Now that the paper is off the windows, passersby press their faces to the glass like kids outside a toy store, trying to catch a glimpse of the interior of the newest addition to The Heights - Posh Pantry.
And while there aren't toys for children at the new shop, there are plenty of toys and gadgets to delight anyone with a kitchen and the urge to make a meal. French fry paper, egg molds, aprons, copper pots, stuffed pepper dishes and oven mitts - Posh Pantry aims to offer everything aspiring chefs could possibly want in their own kitchens, along with some much-needed staples.
Dishes, pots and pans, glassware and any number of gadgets designed to make cooking a little easier line the many white shelves in the store, while owner Angie Cordoni greets customers as they enter. In the back, a completely new kitchen is ready for future cooking classes.
"I always knew I wanted to open a kitchen store and it seemed like with all of the families and homes around here that it would be something that would be a good fit. I was actually really surprised that there wasn't one already," she says. "It's so European around here, as well. It's a lot of people walking around. So I just really kind of like the vibe of it."
The shop caused a great deal of curiosity, as the sign went up in time for Hats Off Day in June but didn't open until the beginning of September.
"A lot of people were like, 'what are you exactly? Are you a bakery, are you selling food?' and I'm like 'no, just a cook shop,'" Cordoni says. "The feedback has been great so far."
Cordoni recently moved back to Burnaby, to the Capitol Hill neighbourhood, after living in downtown Vancouver. She also left her former occupation to start the store - outside sales for a sports radio station. The NHL lockout gave her time to evaluate her career and decide what she wanted to do next, she says.
"I just love cooking and entertaining," she says. "In December, one of my friends said, 'Angie, you should have a cooking class for basics.' Something about that kind of stuck."
And The Heights seemed like an idea location, Cordoni adds.
"I really like this kind of feel of all the independent stores and that kind of thing," she says of the area around the shop. "I just felt that it was really growing. And just, the new coffee shops and that kind of thing going up, it just seemed like the whole street was being vitalized."
Cordoni was fortunate enough to have a lot of people who supported her, as well, she says, including the building's landlord, who understood her vision
"Having him on board kind of helped the momentum of the thing," she says, adding, "If I was in need or something wasn't going right, people kind of came out of the woodwork. And the support that you have building a business makes or breaks you, I think."
She has also appreciated the support and interest from other business owners, she adds.
Cordoni enjoyed stocking the store and said most of the product lines had local representatives, which made it easier, and those representatives helped her connect with other suppliers.
"Everybody knows each other, and they all support each other," she says.
Cordon is offering cooking classes at the shop - the first is being held tomorrow, Oct. 3. Glenys Morgan is teaching a class called, Upscale Thanksgiving, downsized.
Cordoni plans to offer a diverse range of classes, she says.
" So many people nowadays are gluten free or have certain dietary requirements, and that can be quite overwhelming for somebody, especially if they don't cook a lot as it is," she explains.
In addition to a gluten-free series, Cordoni plans to offer gourmet classes, ABCs of cooking, and a Saturday lunch series.
"I've noticed around here tidal waves of moms that are dropping their kids off at ballet for an hour and a half, or Taekwondo for an hour, and so they just have time to spend, and so we might just do something for a little lunch series on Saturdays," she says.
Cordoni says she prefers simple fare such as roast chicken, mashed potatoes, breakfast foods, and barbecue.
"I'm kind of a basic cook but I like to just pizzazz things up a bit," she says.
She wants to help those who might be intimidated by all the bells and whistles of cooking, she explains.
"At the end of the day, a good knife, a good cutting board - it's really not complicated," Cordoni says.
