A renovated location on Kennedy Street is the new home of Cheesemonster Studio (photo: Cheesemonster)

Charcuterie, beers, wine… cheese! Get ready for Cheesemonster Studio, the new bar, culinary studio and event space at 713 Kennedy Street NW. The new business is a partnership between Bergen Phillips and beverage veterans Hilarey and Brian Leonard of Lost & Found in Shaw and Free State in Dupont.

Their focus is on catering, as well as bringing people into the space to enjoy the small plates, cheeses, meats and drinks.

Owners Hilarey Leonard, Brian Leonard and Alice Bergen Phillips (photo: Cheesemonster)

'“Our main business is catering, which Alice established as a mobile business for the last two years,” said Hilarey. “During the day, the Studio will be a prep space for off-site catered events, and we offer to go cheeseboards for pickup.”

Besides offering a store location to pickup, Cheesemonster will cater their menu to customers’ homes or offices, as well as providing a space on Kennedy Street for people to host events. The location allows them to add wine and beer pairings to their catered orders.

“The Studio will be available for private events and we'll be hosting public classes on wine, beer and cheese topics,” Hilarey said. “In talking with neighbors through some Uptown Main Streets events, we realized they really wanted a place to gather to enjoy great cheese and wine regularly, so we decided to open for service on Thursday through Saturday nights as well. We are looking forward to really being able to talk to customers about wine and cheese pairings and help them enjoy what we love!”

The cafe space is small and intimate, able to accommodate up to 20 people for table service (there’s no bar).

A small, intimate space for small plates, wine and beer pairings and private events.

“All of our products are carefully sourced from producers with whom Bergen has created lasting relationships over the years, and will feature local options whenever possible,” Hilarey said. “The Leonards will be adding a robust seasonal beverage program with by the glass and bottle, as well as craft beer and non-alcoholic options.”

“My husband and I have lived in Petworth for 10 years and have really always dreamed of opening a place in the neighborhood for the neighbors, so we couldn't be more excited to be among all the new happenings on Kennedy Street,” Hilarey added. “We're very grateful for all the support Jordan Haferbier and Uptown Main Streets, as well as Councilmember Bradon Todd, have done so far to support us and bring the community together.”

Cheesemonster Studio is also a venue for local cheesemongers and beverage professionals to gather and deep dive into aspects of the industry they feel passionately about sharing with customers and each other.

The soft opening dates are this Friday and Saturday from 4-10pm, with the grand opening on Thursday, April 11th.

Going forward, their cafe hours will be Thursday-Saturday 4pm-10pm, with catering and private events scheduled by request.

Cheesemonster Studio
713 Kenney Street NW
cheesemonsterstudio.com