Photos by Little Outdoor Giants

Walking into this Acton shop feels like walking into your best friend’s home. Smiles greet you, an easygoing enthusiasm envelopes you and you immediately feel welcomed. Warm wooden furniture displays an eclectic mix of glassware, pottery from local artists, nonalcoholic spirits, books, linens and specialty provisions. Three artful chalkboards describe the American farmstead cheeses filling the refrigerator case, give a handy depiction of the cheeses by region and list charcuterie and sandwich options. Welcome to Eve & Murray’s.

Dawn (Eve) Aguiar and Tamara (Murray) Deluzio met in 1993 while employed at Bose, where Dawn worked in marketing and Tamara in corporate training. Over the years, each changed jobs. Tamara opened a music-themed business and managed a retail store; Dawn worked at various technology companies and agencies. She also developed a deep interest in the local food chain, farmers and cheese, even taking a cheesemaking class in western Massachusetts.

In early December 2020, Dawn sent a text to her friend group (including Tamara) telling them that she was leaving her agency job and following her 20-year dream of opening a cheese shop. Unbeknownst to her, two weeks earlier Tamara had been in Vermont enjoying a cheese and charcuterie board with her son and thinking about how wonderful it would be to have a business bringing that same joy to others. So, when she saw Dawn’s text, she immediately replied “I’m in!” It was, she says, “as if our two dreams knocked on each others’ doors. There was no turning back.”

The pair quickly climbed the steep learning curve to opening a food business. They began road trips to visit cheesemakers, farmers markets and cheese shops throughout New England and got a certificate in Artisan Cheese and Sensory Fundamentals at UVM. They reached out to successful people in the industry, wrote a business plan, sought out vendors and navigated food safety requirements. Creating a business with longevity that wasn’t just following current trends was their goal.

In early 2021 Dawn and Tamara began looking for a location. With each site visit their vision for the business became clearer. Their original concept was for a sit-down cheese and charcuterie board restaurant selling cocktails. This evolved into an American farmstead cheese and charcuterie shop also selling sandwiches and a carefully curated selection of other products. Cheese from Round Table Farm in Hardwick, bread and pastries from Le Petit Four in Needham and hummus from Magic Bites Bakery in Arlington are a few of the local foods that eventually would fill the store.

As Dawn notes, “We chose to focus on American artisanal cheeses because this change is all about living our values. Supporting small farmers and producers is better for our environment, health and economy. The U.S. is producing some of the best cheese in the world, and we want to do what we can to help that continue.”

Before finalizing the location, Dawn and Tamara also carefully considered the store’s vibe, knowing that it had to be a place that they would want to visit and return to themselves and that was quirky, interesting, fun and inviting. Drawn to Acton for its kind and welcoming locally focused community, as well as the extremely supportive landlord at West Acton Villageworks, in November 2021 the pair opened a store perfectly capturing that vibe. And starting in the fall of 2022, they’ll be carrying a carefully curated selection of natural and organic wines and craft beers, paying careful attention to supporting women-owned and -run wineries and breweries.

As Tamara explains, “Eve & Murray’s is an extension of ourselves. Our goal is to be an integral part of this amazing community, from supporting other local businesses and helping other women succeed, to being a part of our customers’ celebrations, holidays and everyday lives. That’s why we carefully curate everything in our store. We not only love the products we sell, but we love the people and missions behind them. We’re living proof that you can reinvent yourself at any age!”

525 Massachusetts Ave., Acton
eveandmurrays.com

This story appeared in the Fall 2022 issue.