Small Creamery Making Aged and Specialty Cheese

Set up your own small licensed creamery and make aged and specialty cheeses for shops, restaurants and direct customers.

A cheesemaker working with large wheels of cheese in a small dairy workshop.
Startup cost$60k to $300k
Monthly revenue$6k to $30k
Time needed35+ h/week
First incomeMonths

Estimates for a small start in the US, not guarantees.

Official data

568 US businesses with employees in this field, -1.9% in a year

NAICS 311513 “Cheese manufacturing”. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.

What it is

You build or convert a small licensed production space with vats, a make room and an aging room or cave. You make cheeses in small batches, including aged styles that take weeks or months to mature. Some makers do this on a farm with their own animals.

Your first three steps

  1. Train with an experienced cheesemaker or through a university or dairy program, and make practice batches
  2. Talk to your state dairy regulator and county zoning office about plant licensing, plan review and where you can build
  3. Write a business plan with equipment quotes and a cash flow for the aging period, then ask local buyers what they would stock
Who pays

Specialty cheese shops, restaurants, grocers, co-ops, farmers markets, farm-store visitors and online or mail-order customers.

How it makes money

Wholesale to shops and restaurants plus higher-margin direct sales, with price per pound set by cheese type and aging time.

Skills that help
  • Cheesemaking technique and quality control
  • Food safety and sanitation discipline
  • Planning cash flow, since aging ties up stock
Watch out for
  • State dairy plant license, plan approval and regular inspections: check requirements early
  • Raw milk cheese rules, including aging requirements, which are set by federal and state authorities, so check before planning
  • Zoning, water and wastewater rules for the site
  • General liability and product liability insurance, plus workers' compensation if you hire
  • Long wait for income because aged cheese takes time to mature, so plan enough cash

🔒 Full research report for US

Real cost breakdown with current prices, licences and registration checklist, local competition, pricing, break-even and a 30-day launch plan, with sources.

Coming soon

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to start a small creamery?

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $60,000 to $300,000, depending on the site, vats, make room and aging space you build or convert. Aged cheese takes time to mature, so plan enough cash to cover the wait for income.

How much revenue can a small creamery make?

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $6,000 to $30,000, depending on your range of cheeses, volumes and sales channels. The estimate assumes about 35 hours a week or more, and income can start slowly while cheese ages.

What licenses and rules should I check before opening a creamery?

Check your state dairy plant license, plan approval and regular inspections early. Raw milk cheese rules, including aging requirements, are set by federal and state authorities. Also check zoning, water and wastewater rules, and general and product liability insurance.

Other ways to run this business

A cheesemaker working with large wheels of cheese in a small dairy workshop.

Fresh small-batch cheese from a rented facility

Make fresh cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella or chèvre in rented licensed space and sell at markets and to local shops.

  • $5k-25k
  • Side hustle
  • Own premises
568 US businesses with employees in this field, -1.9% in a year

Similar food ideas

A barista handing a coffee to a customer in a bright cafe.

Neighborhood coffee shop

Open a small café selling coffee, tea and light food to regulars from your own storefront.

  • $60k-300k
  • Full-time
  • Own premises
Salami and cured hams hanging to dry in a traditional charcuterie workshop.

Charcuterie shop with its own curing room

Cure and smoke meats in your own inspected space and sell from a counter and to local restaurants.

  • $75k-300k
  • Full-time
  • Own premises
1,703 US businesses with employees in this field, +4.1% in a year

Neighborhood butcher shop

Run a small counter shop selling fresh cuts, sausages and marinated meats to local households and restaurants.

  • $60k-300k
  • Full-time
  • Own premises
5,676 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.2% in a year
Workers filling and sealing food cans on a production line in a cannery.

Small custom canning facility

Run a small licensed facility that cans or jars produce for local farms, food brands and community customers.

  • $75k-300k
  • Full-time
  • Own premises
802 US businesses with employees in this field, -1.1% in a year
Shelves of kosher-certified packaged foods and household goods in a grocery store.

Neighborhood kosher grocery store

Open a small store stocking kosher-certified food and household goods for Jewish families and other local shoppers.

  • $60k-250k
  • Full-time
  • Own premises
62,947 US businesses with employees in this field, +0.5% in a year

Self-serve frozen yogurt shop

Open a small self-serve shop where customers pour their own frozen yogurt, add toppings and pay by weight.

  • $50k-250k
  • Full-time
  • Own premises

Photo: PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay

Find more ideas →