining guests or just to have on hand at home. They also have a variety of different sandwiches and paninis with some of the best bread you’ll ever get your hands around. There is something new on the horizon for the shop though, as the current owners say goodbye and pass it along to someone new to continue their legacy. 

When Lisa and Eric Stettner moved to Southport from New Jersey back in 2013, opening a cheese shoppe wasn’t their original plan, but according to Lisa, they noticed there wasn’t anything like it in town, so they decided to go for it. It was quite the opposite of what they were doing previously. Eric owned a car shop and Lisa did the billing. I’m glad they took a chance because going into the shop is one of my favorite things to do. I’m always greeted with a smile by Lisa, Eric, and anyone that works there. It’s one of those places that makes you feel like you’re family and if they aren’t too busy with orders, it’s easy to sit and chat for a while. 

With only a few more days until the sale of the shop is final, I asked Lisa what she would miss the most about it. “I love when we get new cheese in,” she said. “We’ll all sample it and see how different everyone’s taste is.” That sounds like a dream to me. I’m still holding out hope that they’ll let me know sometime when new cheese arrives, and I can be a taste tester. I had to know what Lisa’s favorite kind of cheese is. Her answer was Beechers Flagship Reserve. “It’s wrapped in cheese cloth and rubbed with butter, it’s made in the USA, and has a great aroma of forest, mushrooms, and fresh butter,” she said. I probably should have eaten before sitting down to write this. Lisa knows her cheese. 

New owner Nichole Harding and Lisa both told me that it was crazy how the two found each other. Lisa wasn’t going to accept just any offer, but she told me she had prayed for Nichole, and when she came along, she knew it was the right decision to sell the business to her. Oddly enough, this wasn’t the first business purchase that Nichole made from the Stettner family. She used to own her own shop in the Southport Village Shoppes called Farm Fresh and Fancy that she bought from Lisa and Eric’s daughter. That shop was far different from the cheese shoppe. 

Nichole, her husband Brandon, and their daughter Morgan, all relocated to Southport from Decatur, Illinois in 2010. Brandon works for ADM and Morgan works for the Brunswick County Jail as a detention officer. Nichole mentioned that you might see Brandon at the shop on Saturdays when he comes in to help! 

There are so many cheese shop regulars, and one thing Nichole told me was that from the beginning of this transition her and Brandon knew they didn’t want to change a thing about it. “The Cheese Shoppe is so unique and there isn’t a thing like it in Southport, so why would we want to change anything?” she asked. “Lisa and Eric put in all the hard work and now we just have to continue the business as usual and add a few things as we go over the years.” One thing Nichole wants to do is add something that shows her personality, but she just isn’t sure what that is yet. 

I asked Nichole what the most rewarding part of this process has been so far, and she said that it has been meeting all the customers and having them accept her as the new business owner. It’s easy to tell what a great relationship Nichole has with Lisa and Eric. Nichole mentioned another rewarding thing is hearing how Lisa and Eric are proud of her. Since Nichole has been in the shop, I’ve gone in numerous times, and I always love seeing her. It’s easy to see that she’s so happy being there and hearing them talk about this transition was so heartwarming I almost teared up. Actually, I think we all teared up; I’ll admit it. 

I asked Lisa what most excited her about Nichole taking over. “She loves people,” she said. “She loves to create cheeseboards. She just loves everything about it. She’s enthusiastic and wants to learn and it definitely helps that she’s 20 years younger than me and has energy.” I also asked Nichole what she has learned from Lisa and Eric since the transition and her initial response was, “too many to list, lol. From the first day I walked in to start working, Lisa made me feel like I could do it all,” she said. “I started out just running the register and learning the breads.” She told me the following week that she started making sandwiches with Eric. “I was terrified as he is an excellent sandwich maker,” she said. I’ve had a few of Nichole’s sandwiches since she started working and I can tell you firsthand that they are delicious. 

I couldn’t leave without finding out Nichole’s favorite cheese, too. Blueberry Stiliton and Prairie Breeze Cheddar are her favorites. 

It goes without saying that Lisa and Eric will be truly missed, but through talking to them, it’s easy to see that Nichole is the perfect person to take over and I can’t wait for many more Nichole sandwiches. If you have never been to the cheese shoppe, you should run there! Pop on over and meet Nichole and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Happy cheesing.