Downtown Plymouth will get a number of upgrades over the next year. One is a brand new Cheese Counter and Dairy Heritage Center which will be located at 133 E. Mill St. The project will be undertaken in partnership with Milwaukee-based Retailworks, Inc., who is also spearheading renovations this spring at the iconic Mars Cheese Castle.
The new center, which will highlight Wisconsin’s strong cheese-making tradition and heritage, will pay particular homage to the history of cheese-making in Sheboygan County.
It is estimated that 15 percent of all cheese consumed in the U.S. moves through Plymouth. The city was also home to The Wisconsin Cheese Exchange, which was founded there in 1918. As a result, the city has been dubbed the "Cheese Capital of the World" and "Cheeseville."
What’s missing, however, is a destination that fittingly acknowledges this connection to Wisconsin cheese. As a result, the three-story historic building will be re-imagined to include a multi-use experience.
According to a release, renovations will include the addition of hands-on, interactive activities and displays including a "kids cheese cave" area. The center will also include a retail area where guests can purchase cheese products from area cheese makers, along with a lunch counter which will offer up a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches. The 3,600-square foot heritage center will also include a demonstration kitchen to highlight different ways of cooking with cheese.
The project is spearheaded by the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation Foundation (SCEDCF) and the Plymouth Redevelopment Authority (RDA). Estimated completion is summer 2017.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
