North Fork's Village Cheese Shop Finds A Way Forward In Pandemic

MATTITUCK, NY — As the coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep the nation, local businesses on the North Fork are working to adapt to the proverbial new normal and stay afloat, all while adhering to state guidance and social distancing protocols.

Michael Affatato, owner of the Village Cheese Shop on Love Lane in Mattituck, has stayed the course during the crisis, and this week, sent a heartfelt letter on social media to the community, outlining next steps.

"Dear friends and clients,

"This letter is to share with you what we’ve been experiencing, and what our plans are, in this 'new normal'.

"First, allow me to say that our company is very strong, as we move through our 19th year here on Love Lane, thanks, entirely, to your ongoing support. No one amongst us is, or has been, ill. We continue to take this pandemic extremely seriously, and rigorously exercise daily diligence regarding hygiene of our shop, our staff and our clients.

"For those who’ve not been in the shop since early March, we wish to let you know that we’ve been open the entire time, and continue to maintain a seven-day-a-week schedule, with hours of ‪10 a.m. to 5 p.m‬.

"Although the heat wave prohibits us from offering outdoor curbside service, we happily accept phone, text and email orders, holding the purchased items in our walk-in refrigerator until our clients arrive. Store walk-ins for normal shopping are encouraged as long as patrons wear facial protection and observe the headcount in the shop before entering. Given our 1,300 square foot space, we prefer to limit shopping to six persons at a time, maximum.

"Deliveries: While we initially offered deliveries after hours, daily, during the early stages of shutdown, we now find ourselves delivering only once or twice a week, thanks to the increase of our store pick-up activity. Given the long days of work here with a limited staff, we ask that customers refrain from requesting deliveries unless they are truly unable to leave the home. Our method of order preparation of transactions made by phone, text or email is expedient and reliable; our staff can bring your order to your car in a contactless manner, or you can choose to enter the shop for quick service.

"On a sadder note, our café/food service has been suspended since ‪March 18‬ and chances are that we will not be opening that activity again any time soon.

"While we have gained a great deal of traction since 2001 regarding our fondue and ever-growing menu in the charming, sunny and colorful solarium, we feel it is not propitious to reactivate our food service at this time, given our small quarters for indoor seating and unusually hot weather outdoors in our garden, that we normally rent from our neighbor, Mattituck Florist.

"What complicates this even further is our rest room situation. We no longer have a large staff and do not have the means to properly sterilize our rest room after each use. Had we kept the rest room open for public use, we would be augmenting our own risk of contracting COVID-19. All this leads us to firmly believe that it is wisest to wait until medical science has a firm handle on this disease’s public reach, before re-opening our café. We are prepared to wait as long as is necessary.

"As for our take-out sandwiches, we always prided ourselves on our fresh ingredients and stylish choices. However, once again, we no longer have a staff to tend to this service. Instead, we urge our clients to walk two doors down to Ammirati’s Deli, where they can be served by gifted cooks who offer a broad variety of delicious food at affordable prices.

"Regarding our in-store cheese tastings/sampling: While we’ve been known for 19 years as being very generous and eager to offer samples of our cheeses to aid in clients’ choices, this 'new normal' obligates us to fully suspend tastings. The client would have to lift his/her mask, place the item in the mouth, touch store items, countertops, and ultimately the doorknob upon exiting. Unable to properly sterilize after each tasting, it’s judicious that we forego tastings until, once again, medical science has the confidence to announce the spread as no longer being a public threat.

"Although the above measures may sound ultra-conservative and perhaps even harsh, please keep in mind that we are now a company of only three people, with only two part-timers — this time last year we were a staff of 10. Should one of us fall ill, the store would have to close for at least two weeks. This requires us to remain hyper-vigilant with the goal of continuing our full-time service and commitment to our loyal clients.

"Lastly: Some of you have remarked that our inventory has been inconsistent. This is not inaccurate. Our importers and distributors have been at their wits’ ends regarding items coming in from Europe. During certain weeks, we see a steady/normal supply; others, we suddenly find ourselves short-shipped on key items. Many European producers are operating with a limited staff, slowing down production. Some have permanently closed. Please continue to be patient, as we try our best to have a cheese case filled with your favorite items.

"On a purely personal note, we have talked to many, many clients who have had COVID-19. We’ve heard everything from, 'It was like having an upper respiratory infection”, to “I suffered a 104 degree fever for nearly fourteen days'. We know people who have lost family and/or friends due to COVID-19. Not one day goes by where we don’t count our blessings that we are healthy. We take nothing for granted, and wish to convey to you our sincere, heartfelt thanks for continuing to support us during this very difficult time.

We owe our well-being, happiness and positive attitude entirely to you."