Berks natives open The Spices Spot at Shillington Farmers Market
Add two parts Gov. Mifflin graduates, one part entrepreneurial ambition and a multitude of spices and what you get is The Spice Spot at the Shillington Farmers Market.
The store sits at a corner space among various meat vendors. Owners Kyle A. McKechnie, 24, and Sean Landrigan, 24, said they found an ideal space at the farmers market. With more than 70 spices displayed in a wooden case, a spicy aroma attracts the shopper’s attention.
The shop opened on July 14, a little over a year after McKechnie and Landrigan graduated from Juniata College, Huntingdon, Huntingdon County, with degrees in business.
The young men knew each other throughout high school, and after a brief separation where they attended different places of higher education they ended up at Juniata to play football and finish up their college careers.
McKechnie said the idea for the business came out of a niche which they said needed to be filled in the area.
Landrigan added that the shop is also a way to help people diversify their meals.
“People fall into the same habits,” Landrigan said. “(Spices) provide a way for people to mix things up and try new things.”
Both Landrigan and McKechnie enjoy cooking and experimenting with new foods and spices. They have created – and will continue to create – new blends and ideas to pass on to the customers. In turn, McKechnie and Landrigan also take suggestions from the customers to expand the products they offer. At opening, the business offered only 46 spices and have since expanded.
“We are definitely always trying to find new ways to be different and unique,” McKechnie said.
Landrigan said they also began offering product lines of salts and marinades, and plan to offer theme baskets around the holidays.
The Spice Spot also displays recipes, free for the taking, that use the spices.
Bulk spices is where McKechnie said he sees the business expanding to.
The broad range of spices offered at The Spice Spot is a collaboration of four or five distributors in the United States, McKechnie said. Although none are local, he said they are looking for areas in which they can partner with local businesses.
Landrigan said they felt welcomed into the farmers market, fostering relationships with the vendors around them.
Being around the meat vendors has allowed for a mutually beneficial relationship. The Spice Spot can refer their customers to meat vendors for the cuts and types they need for a recipe, and the meat vendors – for example, Schmidt’s Poultry – will refer their customers to The Spice Spot for spices.
The farmers market also provides a unique batch of customers who are looking to purchase their groceries local and fresh.
“People that do cook a lot,” McKechnie said, “this is where they shop.”
Landrigan added, “Customers can come here and get their own custom built cuisine.”
What sets The Spice Spot apart from other spice outlets is that customers can purchase the spices in whatever amount they wish.
Both McKechnie and Landrigan have full-time jobs aside from the business. McKechnie is a sales associate at NAI Keystone Commercial and Industrial LLC, Exeter Township. Landrigan is a technical recruiter at Aerotek, Wyomissing.
They balance the business with their professional lives by having different specialties, taking time to touch base with one another and splitting hours. Landrigan works more with advertising and marketing aspects while McKechnie will focus on managing inventory and product lines.
Contact Shannon Simcox: [email protected] or 610-371-5066.
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