Antonelli's Cheese Shop

Kendall and John Antonelli made a honeymoon decision to quit their jobs and "Spread Joy" through cheese. Eleven years later, their small biz is still independently owned and operated, has received international recognition, and has been awarded numerous distinctions such as Best Cheese Shops in America (Travel + Leisure Mag, Gourmet Retailer), Local Food Heroes, Charitable Champion Generous Business Award, and more. The Antonelli's Team operates a gourmet food shop in Austin TX (with nationwide shipping), an events program (all virtual right now), and wholesale to 150+ of Texas best chefs. The team is unparalleled in customer service, knowledge, and passion. Eight of our cheesemongers are Certified Cheese Professionals. When the pandemic hit Austin, our quit pivots led us to being the first to offer Virtual Cheese Tastings and resulted in leading over 14,000 participants in live cheese experiences in 2020. We also offer a "Cheese Class in a Box" recorded virtual experience, corporate gifting and nationwide shipping, and more. Topics include Cheese 101 or Cheese Pairings with Chocolate, Cured Meats, or Honey. From intimate groups of 12 hosting a team building, client appreciation, or personal celebration to groups of 150+ with global participants, we're living our business mission to "Do Good. Eat Good." through our virtual tastings.

One of our core principles is to "Be True. To Ourselves. To Others." Part of that means that our team, our customers, our service providers - everyone who comes into contact with our business - feels welcomed and included. That they get to show up as who they are, in the skin they're in, with their lived experiences - and knowing we are better as a team because of it. All our management team has taken the nationally-recognized "Beyond Diversity: Courageous Conversations" two-day seminar by Pacific Education Group. We donate to local and national nonprofits already doing the work. We don't get all diversity and equity initiatives right. But we are committed to another core principle to "Improve Every Day." And that means doing the work, learning from mistakes, and correcting where needed. Find more about our philanthropy and commitment to anti-racist work on our website.

The Health & Safety of our team and customers is paramount. All people in our business have current food handler permits and all our locations are inspected by the health department for proper food handling and storage. We also provide access to health insurance for our team and recently launched and Employment Assistance Program, giving all team members free access around the clock to mental and physical health providers. Both John and Kendall are outspoken survivors of depression and are paid professional speakers for sharing their journeys.

We source intentionally from makers who employ sustainable and regenerative practices - from our cheeses to our selection of certified biodynamic and natural wines. We also give back to nonprofits working in the areas of food access and equity, environmental sustainability, and more. Lastly, we are always working to make business operations more efficient and greener (from smart purchasing to the light bulbs we use).