Cheese Board Collective

The Cheese Board Collective is a worker-owned food business in Berkeley, California. Its roots go back to a small cheese store that opened in 1967. In 1971, the original owners sold the business to its employees, creating a 100% worker-owned cooperative. The collective describes its continuing commitment to shared work, democratic decision-making, and good, honest food as central to its identity. The business has grown from its original cheese-store beginnings into several connected food offerings. Its cheese store and bakery on Shattuck Avenue sell a broad selection of cheeses—its About page describes almost 400 varieties—as well as freshly baked breads and pastries. The site also describes an espresso bar and, in a separate location two doors south, a pizzeria. The pizzeria serves a changing pizza of the day and salads, alongside other items such as roasted garlic, cookies, soft-serve ice cream, sodas, beer, and wine. The collective also reports making fresh pasta by hand and offering a full-service cheese counter. The pizzeria began serving customers in 1985, initially with a single vegetarian pizza offered on Friday nights. Its current approach retains a thin sourdough crust and a changing combination of vegetables and specialty cheeses. The collective says its pizzas never contain meat and that it uses organic and local ingredients whenever possible. Its Berkeley locations serve a local community, and its site describes community donations and a fundraiser for Mujeres Unidas y Activas. The available evidence identifies the business as a worker-owned cooperative; it does not name a parent company, individual founder, or current executive.

The Cheese Board began as a small cheese store in 1967. In 1971, its two original owners sold the business to its employees and remained part of the resulting 100% worker-owned business. The transition established the cooperative structure that continues to define the collective. According to its account, the change depended on shared work, high standards, and strong emotional ties among the group. Decisions were made through discussion on shifts and at monthly meetings. The new owners believed that collective decision-making could foster a democratic society, and the organization says it has maintained that democratic workplace vision over time. The business expanded from its first storefront to its current location on Shattuck Avenue. The cheese store and bakery developed to include an espresso bar and a large cheese selection, as well as freshly baked breads and pastries. The About page describes almost 400 cheeses. The collective also established a pizzeria two doors south of the cheese shop and bakery, creating distinct but closely connected food businesses. The pizzeria's origin story began with staff making pizzas for themselves during a shift. They used extra sourdough baguette dough, cheeses selected from the counter, and vegetables from a nearby market. In 1985, the collective began sharing the idea with customers, serving a single type of vegetarian pizza on Friday nights. The early pizzas were made fresh with vegetables, specialty cheeses, and a thin sourdough crust. The current pizzeria continues the daily-pizza concept and has expanded its menu to include salads and other food and drink offerings. The collective says its pizzas contain no meat and use organic and local ingredients whenever possible. Live music is part of the pizzeria experience, according to its website. The collective presents its development as a combination of following its interest in food and receiving community support, while remaining committed to a democratic workplace and its political vision. Its current website also describes hand-made fresh pasta, the return of full-service cheese-counter service, community donation requests, and local fundraising activity. These details indicate an active Berkeley food cooperative with a history rooted in worker ownership, retail cheese, baking, and vegetarian pizza.

• 2026

  Hand-made fresh pasta announced

• 1985

  The pizzeria begins serving customers

• 1971

  Employees take ownership

• 1967

  A small cheese store opens

A worker-owned, community-oriented food cooperative centered on cheese, baking, and vegetarian pizza, with an emphasis on democratic workplace practices and good, honest food.

• Cheese shop and bakery

  Offers a broad cheese selection, freshly baked breads and pastries, and an espresso bar.

• Pizzeria

  Serves a changing pizza of the day, salads, and additional food and drink offerings.

• Fresh pasta

  The collective announced weekly hand-made batches of fresh pasta.

• Fundraiser for Mujeres Unidas y Activas

• Establishment of a worker-owned cooperativeOther

1. 1Cheeseboard Collective - NEWcheeseboardcollective.coop
2. 2Cheeseboard Collective - NEW — About Uscheeseboardcollective.coop
3. 3Cheeseboard Collective - NEW — About Our Pizzacheeseboardcollective.coop
4. 4Cheeseboard Collective - NEW — Donation Requestscheeseboardcollective.coop