Kitchen

[Stargazer77]

@ValuSkr  Mostly spices.  Plus blends.  Also, salt and pepper and different types of vanilla.  There are two locations in PA, one in Philadelphia and one in Pittsburgh.  

[ValuSkr]

@Stargazer77  The Philadelphia store is in a strange location - a touristy area (the Bourse) only a block from Independence Hall.  Seems unlikely tourists would be buying spices.  I think the only people patronizing the store would be those who live or work in the immediate area.  Maybe the store's purpose is not so much to sell as to gain exposure for the brand.

[Jeannie29]

@Nicole WI I love the Chicago steak seasoning!  It's really good on burgers and roasted potatoes 

[momtochloe]

I am lucky to have a thriving Penzy's store 20-25 minutes away from me.  It never ceases to amaze me how busy this store is as getting to and/or parking around there is a nightmare but it is more than worth the effort as it is a very well run store.  They are so helpful and knowledgable.

The last time I was there a woman came in and bought the largest bag of of their English Prime Rib Rub I had ever seen so I had to buy a small bottle myself just to try it . . . I know fully know why she bought that huge bag as it is delicious and can be used on a lot of different things.

I love Penzy's and their sister stores The Spice House.  Both have wonderful and delicious products and great customer service too!  

[Nicole WI]

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@Jeannie29 wrote:

@Nicole WI I love the Chicago steak seasoning!  It's really good on burgers and roasted potatoes 

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Thank you for your input! It is added to the list for my (or my better half if I am not up for the trip and healed a tad better) next Penzeys trip!

Thanks Again,

Nicole

[Campion]

I checked online and the store closest here is also closed. Seems Penzeys has made a decision to close many stores. I often wondered about that--an online business is such a different business model than a brick-n-mortar. A friend used to pick up stuff for me at the store that closed and I was a bit disappointed when the items weren't fresh. The poppy seeds were rancid. That's one problem--stock doesn't rotate. 

[Razzy 7]

Certainly don't know why a number of Penzeys have closed but have some thoughts. Retail is expensive - store lease, employees and cost of doing business at a store. You have to sell a LOT of spices to make a store profitable. Maybe some stores simply are not profitable when costs are compared to profits. I also recall they used to publish a magazine but that didn't last long - probably not profitable.

Bill Penzey is no spring chicken. Maybe he no longer wants the headache of operating a bunch of retail stores and wants to emphasize mail order only.

When I did an online search of articles mentioning the close of a location, they all said, calls (to Penzeys) for comment were not returned.