Brew Cheese to close in Stony Brook and Northport

After nine years in business, Dave Striffler is pulling the plug on Brew Cheese. Both the original Stony Brook shop (2015) and its Northport sibling (2017) were devoted to Striffler’s twin fermented passions: craft beer and artisanal cheese: Of the former, there were taps, cans and bottles; the latter: boards and creative grilled-cheese sandwiches.

In 2015, Striffler was the manager and "resident cheese expert" in Stony Brook, but he eventually bought out the owners, Callie and Tim Martino, who also own Crazy Beans cafes in Miller Place, Stony Brook and Greenport, and Schnitzels in Stony Brook.

"Business started to slow down in 2023," he said. "This year was worse." Adding to these challenges, Striffler moved to Florida a few years ago and had to rely on paid staff to handle everything.

As the lease is up in Stony Brook Village Center, that store will close after Labor Day. But Striffler still has a few years left on the lease in Northport — and he has a particular affection for this location, in which he installed a front window that flips up to open the small dining room to the bustling street.

The last day for Brew Cheese Northport will be Sept. 22, the village’s annual Cow Harbor Day. He’ll unveil a new concept in October and all he would say about it was, "There will be no more beer, no more cheese."