After 25 years in business, The Cookware Sorcerer quietly closed their doors in the Short North in early February. Brown paper appeared in the windows shortly after, with a printed note stating that something exciting was going on inside.
Today, new owners have announced that the store will be reborn as The Quinci Emporium, a new retail space with a similar focus on kitchenwares. The new store will also feature an expanded line of market and grocery products that will roll out gradually in the coming months, which could include wine, coffee and more.
“I put together a business plan years ago for something kind of like Dean & Deluca,” explained co-owner Deborah Quinci. “When this opportunity came, it couldn’t be in a more perfect location.”
Quinci is no stranger to the world of cooking in Columbus, previously working as the general manager of Lucé Nuovo in Powell, and currently exiting her position as head chef at Freedom a la Cart. While she will be managing the food side of the business, Short North developer and attorney Connie Klema will handle the operations side.
“We’ll be adding more cooking utensils, plates, dish wares and tableware,” explained Klema, referencing the changes to the business. “Ultimately, we’ll probably add some dry foods, fresh flowers and fresh vegetables when they’re available. We want to offer all of the things that will make it a community market.”
Klema said that while the new updates are exciting, she wanted to reiterate that the new business is designed to continue the legacy that the Cookware Sorcerer established under former owner Nancy Haitz and her husband Ron Fauver.
“We were both passionate about good food, cooking and well designed tools,” explained Haitz when talking about the original store, which opened in 1991. “Cookware Sorcerer thrived in the good times and endured in the bad, but never wavered from its primary mission to be a true gourmet store devoted to serious cooks and professional chefs.”
Haitz’ decision to sell the business came after her husband’s passing in 2014, and being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. While remaining in good spirits during treatments, Haitz explained that finding the right new owner was a better decision than completely going out of business and closing the store entirely.
Quinci and Klema plan to soft open The Quinci Emporium starting this weekend, with an official grand opening slated for the April 2nd Gallery Hop. Once operational, the new store will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11am to 7pm and Sundays from Noon to 5pm.
More information will be online soon when the Quinci Emporium website launches.
Photos by Walker Evans.
