Meet Brandon Wood | Cheesemonger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Wood and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
During Covid times, like many people, i decided to take a look at my life and try to figure out if was happy. Turns out i was not at all. I had been working at WFM for 13 years (10 of the years behind a Cheese Counter) and things at my store had gotten rough and we were stretched pretty thin. I started to look at the community i was raising my kids in and i realized that i could build community around them through Cheese.
I grew up moving a ton and never really had a strong sense of community or neighborhood. Then i found the punk rock community and started going to shows, realized that none of the people cared about who was the best or who wrote better music or who ripped the best solo – it was about being in it together and going to listen to music together and lifting up the community instead of trying to be the number one. I fell in love. Everyone was in it together
As i got older and started to stand at the back of the shows and just appreciate the music instead of the mosh pit – i realized that the community of Cheese was the best transition for me because they were the same people – a community that lifted one another instead of trying to out do one another.
I looked around my town and neighboring towns and realized there was no cheese shops in Miles of Livermore.
Since my wife had a full time job at the local community college and we were either going to root or move for the change of lifestyle,
I thought i could build my cheese community in my town and in doing so i could also build community around my kids and give them something i never got to experience. a True sense of place and establishing roots somewhere and helping the community thrive through amazing food, small business, passion for togetherness, and happiness through hardwork and commitment. A true sense of place.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Working Hard, Being Kind, and Having Good Manners.
Building my Community through Good Food and Small Business Partnerships
I got where i am by the three things above.
I have learned that now matter how overwelhmed you are and how long you have been in the grind, you must always keep yourself open to growth, getting better at your craft, and keeping the right perspective on why you started in the first place.
To try and help lift your community and grow together.
I want peeps to know that we are building community through kindness and cheese

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them to all my favorite Breweries and Local Food Spots
Then we would try and catch some dope sunsets on a fun bike ride through the wine country and lovely hiking trails
Altamont in Livermore and surround beer spots – Wondrous, Cellarmaker, and Ghost Town.
Then i would take them to all the great food spots – Wingen Bakery, Cured Fish Bar, and the Press
The to the wineries in the evening – Wood Family, McGrail, and Del Valle Wineries to start.
We are small, but we are mighty

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to give a shout to my wife who encouraged and encourages me to chase my dreams and supports the process as i go through it. Shout out also to the band the Wonder Years for writing lyrics and songs that inspire me to move forward. Lastly, my Mom for the work ethic she instilled in me

Website: https://thecheeseparlor.com

Instagram: the_cheese_parlor

Facebook: thecheeseparlor

Image Credits
friends and family