Photograph by Claire Dresser
All the way back in 1967, Elizabeth and Sahag Avedisian opened the Cheese Board. It sold fifty different types of cheese, and was located right next to the original Peet’s Coffee.
In 1971, it became a worker-owned collective, and the employees each bought part of the business so that everyone had an equal share. They transformed from a tiny, mom and pop shop, into a cooperative, and it has been that way ever since.
In 1975, the Cheese Board moved to its current location, 1504 Shattuck Avenue. In 1985, they began selling pizza on Friday nights, and in 1991, the pizzeria opened right next door. Now, the Cheese Board sells many types of cheese and baked goods, such as scones, cheese rolls, foccacia, and much more. They sell many types of bread and some of the best pizza in town. The pizzeria sells one kind of pizza each day, and they often have a group of musicians playing live music, sometimes including Berkeley High’s very own Jazz Band.
This place has become a staple of the Berkeley community. For some, stopping by is an everyday ritual, and for others, it is a special treat. Some of the things that make it such a wonderful place are a little less known.The Cheese Board has no hierarchy. Cathy Goldsmith, a member of the Cheese Board for the past 22 years, explained that, unlike most businesses, which have a pyramid like structure, the Cheese Board has a flat, horizontal structure where no one is in charge, and there is no manager. All the workers share ideas and make decisions about the business together. She said that they try to run the business as democratically as possible. “We all get to wear the hat of owner and worker and … everybody has a voice,” she said.
Paul Bellman, another member who has been in the cooperative for seventeen years, believes this element of the business helps to build the wonderful environment for workers at the Cheese Board. “Part of the reason I like working at the store is there is a generosity of spirit,” said Bellman. He attributes this to being able to make collective decisions as equal owners in the store.
Both Goldsmith and Bellman talked of the feeling of community at the Cheese Board. The Cheese Board is a place where people meet, eat, and have a good time. Not to mention, it is always packed full of people trying to get their fresh baked goods. Saturday morning are often like this, Goldsmith described, “Parents are here, and friends, and small children, and people who haven’t seen each other for a long time bump into each other and are so happy to see each other. I love feeling like we are really embedded in the community.”
The Cheese Board does more than just sell delicious food, they make the Berkeley community better. Their business inspires many, and they have created a wonderful environment that is valued by so many people in the East Bay. Happy 50th birthday to the Cheese Board!