Culture Magazine

T R AV E L 202 2 culturecheesemag.com 31 V O I C I N G S A FEW OF GLENN'S FAVORITE THINGS Glenn Harrell is known for his powers of curation, so we couldn't resist asking him to tell us which of the items on his shelves he is most excited about right now. 18-month Manchego El Trigal Carmencita Sea Salt with Herbs Ritrovo Selections Tuna Chunks with IGP Calabrese Potatoes and Rosemary in Olive Oil Italian Harvest Fig Nectar Preserve Chocolate Therapy Truffles Grupo Cervezas Alhambra Reserva 1925 Lager Yeah, that cheese is so special. GH: But it's, when I say expensive, I mean expensive in a good way, like it's worth every penny of what you pay. But then like, we're one of the top, if not the top cheese shop here in Los Angeles, and we have such a hard time getting that cheese! Like I was allocated one wheel last year. So, I'm not on the radar for being the go-to place to go and get an American cheese, people don't go out of their way to send things to me. I do know that there are other cheese shops in town that specialize more in American cheeses and so I assume that people are going to those spots where they can get those items, where my name is more like 90 percent European and 10 percent American. Your shop is in Silver Lake, which has changed pretty much completely over the past two decades or so. I'm curious how that's affected the business. GH: Oh, it's affected the business tremendously. I mean, we were the place to go to for so many years. Say Cheese has been here since 1972, and we're still standing. The community has grown so much, food has become more important to people. We really add value to this neighborhood. I have to admit, I read your Yelp reviews, and it sounds like people just, they always say how much thought and care you put into every single personalized basket or platter, and that you're just a pleasure to work with. GH: Yes. And that's what really sets us apart. I mean, we are literally, I am not lying, 30 feet away from the door of Trader Joe's. We are about 120 feet away from Gelson's. Both of those supermarkets have stepped their games up with ordering product that we have always carried. Obviously they're doing their research and homework. And, you know, I'm constantly stepping my game up because I have to, and what Yes, for sure. My best critic is my mother, and I love my family because they're not biased people. And so, they let me know when I'm right and they tell me when I'm wrong. really sets us aside from those places is the attention to detail, the sampling, for instance. We're still in a pandemic, right? In business you have to be creative. I want to ask you about the past few years. It's been a weird time to own a brick-and- mortar storefront! How has your business changed in light of the pandemic? GH: I have to be honest with you. And this is, it's kind of almost embarrassing, because, COVID has been fantastic for me. Business has come to me where, I don't wanna say I didn't have to run after it, I have run after my business for years, this year will be 23 years. But business has finally come to me, because of Black Lives Matter, and being African American. I don't like for people to support me because I'm Black. I like people to support me because of what we provide, because of the quality, that is what I stand behind… because the space is amazing, because the pricing is fair, and he happens to be African American, cool. But don't support me because I'm Black. You know, people have sourced out this little business because they want to support a Black- owned business. It's so sad that people had to be told to support a Black business. My business has thrived because people have sourced out during the pandemic to support Black-owned businesses so that they don't go out of business. And so, my business went to another level because people did that. But I love the Silver Lake community, because there were so many people who have supported my business before they had to be told, because they haven't looked at color. And because people have said to me, my regulars have said, oh my god, Glenn, we're here to support you because we want Say Cheese to be around. And when these people have said that, they didn't say it in a sense where we want you around because you're Black owned. No, they want us around because they believe in what I provide to them.

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