(Owner Janice Bell (shown here) has built out Arome to accommodate hands-on cooking classes | Photo courtesy of Arome)
“I’ve learned some good lessons in how to run a business sinch opening the second Arome location in Redmond,” said owner Janice Bell, whose original store in Hood River primarily attracts “transient tourist traffic, while here we’re building a sense of community with the locals. It’s wonderful to have repeat customers, get to know people, and form relationships.”
Redmond’s Arome came into being after Bell moved to the town to expand her business. As she said, “Redmond is just the right size: It’s accessible, still easy to park, and there’s room for growth.” Real estate was also more affordable than in downtown Bend.
Bell then “found the perfect building on Sixth Street that was for sale. It turned out to be a magical combination,” she said, “given the absence of similar stores in the town, the fact that we could retain quite a few of our suppliers, and Redmond’s super-friendly people.”
Two loans from the City of Redmond through its urban renewal program — which had first invested in the SPC Hotel — “gave us the confidence to move in,” Bell said, and the funds to help resurrect the outdated Arch Building that had stood empty for the past decade, and fallen into disrepair.
George Endicott, Redmond’s mayor at the time, said “I’ve seen it go downhill over the years, and am excited to see that building get revitalized.” Added Chuck Arnold, manager of the urban renewal program, “The new store will create activity and feet on the street, and really help catalyze other activity around it.”
A partial list of the gourmet items available at Arome includes olive oils in exotic flavors like black truffle, orange, and Persian lime — sourced from locales as far flung as Chile, South Africa, Australia, Spain and Greece.
Sharing store space are vinegars that include 18-year-old traditional balsamic, as well as Sicilian lemon, blackberry ginger, lemongrass mint, cranberry pear, Neapolitan herb, and espresso — made with all natural ingredients, no coloring, no thickeners.
Not to mention freshly ground and custom-blended spices such as chili espresso rub, Mexican mole, harissa, and Jamaican jerk — plus an array of salts (Thai ginger is one example), sugars, and teas.
“Our products are free of additives and preservatives,” Bell said, “and we offer free tasting samples and recipe ideas, along with a selection of quality cookware and kitchen items.
Although she never had formal culinary training, Bell grew up on a farm with a focus on good quality, fresh food. “Agreeing to cook dinner meant coming in early from tasks such as weeding in the field,” she said.
With that auspicious background, and having become expert in the appeal of gourmet products to diverse audiences, Bell modified the store’s selection to better fit Redmond. “We introduced two new spices — Beef Lovers Blend and Canadian Game Rub — as people here appreciate the good quality of meat raised by local ranchers, and many like to hunt. We’ve also built out the store to accommodate cooking classes and private parties (which wasn’t possible in Hood River space).”
“I really appreciate being in Redmond, and becoming part of the community,” Bell said, “and look forward to continuing to do business here.”
