Meet Jenny Zink | Founder and Co-Owner Shea Cheese

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenny Zink and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenny, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Taking our customer experience very seriously, from the layout of the shop, the products we carry, to the service we provide to each person who walks through our door. We set out to be an approachable neighborhood cheese shop and want the experience of shopping at Shea Cheese to reflect that.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I definitely have an Entrepreneurial Streak; starting new businesses is something I’ve always pursued. Sometimes as a side hustle and sometimes as my primary income, But I feel that each of my prior ventures built the skill set that I’ve needed to be successful at Shea Cheese. My background is food photography, which has an obvious connection, but I also owned a yoga studio, which taught me so much about owning a brick-and-mortar, building customer loyalty and teaching classes in front of a group. I also owned an Adventure Business for several years, where I continued to hone those skills and expanded my marketing and event planning skills. It feels like each business built upon the others in a way that I didn’t necessarily set out to from the beginning

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Phoenix is such a great outdoors city, I almost always take my friends hiking somewhere nearby. I usually avoid the most popular trails like Camelback and Piestwa, because they are busy and quite frankly dangerous for the average hiker, especially in the summer. Before opening Shea Cheese I volunteered with the Phoenix Park stewards maintaining trails and there are lots of hidden gems all around the valley. Part of the fun is getting out and exploring your own secret spots. Food wise It’s always fun to explore the regional cuisine the valley has to offer, maybe we hit up a farmers market, the Tamale Store, or grab some Sonoran dogs from Lupita’s after dark.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When we were starting this shop, someone told us, “Cheese people are the best people,” and we’ve been so fortunate that it’s been true from the very beginning. We couldn’t have done this without help from so many, but Beth Katz deserves special recognition. We knew nothing about navigating city building permits, inspections etc, and searched for someone who could help with design and permitting. Beth understood our concept from day one, and not only helped us through all aspects of the construction process but also provided us with fabulous design expertise. Without Beth we would still be trying to open our doors.

Website: www.sheacheese.com

Instagram: @shea_cheese_phx

Facebook: Shea Cheese