Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassandra Schultz.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Forty years ago, my family moved to East Hampton, NY. My dad took on an extra part-time job working for Ina Garten. He would drive a van into New York City and pick up breads, cheese, and other fine foods that Ina sold in her store. As kids, we took turns going with my dad in the van. We left very early in the morning. I was very young, but I remember my day revolving around really good food!
Ten years later, I was working the cash register at Barefoot Contessa, looking over to the bakery, hoping that one day, Ina would let me run the cappuccino machine or get access to the perfectly placed chocolate croissants! I have a lot of memories from working there with the most amazing people. Celebrities came in all the time, and I remember ringing up Steve Martin one morning and being so nervous that I would mess up!
During that time, everyone in my family had worked at Barefoot Contessa at one time or another, with the exception of my mom, Barbara Libath. While Ina was working on her first book, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, she asked my mom to help on the photo shoots for the book. What started out as a part-time job shopping for groceries ended up becoming a full-time job involving recipe testing, accompanying Ina on book tours, answering correspondence, and just about anything else that Ina needed to have done.
After a few years of listening to my mom about her job and the things that Ina fans were emailing about, my mom and I talked about the need for a one-stop shop for all thing products Ina was using to cook and entertain.
In 2008, I launched a small website with a few sought-after Ina essentials. Today, we are thrilled to carry not just Ina Garten favorites but an extensive line of luxurious Hotel Silver, gorgeous French serving pieces, La Rochere Glassware, and many essential, everyday kitchen tools.
It has been the best journey, and my team and I have come a long way. I became a mom with 3 kids and was stay-at-home-work-from-home mom- naps were critical! I used to store cookie cutters, packing tape, serving dishes, and Hotel Silver bowls in my linen closet until we moved to Pennsylvania. I dedicated a whole room in my house to the business and built a garage to store the inventory. We’ve gone from shipping orders out of my little apartment and taking product shots in tiny kitchens to renting a huge warehouse space and now opening my first retail store.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning a small business is never smooth. I’ve learned so much along the way. As the business has grown, I’ve had to learn to be innovative to overcome the obstacle of fitting inventory into small spaces. I’ve also gone from having a staff of 1 to 10 during holiday season. Working as a team between the warehouse and store. I also bought out my business partner in 2022. Not having a degree in business, you have to learn as you go. There are so many different aspects of a business, and as a sole owner, I’m in charge of all of them! The most important thing is to be flexible and willing to learn.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Cassandra’s Kitchen Store?
Cassandra’s Kitchen store specializes in simple, classic, timeless kitchen tools and serve ware to use in everyday life. What sets us apart is the quality in our products. We do not want you to fill your kitchen with products used for one thing, rather products that can be used every day, during various holidays and seasons. Every corner of our store won’t be filled; rather you will be able to enjoy your experience in our store. Noticing each piece. Most of our products are used by Ina Garten or inspired by her. Ina teaches us to have products in our kitchen that will stand the test of time and to keep it simple. She also recommends to use white dishes for serving and dinnerware. Mix the table setting up with different linens and placemats. And to use beautiful glassware and silver to pull the table together.
We also carry many “good ingredients,” as Ina would call them. It makes a big difference when cooking. Many of the good ingredients we sell are used specifically by Ina Garten. In our store, we offer a variety of good ingredients and condiments that we have personally tried and have past the test!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Look into getting a mentor. There are many free services out there. Or ask another business owner that you admire to mentor you. In the end, you have to experience everything yourself to ultimately learn, but having someone to support you is key. Also, learning how to communicate!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cassandraskitchen.com
- Instagram: cassandraskitchen
- Facebook: Cassandra’s Kitchen
Image Credits
Maggie Washo
Lisa Staff
