STOW, Ohio— Graze Craze, the popular charcuterie concept that specializes in attractive “grazing boards” and boxes, opened its first Ohio location in Stow this week.
First founded in Oklahoma in 2018 by Kerry Sylvester, an Air Force veteran and former director of operations for a multi-million-dollar food distribution company, the chain concept has been rapidly expanding over the last five years. There are currently 50 locations spread across 24 states.
Additional expansion for Graze Craze is planned over the next 12-18 months.
As we’ve mentioned here at Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, charcuterie is one of the hot happenings in food service and entertaining industries right now. There’s a wealth of options for folks in Northeast Ohio who can’t get enough of drive-by dining. Yes, charcuterie boards are “having a moment.”
To that end, there’s no parade rest or at ease for the Stow location or its owner-operator (and fellow veteran) Kim Leeser right now. To hear the former member of the Ohio National Guard and Huey helicopter mechanic tell it, it’s all ten-hut and forward march with her location’s homestyle specialty platters.
“My love of food has been with me from a very early age,” Leeser told Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer in a recent interview. “I’ve always enjoyed entertaining and have been looking to get into food as a business. This brand really excites me. I’m eager to share our amazing products with the community.”
Leeser noted that there are different size boards and four primary styles, along with specialty boards.
She said that each board takes roughly 30-45 minutes to prepare and that, despite the competition, it boils down to time (and who has it) when it comes to audience appeal.
“A lot of people love to entertain, but that prep time is hard to come by because everyone is so busy,” Leeser said. “Our hope is to make that easier for everyone, from would-be partiers to extended families to corporate types who are planning events for employees. We have something for everyone.”
To wit, one of the items on the Graze Craze menu expected to make a huge splash for all of those audiences is The Brunch Board.
“It’s something entirely different than traditional bagels-donuts-and-coffee route,” Leeser said, adding that “most folks who walk out of a morning business meeting set up this way walk straight into their afternoon slump,” thanks to an abundance of carbohydrates.
The sweet-and-savory spread is loaded with breakfast meats, eggs, pastries, fresh fruit and more—which means less of a chance of a crash on the other side of a meal.
Leeser said there are plans for more limited-edition holiday specialty boards as well. The appeal to all Graze Craze offerings “transcends the convenience factor by leaps and bounds,” given that most items in a platter or box are handmade, hand-selected and made-to-order, she said.
“We make all the jams, the different kinds of hummus and dips,” Leeser said, adding that they have a variety of premium cheeses and meat from European Imports, which are sliced to order.
Quality and level of service are “especially important things for me, as a female small business owner and veteran,” she said—adding that the company actively works with and employs veterans and offers a 10% discount to all military personnel, past or present.
“I’m excited to get going and looking forward to giving back to the community as well,” she said.
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