A Pinch of Pepper schedules grand opening in time for Thanksgiving
LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For the past decade, Emily Colombo has dreamed of opening her own bulk spice and tea shop in Greater Lafayette. Come Saturday, Nov. 18, she’ll see her dream come to fruition thanks to the newly constructed Public Safety Center incubator retail space located at 619 Columbia St.
Colombo, a West Lafayette native and Purdue University graduate, said the concept for her store, A Pinch of Pepper, was born after visiting several bulk-style grocery stores in major cities around the United States. Focusing on high quality, small batch tea and spices, the store will also offer an array of hot sauce, olive oil and vinegar made by little known producers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Colombo said the need to cook meals at home left many seeking quality ingredients that were scarce on mass market grocery store shelves. Seeing the need for more local options, Colombo began tinkering with online sales, dipping her toes into local pop-up sales before wading into the waters of local farmer’s markets this past season.
“The companies I have chosen to start things off with are companies that do good by their products, emphasizing a mission behind their sales,” she explained. “I also focus on eco-conscious products in my store. If I’m going to be putting something out into the collective noise of the universe, I want to try to do so thoughtfully and purposefully with as little plastic from packaging as I can.”
Colombo said she decided to pursue the brick and mortar store within the newly constructed Public Safety Center after being prompted by Lafayette economic development director Dennis Carson. The pitch presented to Colombo was for a roughly 300 square foot retail space with leasing options ranging from three to 12 months.
After getting to know Carson through her previous work with the Greater Lafayette Commerce and at various events in downtown Lafayette, Carson said he felt Colombo’s tea and spice business fit exactly what the city was looking to support through the incubator spaces.
“We’re excited for entrepreneurs or people who’ve relied on online sales to try out a brick and mortar space,” Carson said. “The hope is that we will then be able to help them relocate after their lease is up to something more permanent either in the downtown area or somewhere else in the city.”
Operating on a one-year lease, Colombo calls this version of her store “Pinch 1.0,” as she builds her list of products for sale and gains a physical foothold within the Greater Lafayette community.
Inspired by her late grandmother, Frances DeFrancesco, the longtime owner of Nicky D’s Italian Restaurant formerly located in Elkhart, Colombo said her ultimate goal for her store is to create a community space for people to gather.
“My grandmother loved to cook and she loved to feed people. Her and my grandfather’s restaurant became a real hub for the community, where folks from all over would gather,” Colombo said. “Seeing that at a young age is what I think led me here to opening my own store. I love the idea of sharing meals, ideas and tools to create and gather, and that’s where I hope to take A Pinch of Pepper.”
A Pinch of Pepper will begin regular business hours on Monday, Nov. 27, open weekdays from 5-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: A Pinch of Pepper schedules grand opening in time for Thanksgiving
