New charcuterie board shop in downtown Tacoma offers grazing boards, boxes
Inside a small storefront tucked on South 9th Street in Tacoma is a place where endless combinations of cheeses, meats, fruits and vegetables become a reality.
It’s called Graze Craze, a global franchise that specializes in the art of charcuterie. The Tacoma location opened earlier this month, joining locations in Bellevue and South Seattle.
Boards come in three sizes, along with smaller boxes and lots of grab-and-go options for those who can’t wait. Regular boards take around two hours to make, but smaller boxes can take less than 30 minutes, according to owners Adrian Garib and Jennifer Sparks.
“There was a race here on Saturday,” Sparks said. “A guy comes in, and he’s like, ‘My wife is running in the race. She just called me, she’s almost done with the race. She needs carbs, and she needs them now.’”
Sparks said the board was ready by the time she crossed the finish line.
Sparks and Garib met on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in 2019 and quickly coupled up. When Garib was retiring, he went to a job-hunting event and learned about a few franchises. He was an entrepreneur before his years in the Army, so it wasn’t anything new.
As food lovers, Sparks said Graze Craze seemed like the right choice.
After about six months of searching for a spot to set up shop, the pair settled on downtown Tacoma. The bustling area was close to home, close to other businesses and close to the freeway, which was especially important since they frequently deliver.
All the meats and cheeses come from Boar’s Head, while the produce is local. All the dips, like roasted beet hummus and cranberry orange jam, are made in house.
Small boards start at $130, medium board start at $160 and large boards start at $190. Smaller boards for one to two people range from $17 to $35, while grab-and-go “Char-Cutie-Cups” are $10.
Customers can either walk in or order ahead. Catering is also a popular option, whether it’s for a corporate event or a family gathering.
“You don’t want to think about food when you have family coming over, when you have friends coming over, when you have a wedding, a baby shower,” Sparks said. “You need to sit, enjoy your event — have fun, relax, talk to your guests. Let us worry about the rest of it.”
The most popular board is the “Gone Grazey,” which has a little bit of everything — salami, prosciutto, brie, gouda, goat cheese, cucumbers, berries and much, much more.
Graze Craze also offers add-ons like truffle goat cheese and caramella, a Dutch-style cheese that blends gouda and parmesan. The latter is Sparks’ favorite.
“Carmella is awesome,” Sparks said. “I’m telling you — best cheese in the world.”
Boards can be made with specific allergies in mind, like intolerances to gluten, dairy, sesame or nuts.
While the main menu is the same across locations, Sparks and Garib said they’d love to eventually add some Tacoma-specific items.
“Just being in Tacoma, there’s so many different types of people,” Sparks said.
“It’s important to cater to that diversity,” Garib added.
One of those unique menu items could be a board with different beer pairings. There’s already a wine-pairing board, but Sparks and Garib said they want to highlight some local brews.
“We have that brewery district right up the street,” Sparks said. “So if we can find something there, that’s key.”
Both Sparks and Garib have full-time jobs elsewhere, but they’re in it for the love of the game.
“For me, this is fun. I enjoy this,” Sparks said. “You get to do these things and help make other people’s days better.”
If everything goes well, Sparks and Garib said, they’re also hoping to open another location farther south in Washington.
The official grand opening for Graze Craze is Jan. 14.
Graze Craze Charcuterie Boards & Boxes
- 118 S. 9th St., Tacoma, grazecraze.com
- Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Details: New charcuterie board store offering different types of boards, boxes and grab-and-go-items.
