Business Spotlight: Pinch Spice Market
Business Spotlight: Pinch Spice Market
For many of us, the daily grind is the metaphorical one that comes with living that nine to five life. After deciding enough was enough, Thomas and Meaghan of Pinch Spice Market traded that grind in for a different, more literal one: grinding up and preparing spices for all manner of delicious dishes.
Initially working in tech and sales, a company buyout left Thomas looking for a new job. Everything he was qualified for was underwhelming; nothing sparked any passion. He was, however, passionate about cooking and, at this point, experimenting with barbeque. He was approached by one of his friends, who had lived on an organic spice farm in Costa Rica, with the idea of opening an organic spice shop. In 2012, after researching the viability of such a business, they embarked on what would become Pinch Spice Market.
Starting out, Pinch struggled. Overhead was high and, despite it’s location in an up-and-coming part of Chicago, the store wasn’t seeing enough foot traffic. Even when the business was making money, rent for the space increased. Eventually, Thomas’ friend departed from the business. That’s when Meaghan entered his life, both as a romantic partner and business partner. With a background in corporate marketing, Meaghan had just what Pinch needed to start turning things around. Gradually shifting to a primarily online retailer, Pinch Spice Market would make one more change: the move to Louisville.
Thomas and Meaghan were both already looking to move out of Chicago; they wanted to live in a smaller city within a drivable distance from Chicago. On their way back from a trip to Nashville, they stopped in Louisville for lunch and were blown away by the food scene here. After a few more visits to Louisville, they made the move in early 2019 and brought Pinch Spice Market to Mellwood almost immediately after.
At Pinch Spice Market, everything is done in-house: grinding the spices, packaging, labeling, and prepping them for pickup or shipping. All of the spices available at Pinch are organic, with as many as possible being fair and direct trade. While the spices you find in grocery stores often spend 12 – 18 months in a warehouse before being packaged, none of the spices in Pinch’s inventory are older than two weeks. So not only are the spices they sell more environmentally friendly, they’re also fresher and ensure the farmers growing them receive proper compensation.
Their extensive online selection includes many uncommon or rare spices. Shoppers have the option for delivery or pickup and all orders are processed and fulfilled within 24 hours. Pickup orders are contactless; customers retrieve their orders from lockers located just outside their studio space. Deliveries are handled by either the U.S. Postal Service or UPS and ship nationwide, with most orders arriving within two to three business days.
While Pinch Spice Market no longer offers in-store shopping, they do have a brand new, one-of-a-kind spice vending machine, allowing for a quick, contactless pickup of some of their more popular spices and blends. To celebrate their unique vending machine, Pinch is running a contest from now until the end of June. To enter, all you need to do is take a picture of yourself with the machine and post it to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using #pinchspicemarket. The winner will receive a brand new KitchenAid stand mixer, along with a box of Pinch’s most popular spices!
For more information about Pinch Spice Market, the contest, or to see their entire selection of spices, visit pinchspicemarket.com. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
For many of us, the daily grind is the metaphorical one that comes with living that nine to five life. After deciding enough was enough, Thomas and Meaghan of Pinch Spice Market traded that grind in for a different, more literal one: grinding up and preparing spices for all manner of delicious dishes.
Initially working in tech and sales, a company buyout left Thomas looking for a new job. Everything he was qualified for was underwhelming; nothing sparked any passion. He was, however, passionate about cooking and, at this point, experimenting with barbeque. He was approached by one of his friends, who had lived on an organic spice farm in Costa Rica, with the idea of opening an organic spice shop. In 2012, after researching the viability of such a business, they embarked on what would become Pinch Spice Market.
Starting out, Pinch struggled. Overhead was high and, despite it’s location in an up-and-coming part of Chicago, the store wasn’t seeing enough foot traffic. Even when the business was making money, rent for the space increased. Eventually, Thomas’ friend departed from the business. That’s when Meaghan entered his life, both as a romantic partner and business partner. With a background in corporate marketing, Meaghan had just what Pinch needed to start turning things around. Gradually shifting to a primarily online retailer, Pinch Spice Market would make one more change: the move to Louisville.
Thomas and Meaghan were both already looking to move out of Chicago; they wanted to live in a smaller city within a drivable distance from Chicago. On their way back from a trip to Nashville, they stopped in Louisville for lunch and were blown away by the food scene here. After a few more visits to Louisville, they made the move in early 2019 and brought Pinch Spice Market to Mellwood almost immediately after.
At Pinch Spice Market, everything is done in-house: grinding the spices, packaging, labeling, and prepping them for pickup or shipping. All of the spices available at Pinch are organic, with as many as possible being fair and direct trade. While the spices you find in grocery stores often spend 12 – 18 months in a warehouse before being packaged, none of the spices in Pinch’s inventory are older than two weeks. So not only are the spices they sell more environmentally friendly, they’re also fresher and ensure the farmers growing them receive proper compensation.
Their extensive online selection includes many uncommon or rare spices. Shoppers have the option for delivery or pickup and all orders are processed and fulfilled within 24 hours. Pickup orders are contactless; customers retrieve their orders from lockers located just outside their studio space. Deliveries are handled by either the U.S. Postal Service or UPS and ship nationwide, with most orders arriving within two to three business days.
While Pinch Spice Market no longer offers in-store shopping, they do have a brand new, one-of-a-kind spice vending machine, allowing for a quick, contactless pickup of some of their more popular spices and blends. To celebrate their unique vending machine, Pinch is running a contest from now until the end of June. To enter, all you need to do is take a picture of yourself with the machine and post it to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using #pinchspicemarket. The winner will receive a brand new KitchenAid stand mixer, along with a box of Pinch’s most popular spices!
For more information about Pinch Spice Market, the contest, or to see their entire selection of spices, visit pinchspicemarket.com. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.