BANDON – The sign on the edge of town says "Welcome to Bandon," but the vacant lot nearby was anything but welcoming. More than a mere eyesore, the lot was a bitter reminder of a loss the city continued to mourn.

"At the heart of

there was just this big empty parking lot," said Daniel Graham, vice-president of Face Rock Creamery. "It felt like something was always missing in town. Where's the cheese factory? Everyone would always say that."

The cheese factory, of course, was gone. It had been for years.

Graham wanted to do something about the empty lot, and like most of this little city by the sea, he also wanted to bring back the cheese factory.

Cheesemaking was tradition. It was history. It was part of what Bandon was.

Now with the recent opening of the

right on the spot where the old factory once thrived, there is hope it will be again.

For the finishing touch, they lured renowned cheesemaker Brad Sinko home from Seattle where he helped launch Beecher's Handmade Cheese. Sinko knew more than a little about Bandon cheese. His father was the former owner of the factory.

"I learned at the Bandon Cheese Factory," said Sinko, who last year won the American Cheese Society's Best of Show and in 2007 won best cheddar in the U.S. "I got taught the routine. I didn't like it at first. But it turned out I have a knack for it."

In May, the creamery opened its doors to a happy hometown crowd, and they – along with visitors to the area – have been coming back since.

The new creamery at 680 Second St.(also known as U.S. 101) employs 15 full-time workers and is expecting to add another 10. It's open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Visitors can buy not only cheese, but ice cream, wines, bread and souvenirs.

"We've had thousands of people come through," said Graham. "It's amazing how many people have been connected to the original cheese factory. So many people will tell me, 'My great-great grandfather was a milk provider,' or 'I worked there.' People will come in and start crying when they talk about it."

But on this Sunday in June visitors to the creamery were all smiles.

"We love visiting it," said Brooke Gecsey, from Medford, who visited with her husband, Joe. "One of the things I loved about Bandon when I was younger was the cheese factory. Then my husband and I came back here a couple of years ago. That was one of the things that I wanted to do and it wasn't available. And now it is. I was so excited to see it. We love it."

-- Lori Tobias