Summary:
The Cheese Boutique is more than just cheese – it’s a gourmet emporium! We speak with Afrim Pristine, who jokes “that he was born with a piece of cheese in his mouth”. He shares how it all started, why he works over 80hrs a week and how he wouldn’t want it any other way.
Show Description:
Afrim Pristine knew at a very early age that he wanted to be actively involved in the family business his grandfather opened in 1970. The Cheese Boutique started in Bloor West Village and has undergone changes to make it the destination for ‘anything cheese related’, that it is today.
In 2000 the Cheese Boutique was uprooted from its very popular location in the heart of Bloor West Village due to a rent increase. With some hesitation, the family made a bold move and relocated to their warehouse location on Ripley Avenue. The Pristine family thought it was the end of the line for their business. It turned out to be the best thing that happened to them.
Afrim recounts, December 24 was usually the busiest day in the previous location. But on the first Christmas Eve at the new location, they “heard crickets”. Afrim’s father and two sons stood on the street with signs in their hands to get business.
Since then, Afrim Pristine of Toronto’s Cheese Boutique has created quite a name for himself in the world of cheese. He is the world’s youngest “Maitre Fromager”, and the youngest Canadian recipient of the “Chevalier,” a distinction from the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Taste Fromage de France in 2007. This is following an upgraded status to “Officier du Fromage” in 2010. He was also awarded with Top 30 Under 30 in the food industry by the Ontario Hostelry Institute.
Afrim is at the store at 6am. He works 80 hours per week stating that “Business is a marathon” and when he’s at the store, “I have one job and that is to serve my customers, that’s it!” says Afrim.
When not at the store, Afrim can be found filming his Food Network series “Cheese, A Love Story”. Even with his somewhat celebrity status, he says, “I like to shock people when they see me slicing prosciutto or serving them cheese. They do not expect to see me working on the floor.”
The Cheese Boutique is its own biosphere. They are turning the street into a small market. Today they have: a bakery, a catering division, a food truck, a supermarket, a gelateria and they host in-person-events, and there’s more to come.
Work ethos comes from his father who is a great businessman. They always look at ways to improve, something Afrim seems to thrive on.
Afrim is a regular speaker at colleges and food programs around Toronto. He believes in old school training combined with a new school attitude.
In five years, they see the Cheese Boutique having more street presence at their current location. They do not believe in opening stores in other locations, feeling that it could dilute their brand.
For inspiration, Afrim loves Paris, San Francisco and Montreal for their atmosphere and food. Afrim feels that Toronto is amazing for its diversity and thinks that Toronto’s neighbourhood restaurants are great. That said, he also thinks that the entire Lakeshore is a missed opportunity and so much could be done, with restaurants and facilities that bring people to the water.
The Pristine family contributes time and money to mental health departments at St. Joseph’s hospital and Sick Kids. They have special promotions where every dollar of sales (not just profits), goes to mental health. They have raised over a million dollars in the past year alone.
Always one to seek out new opportunities, these days you’ll find Afrim and Cheese Boutique collaborating with Eataly, Alo Bar and Niagara Tourism. We look forward to seeing what else is to come!
Note: We apologize for the quality of the recording. The connection was poor at times.
Website: www.cheeseboutique.com
