Goods for Cooks is Golden

Community is kept and cherished by generosity, and Goods for Cooks is a prime example. Cheers to 50 years!

An hour southwest of Indianapolis, the university town of Bloomington is famous for basketball, bicycling, Bedford Limestone and being the “Gateway to Scenic Southern Indiana,” where the Hoosier landscape changes from flatlands and farmed fields to robust rolling hills.

Less well known, Bloomington is a culinary melting pot of good taste in the Midwest—from Tibetan dishes to Turkish to Thai—and in the epicenter is a cooking supply store: Goods for Cooks.

Located in a historic building on the downtown courthouse square, Goods for Cooks is an independent, locally owned retailer featuring quality kitchen equipment and specialties. Founded in 1973 by Charlotte Zeitlow and Marilyn Schultz, this mom-and-pop shop has been run by various owners with the baton being passed from the founders to Bob Swanson to Beth Hollingsworth to Andrew and Charlotte Appel.

Currently, Goods for Cooks is operated by a brother-and-sister duo, George Huntington and Samantha “Sam” Eibling, along with Sam’s husband, Doug. Born and raised in Bloomington, Sam and George purchased Goods for Cooks in 2017, bringing relevant experience to enhance the long-standing staple. Surviving the 2020 pandemic brought a clear awareness of the love Bloomington locals have for the kitchenware store, cementing Goods for Cooks as a cultural fixture in the community.

“We have an international population and a well-educated public,” says Sam. “It’s a university town, so we have customers knowing what they want—but sometimes, surprised when they find more.”

Before Goods for Cooks, George worked for years running the local Blooming Foods Co-op Market and operating an organic farm: “I felt retirement encroaching but saw that the venerable Goods for Cooks was looking to pass the torch.”

“Our stewardship was serendipitous,” continues George. “I considered who would make a good partner, and my sweet sister popped up. Over beers, the decision was made overnight and the rest is history.”

The holiday season is a persistently busy time of year for Sam, George and the store.

“Roughly 50% of our annual sales occurs in the fourth quarter,” says George. “We’re a shop where a lot of people come to buy a gift for the holidays. We get very busy—all hands on deck.”

“That’s a slow time for Doug, my husband [who works at Indiana University],” Sam adds. “The holidays are when Doug puts on his ‘Goods for Cooks hat’ and helps here at the shop.”

Goods for Cooks offers gift wrapping and a gift basket service, which is highly requested from late fall through the new year. The shop offers other services, including knife sharpening. Often, they can sharpen your knives while you wait—many on the Goods for Cooks team are trained.

“Goods for Cooks is a gem in Bloomington,” says local patron Pamela Roberts. “They have a great selection of gourmet foods, cookware, knives, dishes, appliances and more. My husband Ken and I are particularly fond of their Shun knives, gourmet jams and baking goods.”

She adds, “The staff is incredibly warm, offering help with so many items—from dishes you want to prepare to tips on knives and bakeware.”

Alex Wingate, a PhD student at Indiana University, describes Goods for Cooks as her “happy place in Bloomington.”

“If I’m not at home, class or the library, it’s not a bad bet I’m on my way to Goods for Cooks, at Goods for Cooks, or coming home from Goods for Cooks,” says Wingate. “Everyone there is so lovely and helpful … with delicious food, cookbooks and any kitchen item you’d ever want.”

Sam and George not only operate their business but are involved in the Bloomington community, supporting a diversity of difference makers.

“Sam and I are on the same page that it’s incumbent on business owners to give back to the community,” says George. “We support arts organizations here, and we’ve sponsored concert series.”

“We give monetarily, but one of the best ways to ensure positive organizations prosper is to give time—to volunteer,” George emphasizes.

Perhaps that’s the note to leave this on: Community is kept and cherished by generosity, and Goods for Cooks is a prime example. Cheers to 50 years! 

Goods for Cooks
115 N. College Ave., Bloomington
Instagram and Facebook @GoodsForCooks 
GoodsForCooks.com 
812.339.2200

Big Birthdays Galore

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Instagram and Facebook @WonderLabMuseum
WonderLabMuseum.org

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Facebook and Instagram @georgetownmarket
GeorgetownMarket.com

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The Vogue
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Facebook @TheVogue 
Instagram @thevogueindy
TheVogue.com

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Buskirk Chumley Theater
114 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington
Instagram and Facebook @buskirkchumley
BuskirkChumley.org