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Retailer Profile RETAILER PROFILE KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n MARCH 2017 n www.kitchenwarenews.com 14 Mrs. Cooks giving customers the chance to learn and try these different options. "I think that just follows what a normal week looks like. Monday through Thursday, things have to be convenient and quick. And on the weekend it gives you a chance to entertain yourself with cooking and entertain your f riends," says Bromel. " Within the store, we always have some product out that we're playing with, to show people and try it… I think that 's what makes it so fun, we get to learn about all kinds of different things. There's new trends in food and things that are just kind of fun." Mrs. Cook's has been ser ving the Seattle, Washington community for 40 years now. Her initial location was a 520- square-foot shop where she held cooking classes and took a chance selling beans f rom a local business called Starbucks. From there, Mrs. Cook's moved to a 3000-square-foot space in a sleepy business center with somewhat creative architecture. "Our store is challenged by shape; it 's not rectangular," says Bromel. "One end is very narrow and one end is very wide." Bromel ended up lining every wall with shelf space, adding fixtures jutting out of the wall to create three- sided spaces and lots of wheeled displays that can be shifted as needed. " We use every square inch," she says. Bromel also got a boost when the shopping center she was in upgraded to serve more upscale clientele as the city drew in money f rom the tech sector. "It 's really changed the entity f rom being a sleepy neighborhood place to being a destination." Bromel needed the extra space as the city changed and expanded its culinary interests. " When I started, everything we sold was pretty basic, pretty much the only thing we sold with color was Le Creuset. [It was] stainless steel this, aluminum that," says Bromel. As cooking gained interest on TV and tastes changed, Bromel kept expanding the store's stock to meet demand. Now the oddly-shaped store is host to a wide variety of rapidly shifting culinary options. "Product lines wax and wane. We try and stay focused on that stock that is moving well and clearing things out that are not, so the inventor y looks f resh." Bromel is excited to see that the stainless steel and aluminum she used to sell has given way to tools that are as much fun as they are functional. "Gradually, it started getting a fun element. We saw companies like Chef 'n and Lékué, lots of color," says Bromel. " There are companies that add these great design elements. Now it has a much more whimsical feel." Seattle's focus on local eating and businesses has made its way into Mrs. Cook's as well. "People seemed really into local [foods]. Seattle has multiple farmers' markets, they're always packed. They like their kitchenware products the same." Mrs. Cook's has seen lots of interest in local products like handmade pizza stones, as well as in cast iron cookware made in the USA. "Anyone that makes in the U.S. has a leg up," she adds. Mrs. Cooks also carries a wide variety of books for perusing. " We have national ones and local ones. We have the Ina Garten books, sheet pan supper books, we tr y to carr y both nationally recognized books and local," says Bromel. She has brought chefs and writers to her neighborhood f rom the greater Seattle area, where the dining scene is getting national interest. Bromel lists off names of James Beard Award winners like the names of old f riends. "We've worked with Tom Douglas and Renee Erickson, that sort of thing," says Bromel. " They primarily come in for book signings." KN (cont. from Page 1) SQUISH 2-, 4-, 6-QUART COLANDER These brightly colored, two-toned collapsible colanders come with generous side drainage holes that extend all the way to the top of the rim. Comfortable, long side-handles ensure natural comfort. The 4-quart version comes with gently curved side-rims and the 6-quart is large enough to drain an entire party's worth of pasta in one pour. In addition, the 6-quart boasts a rigid rim for a secure grip and a pour spout for transferring foods easily. Suggested retail price: $14.99 (2-quart), $19.99 (4-quart) and $24.99 (6-quart) Squish 800.245.2433 716.206.1100 Cbianco@robinsonus.com JDOrazio@robinsonus.com www.robinsonus.com WINE BOTTLE ELECTRIC CORKSCREW FROM FRANMARA Wine Bottle Rechargeable Electric Corkscrew is the latest corkscrew innovation from Franmara, which has been selling corkscrews for more than 45 years. This light but powerful electric corkscrew comes in the shape of a small wine bottle (10-1/4 inches high) with an ele- gant French wine label. An up/down switch makes operation easy – down to insert the spiral into the cork and extract the cork, and up to remove the cork from the spiral. A small window below the label shows the position of the cork. The set includes a compact electric adapter with small plug that inserts into the back of the corkscrew. The device can open 30 wine bottles with a single charge. A foil cutter is included. Packaged in beautiful four-color box with barcode and instructions, the electric corkscrew is 10-1/4 inches high and 2-1/2 inches in diameter. Cus- tom decorating is available. Suggested retail price: $44.99 Franmara, Inc. 800.423.5855 www.franmara.com "There are companies that add these g reat design elements. Now it has a much more whimsical feel."

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