The "Oprah Effect" Touches Libertyville

Each year since 2002, Oprah Winfrey has featured a "Favorite Things" segment on her show where she highlights some her favorite products. This year, much to the delight of a business owner from the area, Oprah listed a set of ceramic knives sold in a downtown Libertyville shop.

"I've seen the Oprah Effect," says Someone's in the Kitchen Owner, Bonnie Bock. "It wasn't like she mentioned my store on her show, but the way she talked about the knives, it was incredible."

Oprah's influence on consumer buying and public opinion is so strong, it's been dubbed "The Oprah Effect." Bock says that they've sold the Kyocera Ceramic Knife Set for years. After Oprah's announcement, she says she was amazed by the number of customers calling and visiting her store in search of them.

"We had calls from Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights," Bock says. "People were calling from so many different neighborhoods to put [the knives] on hold."

Bock says that the really neat part about the "Oprah Effect" in Libertyville is that it didn't just help their store.

"It helped our business, but then so many different people came into town," Bock says. "They were eating in Libertyville restaurants and shopping at other stores. It really touched the whole community."

Bock says that in eight weeks, she sold an extra 200 sets of Kyocera knives than she predicts she would have usually sold,  if it hadn't been for Oprah's recommendation.

"That's a very significant number for a small business that's less than 1,000 square feet," Bock says. "It's kind of great and crazy, I still can't believe it. And now we're seeing the residual after the holidays."

Oprah was given the ceramic knife set as a gift from Chef Ming Tsai, and she instantly became a fan. Bock says that these knives are appealing because the ceramic doesn't dull and doesn't need sharpening. She says they're great on fruits and vegetables.

"It's hard to say exactly how much our numbers improved because of the "Oprah Effect" because there was an effect on all of our products, both Kyocera and others," Bock says.

Store associate Kristin Esser  says that she still can't believe the intensity with which people pursued the knife set.

"People were calling from the Carolinas," Esser says. "We had someone call from Juneau, Alaska who used to live here. We shipped her out a set. It was insane."

Bock purchased the Milwaukee Avenue store two years ago after working there both as a chef and sales associate. She says that her interest in cooking came while working as director of sales for Hyatt in Deerfield.

"While at Hyatt, I used to have to entertain clients three to four times a week in our restaurant," Bock says. "I became much more inquisitive about what I was eating. I would go back and talk to the chefs. It was a fun and exciting backhouse tour learning about cooking."

Since taking over the store, she says that business has been good. She lists several reasons for staying afloat in the down economy.

"I have a big following because I used to teach classes here and I know a lot of people that like to stop by," she says. "People are also watching a lot of the Food Network and they're staying at home and cooking more. I have kept my prices low, and I've added more consumable products. Consumable products are beneficial in this economy because people can use them at home to help their food taste better."

She says that her three-component business plan, consisting of retail sales, cooking classes, and cookbook club, also helps her business. She offers 25 cooking classes throughout a semester, each with a different theme, inside her store.

"We teach for the home cook," Bock says. "Our classes are very comfortable and not intimidating. Most of our chefs are local, which is critical because part of my business model is to help bring business to local chefs' restaurants as well."

"Before I purchased the store, I taught quite a few classes," Bock said. "With other chefs, I honed my skills and it became great and fun. It was just a wonderful experience for everybody. It's really very sweet."

Bock says that since she's been the owner, she's changed the flavor of the store by making it neighborhood friendly.

"People can stop by and have a cup of tea or coffee and just talk," Bock says. "I love talking to people. It's really helped the business grow because all of the staff are extremely talented and friendly."

"It's interesting to see where people have been," Bock says. "I've done a lot of things in my life. This is my midlife business. It's really nice to support the community and even advertise the business of a local chef and give back."

More information about Someone's in the Kitchen can be found at www.mycookbookclub.com.

Editor's Note: Do you know of any Grayslake business owner who been affected by the "Oprah Effect?" If so, we'd like to hear about it. Tell us in the comments or email me at marcia.sagendorph@patch.com.