Let’s get one thing straight, food is art and charcuterie boards take that art to a new level. Pronounced as “shahr-koo-tuh-ree”. You’ve probably seen it on your Twitter, Instagram, and all over the internet while randomly scrolling on your feed. This trendy elegant looking feast is a beautiful and creative way of combining food on a serving board.
Usually consisting of meat, nuts, cheese, dried fruits, fresh fruit, dips, bread, and crackers, the amazing thing about charcuterie is the never-ending options and possible selection of flavor in any way you want it. The not so amazing thing about charcuterie is it can be time-consuming, expensive and challenging for those with a not-so-artistic-eye.
That’s where Graze Craze comes in and lucky for us Pensacolians, one just opened in Gulf Breeze at 3329 Gulf Breeze Pkwy. Located next to Winn Dixie in the old Papa Murphy’s space, you will find the new Graze Craze store front who Grand Opening is today, April 9th at 11:30am.
Local franchise owners, Jocelyn and Paul Sanders, have always wanted to open their own business and when they found a connection with Graze Craze, they took a leap of faith. Graze Craze, Inc. was founded in 2018 by Kerry Sylvester, an Air Force veteran. Jocelyn’s husband, Paul, is a retired helicopter after a 20 year career in the United States Navy.
“My husband is a retired Navy helicopter pilot and I’m a trained mental health therapist. When we decided to plant our roots here permanently with our two little ones, we knew it was time to work for ourselves,” said Jocelyn. “My husband came across a veteran franchise opportunity and Graze Craze was one of the options.”
Jocelyn also frequently visited her sister in Charlotte where they would often visit a small mom and pops shop that offered charcuterie board and grazing tables and she wished there was something similar in Pensacola.
“My sister and I would always go grab a little box and go to the park so the kids can play and we can have real food and not their left over goldfish and peanut butter crackers,” she said. “I always thought how perfect it would be to have something similar here to take to the beach or to a picnic and before we knew it, my husband and I were signing the dotted line.”
At Graze Craze, they believe in using the best class ingredients and celebrating everything. Their cheeses and meats are not ones you will find widely at the grocery store and their dips are made in-house. It’s also important to Jocelyn and Paul to make sure they are sourcing local ingredients as much as they can which includes a local honey and a neighbor’s olive oil business.
Walk in their redesigned space and see a front counter with a ”grazologist” (someone who curates your board for you), a menu board and a grab ‘n go fridge. There is no indoor seating, but there is a small conference style room for guests to come and discuss catering options. They can accommodate large parties and weddings up to 200 people or small intimate gatherings or single serving charcuterie cups.
Jocelyn and the store manager prepared a picnic board for me before I left and the taste and quality was second to none. If you can’t make their Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting today at 11:30am, make sure you check them out this weekend before all your beach activities. Follow along on their Facebook for updates on today and their hours.
