April 5 , 2007
by Lisa Abraham, Beacon Journal food writer
It's been a long time since the terms ``shopping'' and ``downtown Akron'' have been in the same sentence.
Matt Reeder hopes to change that with Nothing But Cooking, a specialty cookware store he has opened on North High Street.
``We're a pioneer right now,'' he said.
The store opened a few weeks ago with little fanfare. Reeder plans a grand opening later this month.
It's perhaps a testament to the era that the storefront was an afterthought to what was intended to be an online cookware business.
Reeder, 35, of Plain Township in Stark County has worked in software for years. He owns Kendall & Associates, which operates Big Tree Media, a company that provides consulting to other businesses on how to set up, manage and run successful online businesses.
When he decided it was time to put his advice to work and sell through his own Web site, Reeder said he chose cookware because cooking is something he's passionate about.
``Although my wife would tell you otherwise,'' he said.
What he found was that many manufacturers of upscale cookware weren't willing to sell their products throughonline-only outlets. To get the stock he wanted, Reeder would have to open a store.
Nothing But Cooking, as well as Reeder's software company's offices, are in developer Tony Troppe's historic district, at North High and Market streets.
Reeder said he was happy to help bring shopping back to downtown Akron. ``We're going to give people something to come downtown for,'' he said.
Akron Deputy Mayor Dave Lieberth said it's been years since the city had a store open downtown that wasn't connected to another venue.
``This is a very special kind of event that we have this place opening. We're delighted to have them,'' he said.
In recent years, new downtown shopping has been limited to art galleries in the Northside enclave, or shops related to other ventures, such as the Akron Aeros team shop at Canal Park or the gift shop at the Akron-Summit County Public Library.
Reeder hopes to have Nothing But Cooking's Web site operating this week.
The store interior, which Reeder designed and built himself, has a decidedly urban feel, with track lighting and utilitarian shelving.
The walls are lined with gleaming saute pans, colorful Dutch ovens and shiny kitchen appliances.
Reeder is recently back from the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago, and delivery trucks are making regular stops as inventory arrives.
Nothing But Cooking sells Viking, Cuisinart and KitchenAid appliances. Cookware from All-Clad, Calphalon, Emile Henry and Staub lines the shelves, and the cutlery display case is filled with stainless blades from Henckels, Wusthof and Shun.
There are gadgets from OXO Good Grips, pricey copper pots from Mauviel, and a specialty line of funky pepper mills from William Bounds called ``Pep Art.''
Although some of the items he sells can be found in the housewares section of department stores or at big-box home stores, Reeder said his prices are competitive, and he intends to offer brands that less specialized stores can't.
He's in talks with the Culinary Institute of America about stocking its line of cookware.
The store and Web site are managed by Susanne Wisor. Reeder has a silent financial partner, whom he wouldn't name, and also has partnered with Ben Bebenroth, owner of Spice of Life Catering, to be Nothing But Cooking's resident chef.
Eventually, Reeder hopes to host cookware demonstrations at the store, and possibly cooking classes.
He's talking with the Akron's West Point Market, a client of Big Tree, about partnering on future projects.
Reeder may have found an untapped market niche. Aside from Williams-Sonoma in Summit Mall, Summit County doesn't have a store devoted solely to cookware, although the Western Reserve School of Cooking in Hudson does have a store.
Reeder said his business research shows that Stark and Medina counties also lack stores devoted to cookware.
Perhaps it's because of his focus on online selling that issues such as parking -- or lack of it -- don't daunt Reeder.
Space near his store is limited to a few on-street spots. But the parking deck beside the library is just across the street and Reeder said that if need be, he'll tap into some of the valet parking from the restaurant Crave, which also is in the building.
Eventually, Reeder envisions several locations for Nothing But Cooking and a burgeoning online business.
``Williams-Sonoma had more than $1 billion in online sales last year,'' Reeder said, adding that he's convinced there's room in that amount for another outlet.
Lisa A. Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or labraham@thebeaconjournal.com.