She left corporate America for a room full of cheese.
A 12-year dream, two years in Europe, and one well-timed leap onto Bridge Street.
Heather Baehre spent fifteen-plus years in corporate America. Somewhere in the middle of it, she lived in Europe for about two years and fell hard for the wine-and-cheese way of life — the counters, the sampling, the way good cheese turns a gathering into an event.
Back in West Michigan, she noticed Rockford didn't have a place like the ones she'd loved overseas. She'd been turning the idea over for more than a decade.
"I have had this dream for over 12 years, but was too scared to leave corporate America and take the risk."
Then, in May 2017, her employer downsized and the decision more or less made itself. By that September she'd opened the Rockford Cheese Shop on East Bridge Street — over a hundred cheeses, cut to order, with free sampling so nobody has to guess.
"I am so happy to be doing what I love."
Years in, she's still the cheesemonger behind the case as often as not — and still partial to the close-knit downtown that took her in.
"I love the close community vibe in Rockford."
"I believe our service and connection with our customers is what sets us apart from others."— Heather Baehre
"We believe that food brings people together."— Heather Baehre
Rogue River Blue
"By far the best blue cheese around — and my favorite in the blue category."
Piave Vecchio
"So versatile. Snacking, cooking, or paired with a cabernet sauvignon for wine and cheese night."
And the neighborhood's not bad either.
Heather calls downtown Rockford "quaint, interesting, and full of great shops." Make the cheese counter one stop on a good afternoon by the river.
Plan your visit