Dags & Willow Fine Cheese and Gourmet Shop

What Dags & Willow Fine Cheese and Gourmet Shop does

Dags & Willow Fine Cheese and Gourmet Shop is a privately held specialty food retail and catering business founded in 2004 and headquartered in a single storefront at 25 Second Street in downtown Collingwood, Ontario. The company curates and sells fine artisanal cheeses (Brie, Cheddar, Blue, Goat, Sheep, Swiss and others) alongside charcuterie, wines and spirits ("The Cellar"), gift baskets and boxes, gourmet accompaniments, prepared foods, and seasonal soups. It serves individual consumers for entertaining and gifting, catering clients for events and corporate gatherings (charcuterie boards, grazing tables, wrap boxes, fondue kits, dessert and smoked salmon platters), and a wholesale trade program with two tiers (Trade Account at 25% off for $250+/month spenders and Cheese Store Program with best pricing on 2,300+ products and free shipping for $1,500+/month spenders).

The business operates on a Shopify-powered e-commerce platform for online ordering, pickup, and local delivery, supplemented by an active Facebook and Instagram presence and email newsletter. Distribution is purely physical plus Shopify: one retail storefront plus local delivery for gifts, with regional wholesale delivery across Ontario. A 2026 Membership Card priced at $93.45 annually (capped at 50 members) introduces a subscription-style loyalty mechanic offering 30% monthly discounts up to $150 and exclusive event access. The company also cross-promotes The Willow Room, an affiliated event venue that hosts the recurring Cheese Club every second Tuesday, creating an experiential channel that feeds catering and cheese product sales. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time retail and catering transactions, with recurring components from wholesale accounts, gift cards, and the new annual membership. Headcount is approximately 6 employees and no public revenue, funding, or ownership disclosures are available.

Name

Dags & Willow Fine Cheese and Gourmet Shop

Legal name

Dags & Willow

Website

https://dagsandwillow.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dags & Willow is a privately held specialty cheese and gourmet food retailer founded in 2004, operating a single storefront in Collingwood, Ontario, serving individual consumers, catering clients, and a regional wholesale program via a Shopify e-commerce platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Cheese & Gourmet Food Retail

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Shops & Fromageries (CRAHAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Wine-Adjacent Food Stores (Cheese/Gourmet Pairings) (CRAHAGAK)

Keywords

• Specialty cheese retail
• Gourmet food shop
• Artisanal charcuterie
• Catering services
• Gift baskets

Headquarters

HQ city

Collingwood

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: One-time sales of fine cheeses, charcuterie, accompaniments, wines, spirits, and gourmet products through physical retail location and e-commerce storefront.
2. Catering & Event Services: Catering orders for gatherings, corporate events, and celebrations including prepared mains, sides, salads, grazing tables, and charcuterie boards. Requires minimum 48 hours notice.
3. Wholesale Program: Wholesale distribution to local stores, restaurants, and food service businesses. Two tiers: Trade Account (25% off, $250+/month spend) and Cheese Store Program (best pricing on 2,300+ products, free shipping, $1,500+/month spend).
4. Gift Cards & Memberships: In-store gift cards and annual membership cards offering exclusive perks, first access to events, and monthly discounts (30% off up to $150/month for $93.45).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dags & Willow operates a specialty cheese and gourmet food retail shop, complemented by an e-commerce storefront, catering services for events, and a wholesale program for food service businesses. The core assortment centers on fine artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, gift baskets and boxes, wines and spirits, and curated accompaniments, sold through a single Collingwood storefront and online channels.

Product overview

Dags & Willow Fine Cheese and Gourmet Shop is a specialty food retail and catering business offering a curated portfolio of fine artisanal products. The core offering centers on The Cheese Case featuring hundreds of imported and domestic cheeses, complemented by Meat & Cheese Platters and Boxes in various sizes for gifting and entertaining. Their product lineup includes Gift Boxes and Baskets (with and without cheese) across multiple price points, Wine & Cheese Boxes combining artisanal wines with artisan cheeses, Mystery Cheese Samplers for discovery, and Charcuterie Cups for events. The Cellar provides a curated wine and beverage selection. Catering Services encompass prepared mains, sides, salads, and specialty platters including Assorted Wrap Boxes, Dip Decadence, Dessert Platters, Smoked Salmon Platters, and Crudités Platters. Additional offerings include Grazing Tables (custom-sized at $160/sq ft), Fondue Kits, and Seasonal Soups. The business also operates The Willow Room as an affiliated event venue and offers a Wholesale Program for trade and retail partners. A 2026 Membership Card provides monthly discounts and exclusive access to events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Cheese Case
• Meat & Cheese Platters
• Cheese & Meat Boxes
• Gift Boxes with Cheese
• Gift Baskets with Cheese
• Gift Baskets without Cheese
• Wine & Cheese Box
• Mystery Cheese Samplers
• Charcuterie Cups
• Grazing Tables
• The Cellar
• Catering Services
• Assorted Wrap Boxes
• Dip Decadence
• Dessert Platter
• Smoked Salmon Platter
• Crudités Platter

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Willow RoomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Willow Room is a separate but related event venue operated in partnership with Dags & Willow. It serves as the host location for the Cheese Club events (held every 2nd Tuesday of the month) and other private events. Dags & Willow promotes The Willow Room for event hosting and cheese club gatherings, creating a complementary entertainment experience.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pusateri's Fine Foods: Toronto upscale specialty grocer with a strong cheese, charcuterie, and gourmet prepared-food offering plus catering services. Comparable in premium positioning, curated assortment, and catering/grazing-table capabilities.
• McEwan Fine Foods: Markham/Toronto gourmet market founded by celebrity chef Mark McEwan, offering premium cheeses, prepared foods, charcuterie, and catering. Comparable as a chef-driven specialty gourmet retailer with catering.
• Murray's Cheese: Iconic New York specialty cheese shop and wholesale distributor offering curated artisanal cheeses, catering/board services, and a cheese club subscription. Closest U.S. analogue to Dags & Willow in scope, model, and experiential positioning.
• Summerhill Market: Toronto specialty food market with curated artisanal cheeses, prepared foods, charcuterie boards, and catering for events. Comparable premium positioning and event-driven service offering.
• Zingerman's: Ann Arbor, Michigan specialty food business spanning a deli, cheese counter, mail-order, and food events with a strong catering and educational offering. Comparable as a curated, experience-led specialty food retailer with strong brand identity.
• The Cheese Boutique: Toronto-based specialty cheese retailer offering curated artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, and gourmet accompaniments with both retail and wholesale operations. Closest direct comparable to Dags & Willow in Canadian specialty cheese retail and B2B supply.

Broad incumbents

• Longo's: Ontario specialty grocer with a strong cheese, charcuterie, and prepared-food assortment across multiple locations. Comparable in assortment and wholesale reach, but at much larger scale and breadth than Dags & Willow.
• Whole Foods Market: North American premium grocery chain with extensive specialty cheese counters, charcuterie, prepared catering, and gifting. Operates in an overlapping customer segment with far broader footprint and supply-chain leverage.

Regional players

• Daniel et Daniel Catering: Toronto-based premium catering company serving corporate and private events with prepared foods, platters, and grazing tables. Comparable as a high-end event-catering peer in the same Canadian market, but without the cheese-shop retail anchor.

Emerging players

• Goldbelly: Online marketplace aggregating curated artisanal food (including cheese boards and charcuterie) from independent makers with nationwide shipping. Adjacent competitor for premium gift basket and grazing-table customers, with national reach Dags & Willow lacks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dagsandwillow
• Instagraminstagram.com/dagsandwillow/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dags-&-willow-fine-cheese-and-gourmet-shop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dags & Willow Fine Cheese and Gourmet Shop