SBA’s 2024 Young Entrepreneurs of the Year for New Hampshire and New England ‘Cheese Louise’

New Hampshire is known for its entrepreneurial spirit and this trend continues with the rise of young entrepreneurs. More and more young people in the state are bringing their passion, innovation, and desire to make a positive impact in their communities and this year’s ‘Young Entrepreneurs of the Year’ are no exception. 

Cheese Louise is a fast-casual restaurant founded in 2018 and is redefining the food service industry in NH. The menu showcases the power of simplicity and a nostalgic taste of childhood comfort. Owners James Gaudreault, Bryce Harrison, and Ian Lubkin connected in high school and became fast friends. They started with a simple dream of creating fun summer jobs for themselves serving grilled cheese sandwiches out of a food truck. As they shared their melted cheese and passion with the community, their vision grew into something much larger. 

Cheese Louise now operates a fleet of food trucks for events, fairs, and festivals. In addition, they have set up several brick-and-mortar locations in North Conway and Portsmouth New Hampshire as well as Portland, Maine. At the heart of Cheese Louise is this trio’s commitment to uplifting their team and supporting the communities they serve, and it is paying off. They prioritize their employees’ ideas and contributions regularly giving them kudos on social media and will even close shop periodically for a team appreciation day. They are also community focused and showcase local organizations, volunteer at community events, and help raise funds for deserving causes through ‘weekly special’ promotions.

“Cheese Louise’s growth during the challenges of the pandemic deserves recognition. While many businesses faced closures, Cheese Louise adapted and expanded, and almost tripled sales from 2020 to 2021. In a time when the food industry struggled with keeping employees, the company was one of the few businesses I worked with that never mentioned any staffing problems,” said nominator and lender, Jenn Uhlman, Business Development Officer at Northeast Credit Union. 

Cheese Louise is more than just a restaurant. It’s a people-focused hub for community building where guests are encouraged to linger, play board games, and connect with each other. For more information Cheese Louise (eatcheeselouise.com). 

Award winners were honored at the SBA’s 2024 Small Business Week celebration on Tuesday, April 30th, from 8:30 am to 11:30 am at the Tupelo Music Hall, Derry, NH. Register to join us.