Is the high-end cheese business going soft? Artisanal Premium Cheese, the retail and wholesale business that sprung from Picholine, posted an operating loss of $665,126 in the three-month quarter ending August 31, according to a Reuters item. During that time, the company took in $908,514 less in revenue from the previous year because of what CEO Daniel W. Dowe describes as “the challenging economic environment that particularly impacted our core business, servicing the most elite restaurants, hotels, casinos and caterers in the country.” Still, Dowe says sales increased in September and October, and that by the end of the year, Artisanal’s cheeses will be available in 100 upscale supermarket locations and up to 100 specialty stores. Hopefully with the Dow topping 10,000, the tristate area is ready to stop subsisting on Cheesy Blasters.
