The Sparta Chamber of Commerce welcomed another downtown business Thursday afternoon as community members gathered for a ribbon cutting at Formaggi Cheese & More.

Owned by Maryangela and John Rippberger, the family-operated specialty shop opened in November 2024 and has quickly become a unique addition to Sparta’s downtown district, offering authentic Italian cheeses, meats, pastas and organic ingredients imported through Italian-based distributors.

Located next to the family’s restaurant, Marioochi’s Pizzeria On The Square, the shop was created after customers regularly asked where they could purchase some of the ingredients used on the restaurant’s pizzas.

“We have people all of the time asking for some of the products we put on the food so we wanted to carry those out of a store and make something out of them,” Maryangela Rippberger said.

Along with imported specialty foods, the shop also offers gelato and outdoor seating for visitors spending time downtown during the summer months.

“The community has been very friendly and open to us,” Rippberger said. “They are wanting to try new things and things to cook and they come here happy.”

Formaggi Cheese & More is located at 31 E. Bockman Way and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Customers can also contact the business at 931-837-9338 or find the shop on Facebook.

For even more about Formaggi’s story, read the Main Street Journal - Sparta’s previously published in-depth feature on the business here,

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