Arizona Retailer Tastes Success

When BJ Wernimont is asked what advice she would give to independent retailers like herself, she is quick to respond: “Gut. You have got to go with your gut feeling.” Those instincts worked well for Wernimont when she decided to open her store The Epicurean Palette in Cave Creek, AZ, and stock tabletop along with other gourmet kitchenware. “Everybody told me, ‘You don’t want to do tabletop’ but I went ahead anyway,” she says. That “risk” has paid off for Wernimont, whose store’s tabletop goods with brands like Vietri and Casafina have registered brisk business.

With its upscale goods and cooking classes, The Epicurean Palette has garnered a faithful following since its opening in January 2005. The store is located in an old building with a courtyard where people can linger and where Wernimont hosts many charity events. The Epicurean Palette offers many, very popular private cooking classes and also does gift and bridal registries.

Wernimont offered a gingerbread-making class last year and the event raised over $6,000 for the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that builds homes for the homeless around the world.

Wernimont, the sole owner of The Epicurean Palette, employs a staff of seven and describes her typical customer as “very educated.” “They know a lot about gourmet cooking and know exactly what they want. They are very sophisticated consumers,” she says.

Wernimont is delighted with the store’s success and is especially glad it’s all about food and good company. “Every celebration begins in the kitchen in everyone’s home. That’s where everyone drifts to anyway. I wanted to create that warm, wonderful atmosphere that a cozy kitchen brings, in a store,” Wernimont says. From all indications she has done just that—the Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce recently presented her with the 2006 Small Business of the Year award.

As another part of its marketing strategy, The Epicurean Palette puts out a newsletter to customers with tips, event listings and favorite recipes. Which recipe is Wernimont’s favorite? She has many to pick from but likes one her granddaughter thinks is “cool”—lemon fruit freeze.

Randall Mielke

Mielke is a freelancer who writes about retail, business and economic development for a variety of publications.