London-based Pick & Cheese is bringing its cheese-centric concept to the U.S. next year, starting with a location in New York City. The spot is slated to join the lineup at Shaver Hall, the food hall heading to the former Lord & Taylor building at 424 Fifth Avenue with plans to open early next year.
Mathew Carver launched the Pick & Cheese brand 12 years ago as a food truck, aiming to bring attention to British cheeses sourced from around the United Kingdom. Carver would serve items like grilled cheese sandwiches from the truck.
Carver opened the first conveyor belt restaurant for the brand in London in 2019. The conveyor belt winds through the restaurant space, allowing customers to select cheese dishes from the belt as they go by.
“We wanted to encourage more people to eat British cheese, so we wanted to open a cheese and wine bar that felt different and was more fun and interesting, and showcased really good British cheese in a different way,” Carver told What Now New York.
Since then, Carver has opened a second London location as well as one in Berlin. When considering making the leap to the U.S., he saw similarities between people’s approach to American and British cheese. Like British cheese, he sees American cheese as underappreciated. As a result, the New York location will focus on featuring small-producer American cheese.
“I think New York is an incredible city,” Carver said. “The food and beverage scene in New York is really interesting. Similar to London, I think it’s really blossomed in the last 10 to 15 years.”
The brand focuses on building relationships with local suppliers, a valuable aspect of the business that will carry over to the New York location.
“I think that authenticity and connection to the producers is another aspect of what sets us apart,” Carver said.
Menu items include made-to-order grilled cheese, baked cheese and wine on tap. At the New York location, as with the others, the conveyor belt will serve as the statement piece weaving throughout the space, providing an interactive and accessible experience to customers at every seat in the restaurant. The restaurant will feature 48 bar seats as well as some larger booth seating.
Aside from the conveyor belt, Carver said they are opting for a minimalist design to ensure the focus remains on that feature, as well as on the existing architecture of the Lord & Taylor building.
“It’s a really beautiful building as it is,” Carver said. “It has these incredible windows that look out over Fifth Avenue. It has a lot of architectural beauty in the space already, so we’re just enhancing that and trying not to detract from it.”
The location in Shaver Hall is expected to open in February. Should that spot be successful, Carver and his team hope to expand to additional U.S. cities.
