Today is Sunday and we at The Pickle Fetish Co. would like to take a moment to tell our story and say thank you to a few folks!
Our grand opening was a week ago this past Thursday and we could not be more thrilled with the response. It was definitely grand!
A year and a half ago (March 2023), my husband and I seriously started thinking about my retirement from my corporate job after 30 years. I decided to start a side hustle designing and selling food pun themed merchandise with a main focus on pickles. I still remember sitting at lunch up in Lenoir, alongside Boog and one of his best friends Cale, coming up with the name of the company.
After starting an online business that included a lot of travel to vendor markets and other events, loading and unloading, setups and teardowns, I decided it was too much while still working my very full time job.
Early in 2024, I approached Boog with an idea for a brick and mortar location and bringing the focus back to pickles, which had exploded in popularity over the last few years. You couldn't look at social media without seeing the pickle jar tee and sweatshirt craze. The original idea was to start collecting pickle themed memoriabilia and open a unique museum with a gift shop. We wanted it to be a unique and fun destination, not just another retail shop. It started out as a 3-5 year goal to create the business plan, build funding, and find a location that had foot traffic. We were seriously considering the West Jefferson area or our current hometown of Lincolnton when life happened and everything changed.
While doing research on a building downtown, I happened to reach out to the local LEDA and was lucky enough to get connected with Rhonda Hunter, who is an amazing resource of information, advice, a wonderful sounding board, and just the nicest human being. Rhonda put me in touch with the owner of a local space who was looking to rent out to a unique business right on Main Street. The deal was too good to pass up and our 3-5 year plan changed to 4 months as we signed the lease on June 1st, 2024.
As a result, our original idea evolved into what you see today. While we are still working out the kinks, figuring out how this whole storefront thing works, and trying to maintain our day jobs we have been so pleased with the result and the response from everyone.
So, we would like to formally thank the following:
1. The residents of Lincolnton and the surrounding communities for allowing us to feed your passion for pickles. You make me smile and laugh more in one day at the shop than all 30 years at my day job.
2. The business community in Lincolnton. Your advice, feedback, openness, friendliness and visits to our shop is unmatched.
3. Our supporters who have donated their time, money, items, and ideas. There is no way we could have done this without your generosity.
4. Our families who may have shown skepticism at the beginning at such a weird concept and crazy business name, but have totally come around after seeing the response (Mom, I am looking at you! ♡). We love you and thank you for your amazing support, ESPECIALLY the volunteer hours working the store.
5. Our friends who have listened to me talk non-stop for months, who have stepped forward and helped us literally build the shop from the bottom up. A special shout out to the Maillet family who has spent almost as much time at the shop as we have. I can't express how grateful and thankful we are for your endless time, energy, patience, partnership, skillsets, encouragement and most of all love and friendship. The shop would not have happened without you (at least not as quickly)! Haha!
6. Finally, one of the most amazing humans I have ever met, my husband, Derek aka Boog. The past two years have been the hardest we have ever been through and I am so lucky to have your love, patience, encouragement, patience, kindness, brawn, knowledge, did I mention patience, as we move along this journey. You are the best partner one could ask for and I fully admit you are the better spouse! I love you so much and am so thankful you came into my life.
Thank you again, to all our Pickle Peeps, for helping us on this journey. I hope it is long, and continues to be successful, fun, and exciting!
Samantha Ashley
Owner
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