Return of the curds: Kalona Creamery Shop & Deli opening in the fall

Kalona Creamery Shop & Deli will be opening this fall in the former Kalona Cheese House building on Highway 1 outside of Kalona.

Kalona Creamery, a member of the Open Gates Group family of companies, said the shop will feature products made in Iowa and the Midwest, including squeaky cheese curds, Kalona SuperNatural organic dairy milk, butter, cottage cheese, cream top yogurt, Greek yogurt and sour cream, Hoard's Bakery goods and Oasis The Falafel Joint hummus.

Kalona Creamery Shop & Deli also will offer daily­ soups, salads, and sandwiches.

After the shop has opened, the company will rebrand the Highway 1 corner to be Kalona Creamery Corner. The area eventually will become a campus­-style facility consisting of the shop and deli and a dairy production facility.

A comprehensive plan for the Kalona Creamery Corner and the production facility is under review. Kalona Creamery tentatively plans dairy production to begin at the facility in 2017.

Kalona Cheese House, which had been operating since 1954, closed in December 2014. The Kalona Cheese Factory closed its doors three months earlier.

Kalona Creamery purchased the former Kalona Cheese Factory in June 2015. It planned to use the building for milk receiving and separation.

Open Gates Group consists of nine companies located in the Kalona area.