Goods for Cooks

HISTORY

There are over thirty businesses and restaurants in Bloomington that have been around for over 40 years. Goods for Cooks is one of those stores, founded back in 1973 by two ladies named Charlotte Zietlow and Marilyn Schultz. Charlotte Zietlow was a Bloomington politician and activist, running for Bloomington mayor and even the US House of Representatives! Charlotte Zietlow also helped found The Project School, and was also on the board for a while. Marilyn Schultz is well known for running a lawsuit against NBC advocating for equal pay and opportunities for women. They are both very well known in Bloomington and the impacts they had on the town will be remembered for years to come.  

Back then when the two ladies started the store, you couldn’t even buy something simple like a whisk in Bloomington! The idea of opening a store was made into existence when Marilyn and Charlotte were having lunch together and started talking about their shared interests: food, politics, and Bloomington. That sparked the idea of opening a store. When they first were coming up with ideas for names, it was called Southern Indiana Kitchen Supplies and Dry Goods Company, but was shortened to Goods for Cooks later. There were many people in Bloomington that were curious about what the store would sell when it opened, so it was a big hit when it opened on December 3, 1973 after working on getting the business started for almost 7 months. 

While the building apparently looked “shabby” when they first bought it, the building where Goods for Cooks currently stands used to be a JC Penny. The original idea when it was built was to create separate offices using glass walls, which is interesting to see if you go into the store. 

 Charlotte and Marilyn only owned the store until 1988, but during that time they moved Goods for Cooks to the College Mall and then back to their original location. There have been about five total owners throughout the years, but the current owners are brother and sister George Huntington and Samantha Eibling, along with Samantha’s husband, Doug Eibling. George, Samantha, and Doug bought the store from Andrew and Charlotte Apple in 2017, and are still running the store as of April 2026.

ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY

Goods for Cooks offers many different products at its store, including baking and cooking equipment, ingredients, dishes, silverware, and loads more. Some of their more popular ingredients include oils and vinegar, but they also have products like extracts, chocolate, jams, sauces, and tea leaves. They also have a convenient tasting station for select items so people can try ingredients before they buy them. 

They get a lot of their products for wholesalers or vendors, as well as local artists around Bloomington. Goods for Cooks also has a huge selection of baking tools that you wouldn’t find anywhere else, such as egg separators, a cat chip bag clip, and mini frying pans. They also usually have a seasonal section in the hallway, where they have items and food or treats relevant to the season or holidays. 

When asked what Goods for Cook’s mission or belief is, Samantha Eibling responded “We believe that food has the power to nourish, empower, and connect. Everyone eats, so everyone has a connection to food - sometimes that connection is tough, especially if there is not enough food or if you struggle with certain foods, but ultimately, food creates memories and has the ability to bring people together and teach us about cultures.“ The store also cares a lot about creating relationships and friendships with regular customers, as well as getting to know new customers.

Goods for Cooks also has a sister store, named In The Kitchen. The business is right downstairs from Goods for Cooks, and they collaborate a lot with each other. George Huntington, the co-owner of Goods for Cooks, and Ava Collins own In The Kitchen. It offers cooking classes and events, with varying difficulty.