The Willow Glen Resident

Store owners enjoy a tasty 'midlife crisis'

Cooking Etc... will open on Meridian in July

By Rebecca Wallace

Dean Sales and Bambi Satter are in the middle of price-tagging "zillions" of copper cookie-cutters, but they certainly don't seem to think of it as busy work. Actually, says Satter, it marks their launch into a new phase of life.

"If this is midlife crisis, it's great," says Satter, 51, with a hearty laugh. "It's a lot of work, and we're up for it."

Armed with their love of cooking, the two business partners and friends have just embarked upon their second careers--their new store, Cooking Etc..., is set to open in the Dry Creek Shopping Center at 1712-H Meridian Ave. in mid-July.

Dedicated to gourmet cooking and entertaining, the store will sell cookware and bakeware, cookbooks, gadgets and appliances and specialty foods such as oils and vinegars, salsa, teas and spices. Brand names will include All-Clad cookware, J.A. Henckels cutlery and Zyliss gadgets.

The store will also house a comfortable area with love seats and an ottoman where people can peruse cookbooks, says Satter, a Willow Glen resident. Although Sales says the 1,260-square-foot space is not large enough for cooking classes, he hopes to do some demonstrations of the store's products and offer tastings. There will also be a bridal and gift registry.

"We would like to provide good service and excellent quality products. That's how the little guy competes [against chain stores]," says Sales, 54.

The two spent 30 years working in other professions--Satter was an office manager and Sales was in the computer business--and were ready for a career change. Sales had been friends with Satter's husband for many years, and he and Satter shared a love of fine cuisine.

"I put my husband through college, and both of our children finally went through school, and I said, 'My turn.' I wanted to do something I really wanted to do," Satter says. "People our age are starting to do that, look at second careers."

"We both have our strengths," Sales says. "Hers is her taste and sense of etiquette and her ability to cook, and mine is more the cooking and the business side of things." He especially enjoys fancy French cooking, he says. The two do not plan to hire employees until the Christmas rush comes along.

"I just don't feel like it can possibly go wrong. We're so excited," Satter says. "It's a win-win thing."

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