We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Kendrick and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In May 2021, I graduated college with a degree in Media Production, and immediately started working for a big box store. It was really overworked and understaffed, and I wasn’t getting as much enjoyment as I thought I would out of it. It was a job, but it wasn’t a job I wanted to be doing forever. Six months later, I was let go (for reasons I won’t get into here). It forced me to really evaluate what I wanted to do for a career. I jokingly answered “I want to get paid to eat cheese”. That joke got me thinking though. If that career wasn’t available at any business in the greater Houston area, I could just create it. I had experience working for a cheese shop in high school, and I loved putting together charcuterie boards as a passion project throughout the year, so I took a big leap and $2K and started Houston Grazers in November 2021. It hasn’t been the smoothest sailing, and I still had yo go out and get two other jobs to pay bills while I build the business, but it’s a light at the end of my day, I get to use the $500 software I bought for classes in college, and I get to eat any leftovers after orders have been delivered!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Getting from Point A to Point B has not been a straight line in any way. I went to school to be an American Sign Language interpreter, changed two years in to a communications degree (specifically media production), graduated with a bachelors and started working retail, and in there somewhere, managed to create a business. A lot of grocery stores are offering their own versions of cheese boards, and that’s great, but as a small business, I have the ability to travel between stores and brands and cater to specific needs and desires of each order, rather than give a cookie-cutter, mass-produced product. I learned a lot about lots of cheeses when I was younger, and I love giving bits of education away with every order about the cheeses, meats, and accompaniments. I use small-business made products whenever possible, from the jams and preserves to the custom stickers I use to seal the boxes our cheese boards are delivered in. I think it’s nice to know when someone places an order with me, I’m not the only small business owner who’s affected. It’s a tough world, and I like to help out other small businesses whenever I can!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Most important thing: food.

I’d be taking them to HK Dim Sum in Bellaire, Polonia in NW Houston for comforting Polish food, Blue Nile near Rice Village for the best Ethiopian food I’ve ever eaten, and Mademoiselle Louise every morning for the best French pastries. It’s a 40 minute drive from my house to all of these places, but it’s so worth it.

I’m a really big fan of the Houston Museum of Fine Art and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and I went a lot when I was a kid, so I’d definitely go there for a day (or two) and maybe eat a picnic lunch at Hermann Park. I think the nature preservation work in Houston is something that makes this city so beautiful.

I think there’s something really beautiful about urban development, and I would love to lace up my best sneakers, and walk around downtown Houston just to see what hidden gems I haven’t found yet!

There’s a cheese store in North Houston called Houston Dairymaids and they have the most incredible specialty cheeses from Texas creameries, and I’d probably spend a whole day there if I could.

It’d be sporadic, and a little of everything, but it would definitely include good food and the dinosaurs at HMNS!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mom deserves at least 30% of the credit for getting Houston Grazers started. She saw me in high school after getting a job at a cheese shop, and didn’t stop pushing me, reminding me that starting my own business was an option, and that she’d be there, ready to be my first order whenever that day came! I couldn’t have done it without her.

Website: Houstongrazers.com

Instagram: Houston_grazers

Facebook: Houston Grazers Charcuterie

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.