Historic Sonoma cheesemaker to close after nearly a century

SONOMA, Calif - Less than 1% of small businesses in the United States ever reach their 90th anniversary, and Sonoma is about to lose one that lasted nearly a century.

Vella Cheese, a staple of the Sonoma community for 94 years, is closing its doors. The factory behind the storefront has already shuttered, and the cheese shop up front will close permanently once the remaining inventory is sold out.

Vella Cheese closing

What we know:

The Vella family opened the cheese factory in Sonoma during the height of the Great Depression. Over the decades, the business survived severe economic downturns while supporting five generations of family members and employees.

However, a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, and declining sales ultimately forced the owners to end operations this month.

Keeping business afloat

The backstory:

Family members spent the past several years attempting to keep the business afloat.

"It's very sad, definitely sad for us and the community and my family," said Gabriel Luddy, co-owner, employee, and son of the family matriarch. "Very bittersweet, you know, because there is a sense of relief. It's been killing our family the last three years to try to keep this going."

Luddy's sister, Miranda Stoll, who serves as an owner and employee alongside her brother, noted that changing consumer habits and digital delivery platforms hit the small operation hard.

"It still doesn't mean we can battle with the DoorDash and the Instacart and the Amazon of the world," Stoll said. "You know, people want things fast and instant and Ubered to their door, and we're just not that company. We do things by hand and we're very small."

Lots of memories

What they're saying:

Local residents expressed sadness over the loss of the neighborhood fixture. 

Venus Gravatt, who visited the shop to buy some of its final inventory, recalled visiting the factory as a child when her father worked there.

"I have memories of kind of going into the back, seeing all the racks with the aging cheese wheels and the vats mixing all the milk together," Gravatt said. "Vella cheese was like a staple of Sonoma. You could find it in almost any grocery store. They used to do gift boxes. People would come from all over the bay just to try the cheese."

Gravatt reflected on the broader impact of losing long-standing local merchants.

"You don't kind of realize, like, as the years go on, things come and go," Gravatt said. "We take these sorts of things for granted. You know, the shop is always going to be here forever. But it's really important to make sure we're actively supporting local businesses to make sure they stay afloat."

With the business coming to an end, the owners are turning their attention to their next steps.

Luddy said he plans to figure out his future after fully winding down the shop.

"My UPS driver said he might need some help at Christmas," Luddy said. "I know we gave him a lot of work at Christmas. Maybe I'll do a ride along with him."

Stoll plans to return to her previous professional background or assist with her family's ranch.

"I was a pastry chef before this," Stoll said. "So, I might go back to doing some baking or work with my husband. He has a ranch and I can go ahead and do some accounting."

Vella Cheese would have celebrated its 95th anniversary on Nov. 16.

SonomaBusiness and EconomyFood and DrinkCalifornia