Fennel and Fire Crafting House, purveyors of a line of organic spice blends, will open its first storefront this fall at The Garage Shops, 402 E. Third St., across the street from Dugan’s Pub and next to the 404 Segway Tour Co.
Owner Tay Stratton is the sister of Tasha Stratton, who owns Stratton's Market, on the south side of Third Street next to Dugan’s Pub, owned by her brother-in-law, Don Dugan.
In a news release, Stratton describes the artisan spice blends, which will be “crafted on-site,” as “designed to make cooking simple and tasty.” The store will sell year-round and seasonal collections, as well as “common spices, authentic certified world salts, infused salts, berries, dried mushrooms, seeds, cocktail rimmers, honey, oils, organic teas, accessories and gifts.”
Other vendors selling the blends will include Stratton’s Market, Me & McGee Market, Bramble Market, Main St Station, the Olde Crow General Store and the Green Corner Store.
The store will occupy one half of the retail space, which leasing agent John Martin of Newmark Moses Tucker Partners says has been divided into two bays, “redevising” the storefront and removing the brown paper that had covered its windows for several years. The other half of the storefront remains unoccupied and for lease.
Restaurateur Tim Chappell, owner of the now-closed Gusano’s on President Clinton Avenue, had said for some time that the space, which was briefly a brick-and-mortar location for Michael Juiliano’s Hot Dog Mike, was going to be the resurrection of barbecue legend The Shack. Later he declared it would become another, less prestigious barbecue place before he abandoned the project and also closed Gusano’s earlier this year.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified Tay Stratton's connection to Stratton's Market. Stratton's Market is owned by her sister.