A Palette of Cheesy Goodness

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carol Johnson, owner of Mongers Palate, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Monger's Palate is now in its third transformation as a women-owned and operated cheese shop. We have been serving since 2017 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, as a super local community spot for cheese, charcuterie, and gourmet groceries. Monger's is known for our always fresh and rotating seasonal cheese case, our made-to-order sandwiches, and our bountiful cheese plates. We are one of the only spots serving high-quality dairy and groceries from small producers in the radius. Currently, we are a staff of two which allows us to form close relationships with our customers and spread our knowledge and love of cheese with the community. The neighborhood is an ever-changing mix of young professionals, families, and established folks from the Polish community. We have a lot of European ex-pats due to the French language school, so it's easy to find people who love good food and appreciate a regular supply of great cheese!

Tell us about yourself

I've always loved cheese and knew ever since I was little I wanted to own a business. Food and cooking were an intersection of all my familial relationships and the only thing I really enjoyed working with all the time. I've been working in kitchens since I was a teenager, but I wasn't working in cheese until I started an apprenticeship at a goat and cow creamery in NM in my early 20's. It wasn't clear that it could be a career until I moved to NYC and started working the cheese counter at Murray's Cheese in the West Village in 2014. Since then, it's been cheese all the time. Cheese is an endless wealth of information, it's something we eat, sure, but it's also a snapshot of science and anthropology. I get a lot of satisfaction from sharing delicious food and connecting with people about the time, place, and people who made the thing itself.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Forming my own relationships with the community, getting to know people in the neighborhood, finding out what they like to eat, sharing things with them that's what seems to make the most sense when running a business. The successes when owning a small business are relatively small, so the small breakthroughs of finishing a project or sourcing a fantastic cheese are the biggest accomplishments of all.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

For me, it's working alone most of the time, which really amplifies all my weaknesses. You're in charge of everything, including things that are not your strongest skills. Starting and finishing long-term projects can be tough when you have constant interruptions from customers and small things that demand your attention.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Over-prepare- plan really far in advance for your seasons and orders and make a strong comprehensive business plan to return to and edit every year.
Fill in your weaknesses- If you haven't started a business yet, take classes or get mentoring on areas you're not strong in while you have time.
Give yourself a big mission- On a larger scale of time, give yourself a big vision for why you're doing what you're doing so you can focus on that when you start to feel overwhelmed.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.mongerspalate.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MongersPalate/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mongerspalate/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.