After an eight-year wait and a lot of side-eye at that long-empty storefront, Berkeley’s famed Cheese Board Collective is finally spreading out. The worker-owned institution is taking over the space next door and will run a temporary shipping-container shop on Shattuck while crews rebuild the bakery and cheese counter. The pizzeria is already back in action this week, but the bakery side will soon move into the container as construction ramps up. Collective members say the future layout should feel far less claustrophobic and give them room to offer more cheeses and baked goods.
As reported by SFGATE, worker-owner Vanessa Vichit-Vadakan said construction quietly kicked off in July, after the collective was able to buy the neighboring building when their landlords put it up for sale. Vichit-Vadakan told the outlet that the core goal is to fix the cramped shuffle inside the shop and make the bakery and cheese counter much easier to navigate.
In a late-December announcement, The Cheese Board Collective said the bakery and cheese counter will operate out of a shipping container on Shattuck starting Jan. 20 while the main space is under construction. The collective explained that the container will serve baked goods, cheeses and espresso drinks, but cold brew is on pause and the menu will be trimmed back because of the tight quarters. Staff also warned regulars to expect lots of signage, some shifting hours and a bit of a learning curve as everyone figures out the temporary setup.
What the new layout will look like
Once the work is done, the Cheese Board plans to move the retail bakery and cheese counter into 1500 Shattuck, with a larger cheese section and a return of in-store cheese sampling, according to SFGATE. The current 1504 Shattuck space will be turned into a shared production and prep zone for both the pizzeria and the bakery, which should clear more room for customers up front. Operators say that extra elbow room behind the scenes ought to make it easier to keep staples like the rustic baguette on the shelves instead of selling out so fast.
Why it took so long
The expansion has been on the table since at least 2018, when the collective first took over the lease for 1500 Shattuck, but the buildout stalled as the pandemic scrambled plans and budgets, as earlier coverage noted. Berkeleyside and other outlets have tracked the drawn-out effort and its periodic delays. Collective members say the extra time let them fine-tune the design, lock down ownership of the neighboring building and finally move ahead with construction this year.
What to expect in the coming months
The Cheese Board is aiming for a mid- to late-2026 grand opening for the fully expanded shop, while targeting the end of spring or early summer to wrap up the main construction phase, according to the collective’s announcement and subsequent reporting. The Cheese Board Collective has been upfront that the shipping-container setup will mean fewer offerings and has asked for patience as staff test-drive new systems. Fans can also expect the old playing-card line system to make a comeback during the transition period, and the group has hinted that once the larger retail space opens, there could be room to introduce some new items down the road.
Shoppers are being urged to check the Cheese Board’s website and social channels for updated hours and menu details as the container opens and construction progresses. The collective says the upheaval should pay off with a roomier counter, the return of cheese sampling and more reliable bread availability for the locals and students who routinely line up for daily pies and baguettes. For now, the pizzeria is back in business, and the bakery is set to reopen from the container later this month while the big buildout continues next door.
