VDI Competitors

Founded in 1940 by Murray Greenberg, Murray’s is proud to be a Greenwich Village-based business and part of the neighborhood’s rich food history. It’s a pretty safe bet to say that we’re cheese obsessed: our goal is to find the most delicious cheese across the globe, and then feed it to you! Murray was a Jewish veteran of the Spanish Civil War who was rumored to be a Communist – but pay no mind, he was a smart capitalist who built a great reputation for the business. In the 70s, Murray sold the shop to his clerk Louis Tudda, an Italian immigrant from Calabria. In those days, it was a humble butter and eggs shop that had a lot of block cheeses and catered to the little Italian enclave that Bleecker Street was at the time. Rob Kaufelt bought the Murray’s in the early 90s and began traveling the globe, finding new cheeses that no one had ever heard of and bringing them back to the US. He and our lucky team travel regularly both in Europe and across the US in search of the new and great artisan cheeses being produced from California to Vermont and from Athens to Wales. And everywhere in between. The main thing that makes Murray’s special is our passion for cheese – we share that with our friends and customers, whether you’re visiting one of our shops in New York, stopping by a Murray’s kiosk at your local supermarket, trolling on our web site, taking a class with us, or working with our wholesale department for your restaurant.

The Spice & Tea Exchange® Mission: “Creating & sharing the experience of a more flavorful life.” The Spice & Tea Exchange® was founded in 2008 by a group of talented individuals with a passion for life and food. Our mission statement "Creating & sharing the experience of a more flavorful life," is the cornerstone on which our company operates. We strive to provide guests with quality products and flavorful memories. Each of our 95 stores and counting carries over 670 products...all fresh, all innovative. The Spice & Tea Exchange® offers teas, spices, exclusive hand-mixed blends, naturally flavored sugars, gift sets, accessories, an array of salts from around the world. We focus on providing high quality products and accessories to home cooks, chefs, and tea lovers in an old-world spice traders’ atmosphere. Franchises are available in many U.S. states and territories. You can live the flavor life and own your own store. This is an opportunity to join a distinctively different and exciting business venture in a growth market. It is our mission to provide each The Spice & Tea Exchange® franchise with the highest standards of assistance, training, and support; from our first conversation, to build-out and store preparation, and throughout their existence. We invite you to visit us online to learn more about our unique concept and Franchise experience: http://franchise.spiceandtea.com/franchise.