Sissle & Daughters

What Sissle & Daughters does

Sissle & Daughters is a family-owned specialty cheesemonger and grocer operating two retail storefronts in Portland, Maine. Founded in 2018 as The Cheese Shop of Portland by Mary Chapman and Will Sissle, the business was rebranded to its current name in 2024 following the birth of the founders' two daughters, Hattie and Tess. The core offering is a curated assortment of artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, wine, beer, pasta, preserves, oils, and vinegars sourced from local farmers and international producers, supplemented by a daily sandwich menu (items priced $12-$16), house-baked goods, catering and online ordering, gift cards, and an in-store classroom and tasting program. The flagship is at 107 Washington Avenue, Unit 1, with a second location on Forest Avenue.

The business sells primarily to walk-in retail consumers and local food enthusiasts through a direct-to-consumer model anchored in-store, with a secondary online ordering channel via washington.sissleanddaughters.com and a phone-based catering channel. Pricing is unit-based for food items; catering is quoted on request and gift cards provide pre-paid revenue. The company highlights knowledgeable cheesemonger staff, fresh-cut cheese, and tastings/samples as core differentiators, supported by referenced supplier relationships with Standard Baking Company, Koy Pantry, and North Country Smoke House for prepared foods. The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and operates without disclosed external investment, headcount, or revenue figures, with no AI/ML technology stack disclosed.

Name

Sissle & Daughters

Legal name

Sissle & Daughters

Website

https://sissleanddaughters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sissle & Daughters is a family-owned cheesemonger and specialty grocer operating two retail storefronts in Portland, Maine. It sells artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, wine, sandwiches, and prepared foods to local consumers, supplemented by catering, online ordering, and an in-store tasting and classroom program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food Retail

NAICS

Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Shops & Fromageries (CRAHAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Food Gift Shops & Hampers (CRAHAGAN), Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO)

Keywords

• Specialty cheese retail
• Artisanal charcuterie
• Specialty groceries
• Sandwich shop
• Catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Food Retail: In-store retail sales of artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, wine, beer, pasta, preserves, oils, and vinegars sourced from local and international producers.
2. Prepared Foods and Sandwiches: Fresh sandwiches made to order with house-made components, served on freshly baked bread. Daily menu items priced $12-$16, plus rotating specials.
3. Catering and Events: Catering orders for events and gatherings, including cheese and charcuterie boards. Also offers in-store tastings and classroom programs.
4. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards for future purchases, driving pre-paid revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sissle & Daughters operates a specialty food retail business selling artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, wine, beer, pasta, preserves, oils, vinegars, and related items sourced from local farmers and international producers. The shops prepare made-to-order sandwiches with house-made components and house-baked goods, and offer catering boards, gift cards, and educational tastings and classroom programs.

Product overview

Sissle & Daughters is a Portland, Maine cheesemonger and grocer operating as a single-location specialty food retail business. The core offering consists of a curated Cheesemongers & Grocers retail space (open since 2018, rebranded in 2024) featuring artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, wine, beer, and specialty foods, complemented by a fresh Sandwich Menu with daily offerings (The Parisian, The Kermit, Mortadella Fella, Jamwich) and rotating specials, plus house-baked goods. The business also offers catering services, online ordering, gift cards, and hosts events including in-store tastings and an educational classroom program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cheesemongers & Grocers Retail Assortment Retail assortment of artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, wine, beer, pasta, preserves, oils, vinegars, and other specialty foods sourced from local farmers and international producers, with cheese cut fresh to order for retail customers.
• Daily Sandwich Menu Daily sandwich menu with made-to-order sandwiches built on house-made components and freshly baked Standard Baking Company baguettes, priced $12-$16 and targeted at walk-in customers and visitors seeking quick prepared lunches.
• House Baked Goods House-baked items including Peanut Butter Miso Cookies and Burnt Basque Cheesecake (Fridays & Saturdays only), sold individually to walk-in retail customers.
• Rotating Special Sandwiches Rotating weekly special sandwiches (such as The Oscar, Ciao Bella, and Spicy Genevieve at $16 each), promoted through phone inquiry and Instagram for in-store purchase.
• Catering & Cheese/Charcuterie Boards Catering service providing curated cheese and chararcuterie boards for events and gatherings, ordered through the company's online ordering site or by phone, with quotes provided on request.
• Gift Cards Gift cards available for online purchase, redeemable for future in-store or online purchases of cheese, sandwiches, and specialty goods.
• In-Store Tastings and Classroom Program Educational in-store tastings and classroom events focused on cheese and specialty foods for the Portland community, promoted via the website events page.

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Farmers and ArtisanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSissle & Daughters partners with local farmers and artisan producers to source products sold in their store. The business explicitly states they are 'proud to help sustain the incredible farmers and artisans who produce the products we offer.' These partnerships provide unique, high-quality products while supporting the local food economy.
• Standard Baking CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll sandwiches are served on freshly baked Standard Baking Company baguettes unless otherwise noted, indicating a supplier relationship for bread products.
• Koy PantryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mortadella Fella sandwich features Koy Pantry Pistachio Butter as an ingredient, indicating a product supplier relationship.
• North Country Smoke HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Country Smoked Turkey is used in The Kermit sandwich, indicating a supplier relationship for charcuterie products.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cowgirl Creamery: California artisan cheese producer and retailer with a cheese-focused retail/cafe model directly competing for premium, experience-driven specialty food customers.
• Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine: Chicago-based specialty cheese shop and wine bar combining curated cheese, charcuterie, sandwiches, and wine with catering—operates a comparable multi-format specialty food concept.
• Jasper Hill Farm: Vermont-based artisan cheese producer with its own retail creamery, cave-aging operation, and direct-to-consumer wholesale—comparable New England cheesemaking/retail model with strong regional brand.
• Murray's Cheese: Iconic New York-based cheese shop with curated artisanal cheese, charcuterie, sandwiches, in-store tastings, and a classroom program—closely mirrors Sissle & Daughters' combination of specialty retail, food service, and education.
• Di Bruno Bros. Philadelphia cheesemonger and specialty grocer offering curated cheeses, charcuterie, prepared foods, and catering—comparable multi-revenue-stream specialty food retailer with cheese as the anchor category.
• Saxelby Cheesemongers: NYC cheese shop focused on American artisan cheese, charcuterie, and pairings—a similarly curated, expertise-led cheese retailer with strong supplier relationships.
• Beecher's Handmade Cheese: Seattle and NYC cheese maker-retailer with glass-view kitchens, cheese-focused cafe menu, and curated retail—same maker-retailer + prepared food hybrid concept.

Broad incumbents

• Whole Foods Market: Large-scale specialty/gourmet grocer offering extensive artisanal cheese and charcuterie counters; competes for the same upper-income specialty food shopper but at much broader scale.
• Trader Joe's: National specialty-adjacent grocer with curated cheese, charcuterie, and prepared foods at value price points—a broad incumbent that competes for share-of-wallet in the same basket categories.
• Wegmans: Northeast regional supermarket with market-leading specialty cheese, charcuterie, prepared foods, and in-store dining—primary broad competitor within Sissle & Daughters' New England trade area.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sisslecheesemongers
• Facebookfacebook.com/thecheeseshopofportland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Sissle & Daughters