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To answer this, I look around at the village we call home – Brewster, NY. Brewster is an absolutely wonderful town to conduct business and not unlike many others. It is a charming train town with many dedicated merchants. It has certainly been affected by the business cycle, the internet and absentee landlords. So my question is, what does it take to make a village?

In the age of the internet, box stores and mobile consumers – is small business dead? Obviously not! But we probably have to continue to change and evolve. Consider what one Home Depot can do to a community. In this giant box store is a garden center, electrical supply, plumbing supply, lumber yard, outdoor furniture, tools, bathrooms, kitchens and many more. All of these “stores” in a Depot type store were once small businesses in the community. Consumers have flocked to these box stores for many reasons and I am not here to debate the merits of this, but to merely say – what kind of stores are left to fill the many villages, towns and shopping centers?

For sure, what small business must do is find their niche. In the past it may have been books, antiques or a “variety” type store, but those are all tough fights in the current reality of a free shipping internet and the box store. However does that leave us with nothing? Absolutely not! Brick and mortar stores haven’t died in the face of this environment but the ones that have survived realize they need a strategy that gets consumers involved in all levels – electronically and in person. Person to person shopping is not dead. In fact, most people still prefer to get out and do something. I think that is where the small business world must change – we must come together and be a community and make a place that people want to visit.

To be clear, I would much rather walk into a small store, talk with the owner or partner and purchase my goods then any box store. As small business, we need many more shoppers that are willing to shop small. We need consumers that are willing to come into a town or a village and shop and spend some time looking around, talking to people, owners and employees. If you want to get America back working again, we all need to come back to small businesses.

So how do we get you to come back? We must agree to provide an engaging, thoughtful, beautiful, clean and well kept environment. We promise to give each customer what made us successful – a dedication to our word, products and reputations. What we need from everyone is to start considering a small, local business for your next purchase. Whether it is a garden center, hardware store, florist or even a china shop – we want you back. And if there is something we need to do, I for one would love to hear about it.

Bob Dumont

“It all happens at the table” is The Bowl Company’s new tag line. It was not conceived by a marketing agency or an advertising executive, but by someone who can attest to many “happenings” at the table. You have probably had countless happenings at your own table: card games, pancake breakfasts, gift wrapping, endless homework, vacation planning. Scores of “things” have hence found temporary homes on your table: a pocketbook, laptop, backpack, car keys, chunks of salsa. Being a china company, our focus is the most common of them – tableware. Your fork, your butter dish, your red wine goblet.

The Bowl Company’s mission is to “re-popularize” the importance of choosing and using lasting dinnerware that reflects both your character and commitment to the table. It’s to start a tradition for our new brides and grooms. It’s to magnetize scattered family members to a central location. It’s to create heirloom pieces which will carry on them not only your delicious sausage risotto, but the story of that football game or the time when…

For those of you interested in probably too long of a narrative of that day, see the link below
9/11 Narrative – Bob Dumont

Peace and Love To All!

Bob Dumont

Sometimes when you make a decision, it’s reassuring to learn that your choice is a good one. I’ve put together a little “you’ve done good for shopping at The Bowl Company” list. (We all like to pat ourselves in the back once in a while.)

1)      You’ve gone retro!     It’s like the good ol’ service -oriented days of business: you call, we answer. No need to look at your keypad again or shout responses into the phone. It’s sort of a novelty, but try it during business hours; you may have forgotten the lovely sound of a helpful human. Although cutting-edge technology  is our friend at The Bowl Company, we don’t sacrifice personalized service when you need it .  After all, you may have questions about the almost 11,000 products we have listed.

2)      You’re a myth-buster! It’s not always true that the popular giants have all buying power and the cheapest prices. Because The Bowl Company specializes only in tableware, we have to buy an impressive amount of it. No, you won’t find The Bowl Company in the mall, but we’ve put our efforts into one beautiful retail shop in Brewster, NY, and a “dinnerwarehouse” (cool  word, I just made that up!) busting at the seams. Focusing and specializing keeps us competitive.

3)      You’re an explorer!  You may not have found that elusive Waterford piece in the department store, but you gave The Bowl Company a try. Shopping our specialty store may not have been your first stop, but you realized its riches in selection and quality of service.

4)      You’re fussy – in a good way! (Does “discerning” sound better? ) We purchase and warehouse many of our products. We attend the trade shows, deal directly with the manufacturers, and treat our customers as our most valuable asset. We’re knowledgeable about products and inventory because we know them…personally.

5)      You’re focused! Yay, we are, too! Not interested in impulse purchasing and random shopping choices? We’re not into that either. We focus on dinnerware and tableware and couldn’t tell you much about a blender or can opener other than we use them at home. Because we are not a department store, you have a clear idea of what you are walking into at The Bowl Company.

6)      You’re a saver!  You sat at your computer and made an internet purchase at The Bowl Company. You made several simple saving decisions: you saved gas driving over to the mall; you saved time meandering aimlessly; and you saved money by not buying lunch, snacks and items you really don’t need.

A specialty store is not only about specializing in what we know…it’s about making you feel special.

Yes, we welcome paper at the picnic and the camping trip. And when the dishwasher is full and that last piece of chocolate cake is begging to be eaten, the paper plate can be the tempting late-night solution. But serving two or three meals a day to a family of five costs plenty of money and needlessly fills our landfills.  When I multiply the cost over years, I can happily recommend many brands of Bowl Company dinnerware that you will proudly place in your cabinets, and not slide into the trash.

Feast your eyes on Wedgwood Edme – a collection of clean, classic, embossed antique white pieces. This pattern is versatile and you can use it to dress your table or occasion up or down.

Wedgwood Edme

This Wedgwood set of 4 is only $66.  Hard to believe, but over a short period time, the china trumps the paper.

A line new to The Bowl Company is Noritake Colorwave.

Noritake Colorwave Green 4 Piece Place Setting

This truly economical 4-piece place setting is dishwasher and microwave safe and can easily withstand everyday use.  Compare these settings for a family of five vs. a year’s worth of paper plates and you’ll agree, it’s a simple solution.

While you’re on the site, click around. We offer so many brands and patterns at The Bowl Company, that choosing your everyday pattern may be pleasantly difficult.

Choosing not to trash your dinnerware everyday will be pleasantly easy.