The Spiceman Cometh

And other good retail news in a down economy.

By Carol Tisch

I was on my way to Tommy Bahama—a fictional character, by the way—when I stumbled on a new store that didn’t quite jive with its neighbors on St. Armands Circle. There, in all its Pirates of the Caribbean splendor, was The Spice & Tea Exchange—replete with shipshape logo and brimming with crusty wood shelves overflowing with old-fashioned blown-glass apothecary jars. I have to admit, on first blush the Retail Therapist didn’t get it.

Owner Paulette Callender with Spice & Tea founder Clay Freeman.

Who cooks in the status kitchens of Sarasota? And what about the tourist trade? Who buys spices on vacation? It hit me like a gangplank upside my head. People are indeed cooking at home more often since the economy nosedived. And my husband and I buy spices on vacation all the time. We’ve scoured every spice market from Barbados to Mumbai in quest of bargains on vanilla beans and saffron. But that’s another story.

The Spice & Tea Exchange provides what’s known in the trade as a “shopping experience.” And on my first visit, it was one of the busiest stores on the Circle. People liked opening the jars and sniffing exotic spices with strange-sounding names. And they liked the fact that the spices are sold by the ounce to encourage customers to experiment with new seasonings, curries and rubs.

Try grating your own Bolivian pink salt; it tastes fantastic.

Owners Paulette and Gordon Callender, who commute from St. Petersburg, told me they fell in love with the concept at the Spice & Tea Exchange in a nearby shopping and dining destination (and former pirate haven): John’s Pass in Madeira Beach. They and owner Clay Freeman zoned in on St Armands Circle because the demographics are in synch with those of other venues in which the rapidly growing chain is located.

On my next visit, Spice & Tea Exchange’s founder, Clay Freeman, was in town for a sales training session with the St. Armands staff. Freeman has grown the franchise to nine locations, most in Florida, and though he’s a corporate guy, he says he’s always had a passion for food and cooking. The store was packed, and he says the high traffic comes from a mix of tourists and residents. “Even chefs from local restaurants are coming in regularly,” Freeman says.

The Callendaes show off the store's decor.

One-hundred-fifty choices (all preservative-and additive-free) include everything from rare green pod cardamom ($4.29) to true Ceylon cinnamon and Vietnamese Cassia (each $3.89). I loved the hands-on thrill of grating my own pink sea salt– which comes in a block hand-harvested from a huge desert in southwestern Bolivia that’s surrounded by snowcapped peaks of extinct volcanoes. Once a large inland sea, the ancient sea salt deposits were covered with volcanic lava creating this high-mineral salt. You get the block of salt for $12.95 alone; $23.95 with the micro-plane grater.

The store offers custom-blended rubs for seafood, steak ribs and more. Paulette is tracking Sarasota favorites, and so far The Tuscany Butcher’s Rub and Thai Red Curry ($4.29 an ounce) are big local winners.

Oh, and by the way—the new Tommy Bahama apparel store (now in a separate location from the restaurant) is also a winner. We love the assortment—especially the new swimsuit program. But that’s another story, coming soon.

The Spice and Tea Exchange, 345 St. Armands Circle, (941) 388-1411, www.spiceandtea.com

Tommy Bahama, 371 St. Armands Circle, (941) 388-2446, www.tommybahama.com

Posted: 5/28/2009 2:13:15 PM | 0 comments