From left: Bryce Harrison, Ian Lubkin, and James Gaudreault, founders of Cheese Louise inside their flagship location. (Photo Courtesy of Cheese Louise)
As housing costs and inflation continue to squeeze workers across NH’s Seacoast, Cheese Louise has built its business around an uncommon promise in the restaurant industry: paying every employee at least a living wage.
At its Portsmouth location, all workers earn a minimum of $27.48 per hour over the course of the year, including pooled tips—matching the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT’s) regional cost-of-living data for an estimated single adult living wage in Rockingham County.
Founded in 2018 as a food truck venture among four North Conway friends, Cheese Louise has since grown into a multi-location operation with restaurants in Portsmouth, North Conway and Portland, Maine, plus seasonal trucks and pop-ups. The company now projects more than $4.3 million in annual revenue in 2026.
Co-founder Ian Lubkin says the original concept was simple: build something together without overcomplicating it. “We chose grilled cheese because it seemed like a fun thing to do with our friends,” Lubkin says. “None of us were trained chefs, and we didn’t want to do anything that would test our culinary skills too much.”
As the business scaled, it evolved from a scrappy summer operation into an employer of roughly 40 workers in the winter and more than 100 during peak summer months. That growth, Lubkin says, forced the company to confront rising labor and housing pressures head-on.
About four years ago, Cheese Louise formally committed to paying at least MIT’s living wage. The standard is reassessed annually, and pay is adjusted accordingly. “From the beginning, we were passionate about having a good workplace,” Lubkin says.
While the commitment has grown more expensive as housing costs surged across New England, Lubkin says they are not wavering. “It was never a question of whether we should be doing this,” he says. “The question was how we were going to make it work.”
Marketing director and co-owner Ella Chandler says the model relies on a combination of operational efficiency and tip pooling to make the wages viable in a low-margin industry. “In the early days, every sandwich was made completely to order,” Chandler says. “We realized that wasn’t the most efficient way to operate, but we still make a lot of our sauces and fillings in-house and focus on quality.”
The company is now exploring additional locations, with college towns among the possibilities. Lubkin says hiring has remained relatively stable, a factor he attributes to both pay and the workplace culture. “It’s a mix of compensation, but it’s also our reputation and the workplace we’ve built,” he says.
For more information about Cheese Louise, visit eatcheeselouise.com.
