Murray's Cheese
A New York specialty-food retailer and wholesaler known for curated artisanal cheese, aging expertise, prepared foods, and cheese-focused hospitality.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Murray's Cheese is a specialty-food retailer and wholesaler based in Greenwich Village, New York City. The business is best known for its broad, carefully selected range of domestic and international cheeses, as well as charcuterie, accompaniments, prepared foods, gift assortments, classes, and restaurant experiences. Its identity combines the service model of a neighborhood cheese shop with the sourcing, education, and distribution capabilities of a larger specialty-food business. The company began in 1962 as a Greenwich Village offshoot of Glen Alden Farms, an egg and dairy wholesaler. Murray Greenberg, a Ukrainian-Jewish immigrant born Moische Schuchelmann, established the shop during a period when New York's specialty-food culture was developing around independent retailers and imported products. The business later passed to Louis Tudda, who remained its owner until 1991. Robert Kaufelt then purchased Murray's and helped build the modern brand, expanding its selection, educational profile, and public visibility. Kaufelt also wrote The Murray's Cheese Handbook, published in 2006. Murray's developed a multi-channel model during the 2000s. A second New York location opened in Grand Central Terminal's Grand Central Market in 2002. In 2007, the company began working with Kroger to establish Murray's-branded cheese and specialty-food shops inside selected Kroger supermarkets. The arrangement extended Murray's reach beyond its New York base while retaining a branded counter and specialist merchandising approach. The Grand Central operation added Murray's Real Salami in 2008, and the two Grand Central locations were subsequently consolidated into a larger flagship presence. The brand also moved into hospitality. Murray's Cheese Bar, a 48-seat, cheese-centered wine bar and restaurant in Manhattan, opened in 2012. It gave the company a setting in which to present cheese through composed dishes, wine pairings, and guided dining rather than retail sales alone. Education has likewise been an important part of the proposition, with classes and themed tasting experiences designed to make cheese knowledge accessible to consumers. Murray's differentiates itself through curation, staff expertise, provenance, and controlled maturation. It operates cheese-aging caves at its Long Island City warehouse and sells Cave Master cheeses aged under its own program. The Cave Master range has included Annelies, developed with Swiss cheesemaker Walter Räss, and Ezra, a cheddar created through collaboration involving Cornell University and Old Chatham Creamery. The company has also broadened its assortment with charcuterie, Danish cheeses, organic specialty cheeses, accompaniments, and gift boxes. Kroger announced the acquisition of Murray's in February 2017, bringing the brand fully into the supermarket group's portfolio after their earlier partnership. The transaction supported further expansion through Kroger stores. Reference material published in 2021 also revisited inaccuracies in parts of the company's earlier origin story, including claims that placed its founding around 1940 and associated Greenberg with the Spanish Civil War; those claims were corrected in subsequent reporting. Murray's remains an active specialty-food brand with New York flagships, digital and direct-to-consumer activity, wholesale capabilities, and a large presence through Kroger locations. Reference material reported more than 800 locations in 2021, primarily through the Kroger network.
History
Murray's Cheese traces its origins to Greenwich Village in 1962, when Murray Greenberg established the shop as a specialty-food offshoot of Glen Alden Farms, an egg and dairy wholesaler. Greenberg was born Moische Schuchelmann and was a Ukrainian-Jewish immigrant. The store's early identity was rooted in personal service and access to distinctive dairy products at a time when independent New York food merchants played an important role in introducing customers to imported and artisanal foods. Louis Tudda later assumed ownership and ran the shop until 1991. That year, Robert Kaufelt acquired Murray's and began shaping the business into the more expansive brand recognized today. Kaufelt increased the company's emphasis on cheese expertise, selection, education, and written authority. His 2006 publication, The Murray's Cheese Handbook, helped associate the brand with consumer education as well as retailing. Murray's expanded beyond its original Greenwich Village store during the 2000s. It opened a second location in Grand Central Terminal's Grand Central Market in 2002. The company added Murray's Real Salami in 2008, and the Grand Central operations were later combined into a second flagship store. In 2007, Murray's entered into a partnership with Kroger to establish Murray's-branded counters in selected Kroger supermarkets. This arrangement provided a route to national scale while preserving a specialist retail format inside larger grocery stores. The company extended its expertise into hospitality with the opening of Murray's Cheese Bar in Manhattan in 2012. The 48-seat venue combined cheese-centered food, wine, and service, allowing the brand to express its retail knowledge through dining and pairing experiences. Murray's also developed classes and tasting events, including themed programming intended to make specialist cheese culture approachable for a broad audience. A major operational capability is the company's cheese-aging program. Murray's maintains aging caves at its Long Island City warehouse and uses them for the Cave Master range. These products demonstrate a shift from simply sourcing finished cheeses toward participating in maturation, product development, and exclusive production. Annelies was introduced in 2016 through work with Swiss cheesemaker Walter Räss. Ezra, added in 2017, was developed with Cornell University and Old Chatham Creamery and was described as the first Murray's cheese taken from initial concept and research through production and aging under the company's program. Murray's continued to diversify its assortment with charcuterie, salami, Danish cheeses, organic specialty cheeses, accompaniments, and gift collections. Its retail and wholesale activities were complemented by its restaurant, classes, aging facilities, online presence, and supermarket counters. On February 7, 2017, Kroger announced that it had acquired Murray's Cheese. The acquisition followed a decade of partnership and made Murray's a fully owned Kroger brand. Reference material reported that the brand had more than 800 locations by 2021, reflecting the reach of its supermarket-based model. The brand's public history was also subject to clarification. A 2021 article in The Forward challenged elements of a previously circulated Murray's origin narrative, including an earlier founding date of approximately 1940 and a claim that Greenberg had fought in the Spanish Civil War. The corrected account places the founding in 1962 and does not support that biographical claim. Murray's continues to operate as an active specialty-food brand associated with New York cheese retail, Kroger stores, cheese aging, education, hospitality, and curated artisanal products.
- 2017
Kroger completes acquisition
[1]Kroger announces its purchase of Murray's Cheese.
- 2017
Ezra cheddar is introduced
[1]Murray's adds Ezra, a Cave Master cheddar developed with Cornell University and Old Chatham Creamery.
- 2016
Annelies joins the Cave Master range
[1]Murray's launches Annelies, developed with Swiss cheesemaker Walter Räss and aged in its caves.
- 2012
Murray's Cheese Bar opens
[1]The company enters cheese-focused hospitality with a 48-seat Manhattan wine bar and restaurant.
- 2007
Kroger partnership begins
[1]Murray's and Kroger begin placing branded specialty-food counters in selected Kroger supermarkets.
- 2002
Grand Central Market location opens
[1]Murray's opens a second New York location in Grand Central Terminal.
- 1991
Robert Kaufelt acquires the store
[1]Robert Kaufelt purchases Murray's after Louis Tudda's period as owner and later develops its educational and specialty-retail profile.
- 1962
Murray's Cheese is founded in Greenwich Village
[1]Murray Greenberg establishes the shop as a specialty-food offshoot of Glen Alden Farms, an egg and dairy wholesaler.
Products and positioning
Premium, specialist, educational, artisanal, and provenance-led specialty-food retail.
Cave-aged cheese
Cave Master
Murray's proprietary and exclusive cheese-aging program, using caves at the company's Long Island City warehouse. The range includes cheeses selected or developed for controlled maturation, giving the brand a distinctive role in finishing and presenting products rather than only reselling cheese made elsewhere.
Cave-aged cheese · 2016
Annelies
A Cave Master cheese introduced in 2016 in collaboration with Swiss cheesemaker Walter Räss. It illustrates Murray's use of external cheesemaking partnerships combined with in-house aging and brand-specific curation.
Cheddar · 2017
Ezra
An exclusive cheddar introduced in 2017. Murray's developed it with Cornell University and Old Chatham Creamery, presenting it as a product taken from initial concept and research through production and maturation in Murray's caves.
Charcuterie · 2008
Murray's Real Salami
A Murray's charcuterie concept associated with the company's Grand Central Market operation. It broadened the brand's offering beyond cheese into salami and complementary prepared or specialty foods.
Restaurant and wine bar · 2012
Murray's Cheese Bar
A 48-seat Manhattan restaurant focused on cheese-centered dishes, wine, and pairing experiences. It translates Murray's retail expertise into a sit-down hospitality format and supports the brand's educational and experiential positioning.
Gift assortment
Murray's cheese gifts
Curated gift boxes, cheese boards, and tasting assortments combining artisanal cheeses with charcuterie, crackers, preserves, and other specialty-food accompaniments. These collections extend the brand's expertise into gifting and occasion-based consumption.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Game of Tommes
United States
Murray's launched a themed cheese class in July 2017, using a cheese board inspired by the television series Game of Thrones. The program applied entertainment-oriented storytelling to cheese education and tasting.
Brand decisions
2017
Sell the company to KrogerM&ABackground
After a decade of partnership, Kroger and Murray's had an established operating relationship through supermarket cheese counters.
Action taken
Kroger acquired Murray's Cheese in an announced transaction dated February 7, 2017.
Aftermath
Murray's became a Kroger-owned brand and continued expanding through the supermarket group's network.
2012
Enter cheese-focused hospitalityProduct launchBackground
Murray's had developed a reputation for cheese expertise and sought an experiential format beyond retail counters.
Action taken
It opened Murray's Cheese Bar, a 48-seat Manhattan wine bar and restaurant.
Aftermath
The restaurant added dining, pairing, and educational dimensions to the brand's specialty-food proposition.
2007
Expand through Kroger supermarket countersStrategyBackground
Murray's sought broader distribution while retaining a specialist cheese-shop identity.
Action taken
The company partnered with Kroger to place Murray's-branded cheese and specialty-food shops in selected supermarkets.
Aftermath
The partnership became the foundation for substantial national retail reach and preceded Kroger's full acquisition of the brand.
Recent events
- 2021
Reporting corrects elements of Murray's origin story[1]
Other
Reporting revisited and corrected claims that Murray's was founded around 1940 and that founder Murray Greenberg had fought in the Spanish Civil War.
- 2017
Kroger acquires Murray's Cheese[1]
M&A
Kroger announced that it had purchased Murray's Cheese, converting the earlier commercial relationship into full ownership.
- 2017
Murray's introduces Ezra Cave Master cheddar[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Murray's introduced Ezra, an exclusive cheddar developed with Cornell University and Old Chatham Creamery and aged in the company's own caves.
- 2012
Murray's opens cheese-focused restaurant[1]
Product launch
The company opened Murray's Cheese Bar, a 48-seat Manhattan wine bar and restaurant centered on cheese-led dishes and pairings.
- 2007
Murray's begins Kroger store partnership[1]
M&A
Murray's formed a partnership with Kroger to place branded cheese and specialty-food shops in selected Kroger supermarkets across the United States.
Sources2 sources
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