Copyright Westword
Truffle Cheese Shop at 2906 East Sixth Avenue has long been a destination for those seeking high-quality fromage, charcuterie sliced to order and other gourmet goodies. In 2023, it was our Best of Denver pick for Best Cheese Shop. But now, the doors are locked and the space is being cleared out. Last month, its assets were seized by the Colorado Department of Revenue. According to a sign posted on the door, it owes $21,471 in back taxes. “I was filing taxes incorrectly, it snowballed into a large debt, so I had to make a decision about how to resolve that,” explains owner Lisa Morris. “With declining retail sales and rising costs of everything (labor, utilities, cheese, tariffs), it just did not make sense to continue with a storefront when the majority of sales were from online ordering.” She has continued to offer online ordering while trying to resolve the tax debt over the last few weeks, but reopening the shop proved insurmountable. The Truffle will live on, however. Truffle Cheese was founded in 2001 as a specialty-foods store, but after purchasing it from the original owners in 2007, Potager alums Rob and Karin Lawler began focusing on cheese. They owned the shop for twelve years and added the Truffle Table restaurant in the Highland neighborhood in 2013. (That space is now home to Michelin-starred eatery Alma Fonda Fina.) The next owners, Mark Schwab and his son, Joe Schwab, took over in 2019, with the help of Janet Schaus. But when the Schwabs decided to move in the summer of 2021, Morris stepped in and took the reins. For over four years, she’s continued the shop’s legacy as a special place in the community, but now she needs to reassess. Rather than giving up altogether, she’s committed to keeping the business going, just in a different form — for now. “I’ll continue to take online orders and host private events,” she says. “I’m going to work my ass off to rebuild and reinvent the shop to fit into these crazy, scary financial times.” We’re rooting for a comeback story to celebrate, because the city is short on cheese shops that offer the kind of personal service Truffle Cheese provided. One alternative for those who want to shop in person is St Kilian’s Cheese Shop at 3211 Lowell Boulevard, which has also been around since 2001. Or, make the trek to Longmont to visit our local cheese mecca, Cheese Importers. You can also find a solid selection at So Damn Gouda (2432 West 44th Avenue) and Goudy’s Deli & Market at 1207 East Alameda Avenue, which has its own cheese cave.
