For Roland Ludomirska, enjoyment comes first: With his company Crazy Cheese Manufacture, he brings his customers closer to the variety of culinary delights of champagne and cheese. And with success: the Viennese has already opened five Crazy Cheese stores within three years — and became a millionaire thanks to his passion.
The brightly lit writing above the entrance to the factory is noticeable from a distance. The shop itself is manageably large; You can hardly get enough of the bright colors of the cheese wheels. In addition to red roses and numerous champagne bottles, the yellow and black Crazy Cheese logo shines from the wall. The range currently includes 23 different types of cheese, each more unusual than the last. Roland Ludomirska always chooses his products according to the season, such as “Spring Farm Cheese” in spring and “Pumpkin Spicy” in autumn.As a child, the Crazy Cheese owner wanted to become a zookeeper, but as he grew older he took a completely different path because his fascination with cheese began 25 years ago at Viennese farmers’ markets. His family has sold flowers and food there for many generations. After the financial crisis, Ludomirska noticed that many people don’t pay much attention to price when it comes to quality goods; The idea of selling cheese originally came from his aunt, who recognized his potential as a seller and his fascination with the dairy product. In 2009, Ludomirska started finding exotic cheese creations and creating something exclusive.
Ludomirska sees herself as an ambassador for enjoyment and believes that many people these days no longer take the time to enjoy life. In the five Crazy Cheese stores in Austria he gives his customers unique moments of enjoyment. “Cheese deserves to be as much of a lifestyle product as champagne and caviar. I think I achieved that with Crazy Cheese,” says Ludomirska. To go with his eccentric types of cheese, the 52-year-old also sells champagne and other sparkling wines.It took Ludomirska several years to create her own types of cheese and find mountain farmers who would make them. In 2020, the cheese lover was ready to take the next step and opened his first store in the Westfield Shopping Center (“SCS”) in Vösendorf on the southern city limits of Vienna. He still fondly remembers his time at the market with his family: “For 20 years I fed people at fairs and markets, now I make them happy with Crazy Cheese. And people enjoy my cheese much more now,” says Ludomirska.
The success of the Crazy Cheese Manufacture was unexpected, he says, and despite the corona pandemic, the entrepreneur opened four more factories in 2020.Direct contact with customers is very important at Crazy Cheese, which is why Ludomirska visits his stores himself on a rotating basis: he tries to be there in person three times a week. On the other days, he visits his franchisees or travels to the Dutch farmer who works with him on his extraordinary creations and makes the 30 kilo wheels of cheese for him.The Viennese currently lives in a house in Graz with his wife and son. His eccentric lifestyle doesn’t meet with a positive response from everyone: Ludomirska doesn’t shy away from showcasing his assets and constantly posts about his travels or from his stores. Always with you: cheese and champagne. He himself sees it easily and even claims to love his “haters”: “Haters are people who need love the most, and even though they supposedly don’t like me, they follow my life on social platforms and give me their attention. The entrepreneur sees criticism as a way to perfect Crazy Cheese and sees nothing wrong with showing off luxury.
Although 100 grams of his most expensive cheese (“Geiler Bock Deluxe”) costs €36, Ludomirska believes that not only wealthy customers visit his store, even if many people assume that. According to him, money is meant to be spent, ideally at Crazy Cheese, of course. “I think it’s important that there is luxury. Luxury is the engine of society, it brings joy and motivates people to do more than just the bare minimum. “But I’m just as happy with a glass of water as I am with a glass of champagne,” he says.Roland Ludomirska also has future plans. Crazy Cheese is currently only available in Austria, but now the Viennese wants to market his brand internationally and open additional stores in Dubai, New York and Germany, among others — in order to one day share his love of enjoyment with the whole world.
Roland Ludomirska is the owner of Crazy Cheese Manufacture and has opened five stores in Austria within the last three years. Together with a Dutch farmer, he creates unique types of cheese and became a millionaire through his company.
