With a passion for cooking and baking, Kitchen Sink was on my radar even before I moved to Macon County permanently. When I visited my sister, a long-time resident, I made sure to patronize the store – always on the lookout for items I “needed,” of course. I make it a point to visit often, mostly to see what is new. I was especially impressed, during that tumultuous time we call the pandemic, with the fact that Kitchen Sink stayed open and accessible, always providing friendly smiles, helpful assistance, and kind, encouraging, faith-filled pleasantries.
While so many people who shop Franklin’s Main Street know the owners, Rob and Brooke Reale, many who live and work in Macon County do not know their story or the background of Franklin’s longtime kitchen store. Brooke Reale provided some insight.
Q: When and how did Kitchen Sink originate?
A: When we bought the store, it was already well-established, having been in business for 30 years. The previous owner wanted to take the name Kitchen Gourmet with him, so we came up with Kitchen Sink, Inc., with a tagline of “Everything but the kitchen sink.” We added a POS computer system that focused on inventory management (instead of doing inventory solely by hand). We began ordering constantly and started curating products that our customers told us they would like to see in the store.
Q: When did you purchase it? What motivated the purchase and your relocation from central Florida?
A: We purchased the store in September 2018. Rob’s mom was diagnosed with stage-4 small cell lung cancer and passed away within about two weeks of the diagnosis. She had been caring for her mother, Rob’s grandmother, who had severe dementia/Alzheimer’s, before her passing. I quit work in the medical field to care for Rob’s mother and grandmother. Almost three years to the day of his mother’s passing, his grandmother passed, and we were faced with the decision of what to do next.
My parents had moved to Franklin 10 years prior. We knew we wanted to move to be close to them when the time was right. My dad mentioned the kitchen store was up for sale. Our first thought was “what would we do with a kitchen store?” But the seed was planted, and the more we prayed and asked the Lord what He wanted us to do, the more we heard kitchen store. Our daughter and I moved up in June, and Rob (whose career was as an electrician) followed four months later. I had just come out of working as the sole caregiver of someone who needed 24/7 care. I was incredibly isolated from the outside world for those three years, so speaking to another adult, let alone lawyers and bankers, was daunting to say the least. God gave me everything needed to facilitate the process.
He opened every door. We hit roadblocks at every turn, and God made a way every time. Neither of us had a background in sales; we had one income on paper, and we had a little money saved. God not only gave us the business; He gave us the building as well!
Q: How has your inventory/strategy changed from the original concept? Stayed the same?
A: I was able to work with the previous owner for about three months. He made large orders 3-5 times a year from very specific companies. We began by ordering smaller quantities more frequently.
Then we diversified the items and companies; we added what people told us they wanted to see in the store, what we thought people might like, what we liked, and a few things that were not on our radar because people are different, right? We place orders almost daily. We order a few hundred dollars’ worth of product from some suppliers, and tens of thousands of dollars from others. We’ve always carried as many USA-made products as possible, as well as cookware and specialty items made in Italy, Germany, France, Greece, Canada, Poland, Switzerland, England, and the like.
Q: What is your goal as a specialty retailer in a small town?
A: Our goal is to maintain a culture where customers can come in and just play. A comfortable atmosphere where people can touch, feel, ask questions, bring children, dogs, strollers, wheelchairs, and still move around. To have something for everyone at all different price points, and for it to be at an equal or lower price than people find anywhere else. We want people to find here what they’ve been looking for forever and can’t seem to find anywhere else. We want to be a place people remember and want to return to when they visit again. We want to be the place locals frequent just to chat and/or pick up the items they need.
Q: Kitchen Sink is a family affair; how is that working? Advice to other area family businesses – what you’ve learned from the experience?
A: When we first started, I thought one of us was going to have to get a different job! We are complete opposites in absolutely everything that we do and how we do it. After about three months, we found our rhythm and realized that the things I was terrible at, he excelled in, and vice versa.
There is no one either of us would rather work with now than the other. And, our daughter, Belle has worked with us on and off since she was 15. The early days were a little tough. Teenagers are different, and when you add working with parents into the mix, sometimes it doesn’t work as exactly as you expected – or sometimes it does! We’ve always enjoyed having her close and actually enjoy each other’s company. As she’s grown older and learned more, she’s become a very valuable employee and asset to the corporation. She’s sharpened knives along with Rob for the past few years and does an excellent job of it.
Q: What is a favorite customer story?
A: It’s really difficult to pinpoint a favorite! We meet so many people and have so many meaningful interactions. There was one customer a few years ago who wanted a 12-piece place setting of Spode King Salmon dishes. She lives in Alaska and was visiting Franklin. As we were speaking, she told us she had three dogs and they all ate off her Spode dishes too! This was our first $1,000 sale. We had eight place settings in stock. We ordered the other four for her, as well as some Spode dog dishes for her pups. We threw those in for free as a thank you, and she was thrilled!
Q: Are you cooks yourselves? If so, does that inform what you stock?
A: We cook almost every night. It definitely informs what we stock. One of the perks of this job is that we get to test out equipment and decide what we like and want more of, as well as the products we do not like and will not order again. It also helps to be able to tell people how the items work and what we like about them. There are not enough days in the year to try out every single thing that we carry, though!
Q: What motivated/inspired you to continue serving the community by staying open during the pandemic?
A: We had bills to pay and we needed to work. We were very hesitant and skeptical of financially depending on the government. Initially, we found a loophole in that we sold some food items and could therefore be considered “essential.” Our thoughts have always been cemented in the belief that all jobs are essential. We knew that giving people the choice to do what was best for them and their families when visiting our store was the right thing to do. The majority were very appreciative.
Q: Are involved in downtown organizations/associations?
A: We are members of FDMA (Franklin Downtown Merchants Association), formerly Streets of Franklin Heritage Association. I am currently a Franklin Chamber of Commerce board member; I’m on Tourism Development Commission and Rob is on the Tourism Development Authority, which are two of Franklin’s tourism groups that are funded by occupational tax.
Q: What has been most enriching about running a store in Franklin?
A: The ability to slow down and live your life. When we lived in Florida, it felt like we were rushing constantly to one day be able to slow down and enjoy life after retirement. The ability to be present and live in the moment while working is incredibly different from anything we’ve ever done before professionally. Plus, we appreciate the close friends we have made here, both customers and shop owners.