‘These boards are really beautiful’: Charcuterie franchise opens in Kansas City

Susan Paulakovich had been a numbers person for more than 25 years. Now she gets to feed her aesthetic side.

She’s a new franchisee for Graze Craze, which offers customizable charcuterie boards to-go and will cater events. Her location, 7713 N.W. Prairie View Road, also is the first in Missouri and the Kansas City area.

The boards can include meats such as soppressata, prosciutto and ham baked in-house with a fennel, brown sugar and mustard crust; artisan cheeses such red wine, smoked Gouda, Hatch Chile and manchego; fresh baked bread; condiments and jams made in the store; fresh fruits, vegetables and hummus; as well as sweets such brownies, lemon bars, pound cake, dessert breads and macarons.

“These boards are really beautiful. Everything tastes good but is also aesthetically pleasing,” she said. “Weddings will be big for us, corporate gifting, real estate agents, funeral homes, employee luncheons. We’ll have boards for date night, for holidays — maybe an Easter board, Fourth of July, Valentine’s Day.”

Customers place orders online or call.

But walk-in customers can quickly pick up dark chocolate barks with cranberries, pistachios and sea salt; its Char “Cutie,” a cup of two meats, cheese, crackers and fruit for “grazing” ($8); and Grab & Graze with meats, cheese, bread, crackers, fruits, vegetables, chocolate bark, Craisins, housemade jam and dip ($12).

Paulakovich was a math and science teacher — elementary through college — for five years. She also earned a master of business administration degree from Belmont University in Nashville. She moved to Kansas City in 2003 and spent the last two decades in the liquor industry as a business analyst and in cost accounting.

She plans to teach customers how to build their own boards.

“I want this a place of fun where people can forget their worries and learn how to make something beautiful,” she said.