Features

Game On: Armonk’s New Pickleball Facility

April 29, 2026 by Martin Wilbur

With the recent explosion in the popularity of pickleball, it seemed as though it would be only a matter of time before a dedicated year-round pickleball facility would open locally.

That time has come, with the opening of SPORTIME Pickleball’s newest facility at 112 Business Park Drive in Armonk. The 25,000-square-foot club that celebrated its grand opening on March 15, features 11 oversized pro-cushion courts with 30-foot ceilings, state-of-the-art lighting and climate-controlled playing conditions year-round.

Open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, SPORTIME Pickleball Armonk offers the sport’s enthusiasts, and future players, ample opportunities to rent court time, take private or semi-private lessons, participate in instructional programs, including programs for adult and junior beginners, enjoy social and level-rated open play sessions and compete in tournaments and special events.

SPORTIME’s decision to open its fifth pickleball-exclusive location in the tri-state area – and the second in Westchester – highlights its commitment to being the leading pickleball club provider in the region. It has also operated tennis facilities since 1994.

SPORTIME Pickleball Armonk reflects the high demand and levels of participation in the market. The company’s Armonk opening comes six months after the debut of its dedicated pickleball facility in Yorktown. SPORTIME is also the longtime operator of clubs in Eastchester and Mamaroneck that now feature both pickleball and tennis.

“Armonk is a great community with a large group of pickleball enthusiasts who have not had access to a convenient, high-quality, indoor facility to enjoy until now,” said Joe Siegel, senior vice president and managing director of SPORTIME pickleball. “Our new facilities in Armonk and in Yorktown are providing enthusiastic Westchester players of all ages and levels with the high-quality, year-round playing and learning opportunities for which they have been waiting.”

The Armonk facility was custom-built for SPORTIME and took more than 18 months to construct. With spacious courts, bright, comfortable, playing conditions and welcoming social and viewing areas at courtside and on a second-floor mezzanine, the facility promises to be a popular destination for pickleball players. The club also features a pro shop offering balls, paddles, pickleball apparel and accessories, and two private party rooms that members and visitors can reserve for parties and special events.

“In our first week in business, we booked a Bar Mitzvah,” shared Kylene Murray, general manager of the Armonk location.

Attractive to the Masses

Murray said what has helped make pickleball so popular is the relatively short learning curve.

“It is the ease with which most people can pick up the game that has fueled the growth of pickleball,” Murray said. “A pickleball court is about one-third the size of a tennis court, so it’s a little easier to get to where you need to be. The paddle is smaller and closer to your hand than a tennis racket, so it is easier to contact and control the ball, which is lighter than a tennis ball and travels more slowly. These differences allow nearly anyone, from children to older adults, to learn and enjoy pickleball quickly, and to reap the physical and social benefits of the sport.”

Murray explained that singles and doubles can be played on a pickleball court, but that most enjoy doubles. Players often organize their own groups, and the club also offers open play sessions spread across many courts. In these situations, players can come on and off the courts, play a variety of matches, meet new partners and friends and socialize with players from other courts.

“Pickleball is a naturally social sport, and players feel that sense of community right away, as soon as they come to a club and get on a court,” said Murray, a former collegiate and professional tennis player who previously worked at SPORTIME’s Randall’s Island location. “Pickleball is also relatively inexpensive, and many new players can enjoy friendly competition starting the very first time they step on a court. We host events for groups of players with zero racket sports experience. We give those players a quick 101 introductory session that lasts 20 to 30 minutes, just to show them the basics, and by the end of the first session they are playing pickleball.”

Siegel explained that the social interaction is, for many, as important as the game itself. “I think that the social aspect of the game has been instrumental in its explosive growth,” he said. “People of all levels, backgrounds, ages and walks of life are able to enjoy playing and spending time together.”

Playing the Game at SPORTIME

While many nearby municipalities have converted some of their public tennis courts or playground spaces to outdoor pickleball courts, being able to play year-round in the Northeast requires indoor courts. The conditions at SPORTIME are the same regardless of frigid cold, blistering heat, rain, snow or wind outside. A reserved court, program or coach are always ready as scheduled.

Programming at SPORTIME Pickleball Armonk offers three main categories of activity: instruction, social play and competition. Murray said that adult and junior players can choose from a variety of clinics based upon their level and interest. Those wanting personalized instruction can take advantage of private and semi-private lessons with certified, experienced coaches.

For intermediate level players and above, the club offers level-based open play sessions, advanced clinics and special events. And for players wanting to compete in a more structured way, there are leagues and tournaments, and SPORTIME Adult Team Pickleball (ATP), through which club-based teams compete against teams from other SPORTIME clubs.

Siegel said that SPORTIME Pickleball Yorktown hosted the inaugural Westchester Pickleball Championships on March 14, attracting 80 teams that competed in 11 different divisions. Next year, Siegel hopes that the Armonk location will co-host that growing annual event, allowing it to accommodate an additional 75 teams.

The original plan was for Armonk to be open for most of the 2025-26 indoor season, Siegel explained, but that construction delays pushed the opening to mid-March. Despite the wait, the local community has been very supportive and excited about the opening.

“Local players are thrilled that we are finally open,” Siegel said. “We look forward to hosting busy spring and summer seasons, offering a variety of great programs that we know our players will love, and then having a packed club starting in the fall of 2026.”

Those interested in playing at SPORTIME Armonk are encouraged to check-out the club’s online program menu, or to visit or call the club at any time. The facility also offers a virtual help desk, through which player assistance can be received by call or text.

SPORTIME Armonk’s membership fee is $20 a month and members receive discounted court-time fees, complimentary monthly member benefits, and priority member access and advance reservation privileges. SPORTIME Pickleball membership includes access and benefits at all SPORTIME pickleball clubs and facilities across the tristate area, including two New Jersey locations, multiple Long Island locations and the four Westchester locations.

Otherwise, court rentals are $50 an hour before 5 p.m. and $60 after 5 p.m. on weekdays while on weekends, courts cost $60 an hour before 5 p.m. and $45 an hour after that time.

“We expect the club to be quite busy, so it’s always best to make a reservation if you want to play with friends or partners, or to join an open play session or a clinic if you want to meet some new friends and partners,” said Murray.

Armonk’s location, close to Connecticut and off of I-684, is easily accessible to players from Westchester and Fairfield counties.

For more information on the clubs and its available offerings, visit sportimepickleball.com.

A New Spot for Game Day

April 29, 2026 by Andrew Vitelli

It’s been nearly ten years since McArthur’s American Grille and Michael’s Tavern, two longtime Pleasantville pillars and prime village venues to grab a beer and watch the game, closed their doors. Tom Miller, a resident of the village for nearly 20 years, believes Pleasantville has not had a true sports bar since.

“Nothing has ever really filled that gap,” says Miller. “And we see a really strong interest and strong need for that style and that type of establishment not only in Pleasantville but in the surrounding area.”

This spring, Miller and John McCarthy, a -going on 20 year-Pleasantville resident, will open The Pleasantville Tavern, a bar and restaurant they hope will give thirsty local sports fans exactly the venue they’ve been looking for since 2016. It will take over the location of Lucy’s, the long-time bar and music venue on the corner of Bedford Road and Wheeler Avenue, right in the downtown and just minutes by foot from the Pleasantville Metro-North Station.

That location is a prime reason that Miller and McCarthy–longtime pals whose college-age eldest sons are best friends–purchased the spot from Lucy’s former owner. Miller & McCarthy both have been looking to open a sports bar in the village for years, and considered several prior opportunities including buying Michael’s when it closed. None came to fruition until last year, when McCarthy learned that Lucy’s location might become available. McCarthy began speaking to the owner last January, and in August approached Miller to see if he was interested. Four months later, the pair had closed on the purchase.

“I saw the opportunity. I know everybody in town has been crying for a place like this,” says McCarthy. “We felt like there was a need for an American pub grub type of place.

Elevated Pub Food

Miller and McCarthy’s goal, they say, is to create a venue that is a great place to watch a game, or to grab a nice meal with the family.

Though a sports bar, it will eschew the sports bar cliches that might make it less inviting to patrons simply interested in having dinner or drinks.

“We like to call it a sports bar without the sports memorabilia,” a place that seamlessly blends authentic charm with vibrant community appeal with memorable experiences in a warm and inviting atmosphere,” McCarthy says.

The Tavern will have 12 screens, making it a prime destination for friends with varying viewing interests.

“We definitely want to be the kind of place where you can go with your group of friends, and if I want to watch the baseball game and they want to watch the college football game, we will be showing all of them,” says Miller.

But the screens are spaced out, as the owners sought to avoid the kind of wall-to-wall overload that one finds at a Buffalo Wild Wings or, in the past, an ESPN Zone.

The restaurant will include two bars and will comprise a main area and a back room, which will be used for private events. When there are no private events, that room will serve as an overflow or family dining room, with a little bit of a buffer between the sports fans screaming at the TVs at the front bar.

The opening day menu has not been finalized, but Miller and McCarthy say the selection, at least to start, will focus on simple bar food done well.

“You’ll be able to get a really good burger, really good wings, good chicken sandwiches,” said Miller. “Elevated pub or tavern food.”

In addition to serving local patrons, Pleasantville Tavern’s owners will look to source from local businesses. Captain Lawrence, the Elmsford-based craft brewery originally launched in Pleasantville, sold its first keg at Lucy’s, and Miller and McCarthy plan to continue that tradition with two Captain Lawrence beers on tap. They also plan to serve brews from Soul Brewing Company in the village, and they are also reaching out to local farms to fill out the menu.

In addition to its location in the heart of Pleasantville’s downtown, the tavern has a 30+car municipal parking lot in the back.

Business & Bartending

McCarthy, a director of field operations for a New York City construction management firm in his day job, has tended bar since he was too young to drink, working in the bar business when he was just 16 years old. He later became the manager of Joshua Tree, a popular sports bar in Manhattan’s Murray Hill that closed in 2020.

A father of four, he finally left the bar business when he got married in the early 2000s.

Miller’s only restaurant experience, he explains, is “on the opposite side of the bar.” But his business experience has complemented McCarthy’s bar and construction background.

“This period has been sort of exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. I’m certainly doing things that I don’t do on a daily basis,” Miller says. “But my business experience lends to a lot of the things we are trying to do.”

To McCarthy and Miller, there is nothing quite like The Pleasantville Tavern either in the village or in the surrounding municipalities, despite a plethora of gastropubs and great restaurants.

“We’ve been talking to neighboring towns, people in Briarcliff and Chappaqua,” McCarthy says. “They are almost a little jealous.”

Where Motherhood Meets the Manuscript

April 29, 2026 by Caitlin Samkoff

On many afternoons, while her son practiced ice hockey, Sonja Marcus sat in the stands with a laptop balanced on her knees. Around her, parents chatted and the sound of skates scraped the ice, but her inspiration kept her trying. Amid the pendulum of motherhood, work, and carpools, those quiet pockets of time became the unlikely birthplace of her debut novel, “Invisible Strings”.

The Inside Press had the opportunity to sit down with Marcus as we immersed ourselves in the origin and creation of such a novel. Although writing from the rink, Marcus brings us back to a story in Barcelona, where she studied abroad in the 2000s. It was there that she discovered independence amid life changing scenery. These memories resurfaced during the stillness of COVID-19, when Marcus began piecing them into a novel focused on a message of female empowerment.

While the novel itself is largely fictional, many of its settings and emotions are rooted in Marcus’s own experiences abroad. Traveling through Europe with a Eurail pass, she visited cities that would later influence the atmosphere and locations within the book. Arriving in Barcelona without close friends pushed her to become independent in ways she never had experienced before. The unfamiliar environment, different culture, and sense of freedom all left a lasting impact that would later become the foundation of “Invisible Strings”.

The protagonist reflects a younger, more fearless version of herself, confident in her sexuality, body image and an adventurous spirit. She wanted to create a narrative that emphasized female empowerment, and confidence in one’s own identity. She hopes that when her daughter eventually reads the book, she will see a strong female role model and a world where she can feel confident and independent.

While the ideas behind “Invisible Strings” had lived in the back of Marcus’s mind for years, finding the time to write them down required patience and persistence. Balancing a full-time job and motherhood, she often wrote late at night or during the quiet moments of her children’s sports practices, slowly piecing together scattered memories into a cinematic narrative. Throughout the process, music became a key part. She frequently listened to Taylor Swift, using her songs as an emotional backdrop while developing scenes. These musical pieces often shaped the mood of the story and the emotional tone readers experience.

During the editing process, Marcus faced one of the most difficult parts that many writers have to overcome. She had to cut nearly 20,000 words from the manuscript. Scenes she enjoyed writing, including detailed travel moments and side characters, had to be removed to keep the narrative centered. After completing the manuscript, Marcus worked with Blackstone Publishing to bring “Invisible Strings” to print and reach an audience greater than the quiet spaces where it was first written.

Marcus encourages aspiring writers to start small, noting that “writing even 100 words each day can build momentum”, which can turn simple ideas into a finished manuscript. Throughout the book, readers can see a parallel to Marcus’s own life, persistence. It takes persistence to sit down for ten minutes and force yourself to write, and she captured the theme of persistence in the book.

While “Invisible Strings” marks Marcus’s debut novel, she has already begun working on her next project, a young adult story, taking place at a boarding school, that explores identity and belonging through a new group of characters.

Just as Marcus persisted through long nights on the laptop and countless revisions, that same determination echoes through “Invisible Strings”. What began as scattered memories and sentences typed from the hockey stands, eventually led to Marcus carving out small moments to craft something personal and creative. In the midst, she not only wrote a novel but also set an example for her children that passions are worth pursuing, no matter how busy life gets.

It’s All About Community: The Armonk Outdoor Art Show

April 29, 2026 by Abby Luby

In September 2023 a major rainstorm pelted a large tent at Community Park. Huddled under that tent was a group of people figuring out how they would set up the grounds for the nationally acclaimed Armonk Outdoor Art Show taking place the next day.

“We all saw how high the water was, how it was saturating the ground,” recalls Nancy Rosner, Managing Director of the Art Show. “As we wondered what to do, I suddenly realized what an incredible, close-knit group of people I get to work with.”

Rosner’s vivid memory of that day is a reminder of the unwavering dedication of the Art Show’s board and the 300 volunteers essential to the smooth-running annual event. The volunteers are known to go the extra mile helping artists set up their booths, regularly checking in with them, offering snacks or briefly watching their booth when needed.

The Art Show’s 64th year will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 26 – 27 at Community Park – 205 Business Park Drive. As always, the show’s net proceeds support the North Castle Public Library’s educational and entertainment programs, library furnishings, upgrades and the Armonk Players theater group. About 10,000 to 12,000 visitors from the tri-state area come to see 160 juried painters, photographers, sculptors and mixed media artists. It’s two days that guarantee a sensorially rich excursion in the boundless realms of color, shape and design.

Rosner, who grew up in Armonk, remembers going to the Art Show as a child and walking through aisles of booths lined up in the field near the police station. “It was much smaller at that time,” Rosner says, “but I was still over stimulated because there was so much to look at. A glass artist had these big bubbles and as a little kid I was in awe, wishing to know how he did that.”

With a background in art history and arts in education, Rosner has spent much of her career working at known museums such as the Barnes Foundation, the Edward Hopper House Museum and Study Center and the Hudson River Museum. She was hired as managing director of the Art Show in 2024.

“For years, we didn’t have a paid director and we were all volunteers,” says Marian Hamilton, the show’s co-chair for 25 years. “The show was so important as a main fundraiser for the library that we really felt we needed to institutionalize the whole process.”

Art Show Executive Board members (L-R): Nancy Rosner, Nicole Blum, Stacy Wilder, Marian Hamilton, Debbie Heidecorn and Ariel Dubs; missing Liz Green and David Fromm

Hamilton says bringing in Rosner saw a growing number of younger volunteers and more sponsors. “Since I first started, we added more sponsorships to our list. This past year we raised $90,000 from our sponsors alone. We couldn’t do this without our sponsors.”

Last year Art Show sponsor levels were Diamond – $15,000, Platinum – $7,500, Gold – $5,000, Silver – $3,000, Bronze – $2,000 and Copper – $1,000.

A loyal Diamond Level sponsor is Cross Private Client Insurance, which has offices in Armonk.

“We’re not looking just to donate,” says Denise Koslowsky, Cross Private Principal and Director of the Personal Lines Department. Cross Private partners with Chubb to insure high end art collections.

“The Armonk Outdoor Art Show is a great way for us to connect with our existing clients,” says Koslowsky, who is also an artist and displays her work at the show’s Cross Private/Chubb booth. “We send out a lot of Art Show tickets to our clients and to collectors we know. We want our clients to meet us, say hello and enjoy the show. Chubb has art experts there as well. People come to the show to buy art and it’s always awesome to see them leaving with art under their arm.”

One of last year’s Gold Level sponsors was Teal Canvas, who has been an Art Show sponsor for the last two years. A fine-art consultancy, Teal Canvas partners with interior designers, architects and hospitality groups and whose booth shows work by artists they represent.

“We introduce our services and show a range of about 120 nationwide artists,” says Teal Canvas founder Jay Gutnick. “People come to our booth at the Art Show because they are very interested in art. The Art Show is wonderful because most people are not passive observers and come with the intention of buying art.”

Award-wining artist Ummarid (Tony) Eitharong, who has exhibited his work at the show for the last 20 years, says he deeply admires the staff and volunteers who help out during the show.

“They are so organized,” Eitharong remarks. “They take care of all the artists, and they undoubtedly respect what we do, which is awesome. They also help take purchased artwork from the booths and deliver to the buyers.”

Eitharong, a veteran exhibitor and award-winning artist including Best in Show in previous years, sold 33 works last year including his 2D mixed media pieces and bold abstract paintings. He recalls how his work started to evolve after being prompted by the Art Show’s volunteers who advised him to exhibit more of his abstract work.

“The next year I came back with new work,” he says. “The committee is made up of wonderful people who are serious about art and who listen to the artists.”

The very first Armonk Outdoor Art Show in 1961 was held on the lawn of the Armonk Methodist Church bordering Main Street. Gaining popularity, the show moved to the larger space of the North Castle Library’s parking lot and then to the American Legion Field in front of Town Hall. In 1997 it finally moved to its current home at Community Park. The shifting locations moved the show further from town’s center where art show visitors would dine, check out local businesses and real estate.

Stephen Anglim Heart
in Wampus Brook Park
PHOTO BY NATE ZIPPER

Last year, the Art Show’s effort to reconnect with the town was through “Armonk Has Heart,” a public art project featuring 12 large, one-of-a kind fiberglass heart sculptures, each designed by 12 Art Show artists. The three-dimensional hearts were displayed throughout town for the full month leading up to the Art Show. A map of where the hearts were located in town guided a children’s scavenger hunt. The hearts were later auctioned off to benefit the Friends of the Library.

One of the hearts was created by artist Stephen Anglim whose vibrant style revealed an urban scene redolent of Central Park in New York City on one side and a beach scene with a lone person contemplating the ocean on the other; both scenes represented Anglim’s dual themes seen in his work. Anglim was especially pleased to see families come by his booth after the scavenger hunt to see his work.

“Families and little kids saw my artwork and realized it was the same style as the heart I created,” Anglim explains. “They said ‘Oh my gosh – he’s one of the Hearts of Armonk artists!’ They took the time to look at my work and asked questions wanting a greater understanding of my art.”

“We are really proud of the work we did in the Armonk Has Heart project,” says Rosner. “It was an exciting experience to work closely with town officials and local businesses. Everyone was so dedicated to the project and to this community. It was a wonderful experience.” North Castle Town Supervisor Joe Rende, who has volunteered for the show for about 20 years, notes how enthusiastic everyone was in the “Armonk Has Heart” project.

“Town employees, including Anthony Ruvo of the town’s Maintenance Department and Jake Terenzi of Parks and Recreation were key for the project,” Rende recalls. “They mounted the hearts on the pedestals and protectively placed them throughout the town. Also, our town clerk Alison Simon always takes an active role by helping Nancy Rosner.”

Rende says the Art Show is a chance to show off the town’s dedication to volunteerism. “It shows the existing level of community spirit throughout the town,” Rende notes. “It also draws young and old and we are seeing second generation children moving back here to raise their families. The Art Show is a wonderful joint effort between the town, the Art Show and the Chamber.”

The Armonk Chamber of Commerce, who helped fund a small part of the “Armonk Has Heart” program, will be honoring the Art Show this year with the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year award. Chamber president Neal Schwartz says it’s the only award the Chamber will be giving this year in recognition of the “Armonk Has Heart” success.

“Not only did the program inspire people to come and navigate through the town, it placed the hearts around town in places where there hadn’t been any art,” Schwartz says. “It was a successful effort and to Nancy’s credit, it brought Art Show goers back into town. We are honoring the connection we have of working together to a higher level than it’s been in a long time.”

The Chamber will honor the Armonk Outdoor Art Show on Monday May 11, 2026 at the Mount Kisco Country Club in an all day event including a golf outing, cocktails and dinner.

As Rosner and her board and committees immerse themselves in planning for the upcoming September show, she acknowledges how art plays a positive role in today’s world.

“Public art is so important because it brings communities together to bond over something beautiful,” Rosner says. “The Art Show provides joy, a moment of escape and reminds us there is beauty in the world during times that are challenging. You can lose yourself while looking at a work of art, knowing that you bring something to the art while the art brings something to you.”

Be sure to save the date for the 2026 Armonk Outdoor Art Show – September 26 & 27. Visit armonkoutdoorartshow.org and follow @ArmonkOutdoorArtShow on Instagram and Facebook for more information.

ZWILLING Cooking Studio – A Recipe for Fun!

April 29, 2026 by Martin Wilbur

For those looking for a different social experience, or the perfect Mother’s Day gift this season, try the ZWILLING cooking studio. Whether you classify yourself as a culinary artist or a beginner, there’s something here for everyone.

Located at the world-renowned cutlery company ZWILLING J.A. Henckels’ U.S. headquarters in Pleasantville, the studio is a place where local residents who love to cook or want to expand their skills in the kitchen can take a wide variety of classes. The studio is also a great choice to hold parties for birthdays and bridal and baby showers, and Westchester-based corporations have also realized the sparkling space is a great choice for company outings and team-building events.

“Regardless of the class or event, interaction between participants is a crucial element of the studio, which can hold up to 45 people to host a celebration,” said Bernard Janssen, executive chef and culinary program manager. Capacity for classes is capped at 18.

“What it adds, is this interactive part of an event,” Janssen said of community members and corporations that reserve space for special events. “Instead of going to a restaurant or another event space where there’s food served, here it’s very informal, you get together, you create something together. It’s an experience.”

There is at least one class practically every day of the month, ranging from basic knife skills courses to sessions focusing on different ethnic cuisines. In late March and April, for example, there was a Mexican fiesta class, another for Filipino fare, tastes of the Middle East and French bistro menu items. There is an emphasis on authentic cooking.

There are also special themes offered, such as date night or girls’ night out and classes for kids. The “Simple Suppers, Weekday Wonders” course is another popular choice for people who have busy work weeks and want to meal prep in advance.

Cooking studio assistant manager Stephen Schwartz said there had recently been a class for Sri Lankan food. One man who took the class, a native to the South Asian island nation, told ZWILLING staff that it was the closest thing to the food he ate as a child.

“Somebody comes in here to take a class, and you remind them of home, it doesn’t get any better than that,” Schwartz said.

Best of all, whether it’s a class, party or corporate event, there’s always a hands-on component where those who attend get to eat what they and others created.

Janssen explained that the classes are typically divided into three groups of up to six people, and each group cooks one component of a full menu. When finished, they sit down and enjoy the meal together, he said.

“So, it’s very focused on culinary education,” Janssen explained of the classes. “People come in with a different goal compared to a corporate event.”

“We sit them together and they enjoy that food together,” Janssen said. “But if you come in for French bistro with your team, you’re going to work that full menu. So, all three courses. It’s very much focused on culinary education.”

Online reviews of the classes are overwhelmingly positive. “Chef Bernard and Chef Tayla at the Zwilling Cooking Studio are absolutely fantastic!” commentor Amy Hill wrote. “From the moment you walk in, the studio itself feels warm, modern, and beautifully designed – a perfect space to cook, learn, and laugh. Both chefs strike the perfect balance of professionalism and humor, making the experience not only educational but also incredibly fun.”

In February, Ellen Simpson came to a similar conclusion. “This class was incredible! The chefs were so knowledgeable, patient and funny that the time flew by,” Simpson wrote. “I’ve never been in a cooking class that had so much food to sample throughout the class and there were still enough left to fill a box to take home!”

Janssen said if anyone is interested in future classes to check the offerings on the ZWILLING website at www.zwillingcookingstudio.com/copy-of-schedule-new. Typically, classes are scheduled about three months in advance.

Kids’ Camps & Family Time

The cooking studio is not only for adults, but ZWILLING gets the entire family involved. Week-long children’s cooking camps are offered in the summer from late June until just before Labor Day weekend. There are full-day and half-day offerings for students from 9 to 11 years old and 12 to 15 years old.

On the first day, they are introduced to the basics around the kitchen, including food safety. Then from Tuesday through Thursday, the classes shift to instruction on different cuisines. On Friday the camp ends with the kids getting 90 minutes to put together a meal that is judged, with a prize for the winning team.

Janssen said there are kids returning three or four years in a row while others return for multiple weeks. The summer camp has been such a success that ZWILLING started offering three-day camps for holiday weeks during the school year.

One of their former campers is now headed to culinary school, a great compliment to the program but certainly not the goal, Schwartz said.

“This is not just about cooking for the kids,” he said. “We teach them things, obviously, things like time management, working together collaboratively and working with other kids. It’s a really important component for us.” There are periodic family cooking classes for both the parents and their children, typically held on a Sunday, Schwartz added.

Studio chefs also use appliances that can be found in a typical home, not commercial or restaurant-grade equipment, Janssen said. “We choose to use high-end home appliances because we feel that whatever people do and learn here, they should feel that they should transfer that to their own kitchen,” Janssen said.

Retail Store Piques Interest

Schwartz said the store was carved out of excess space during the pandemic, previously used twice a year for the company’s warehouse sale. Aside from its well-known cutlery, the store offers high-quality pots, pans and cookware and serves the general public.

Merchandise makes for a great gift for the home chef, and gift cards are also available, Janssen added.

Of course, if someone takes a class and uses an item available in the studio, they can also choose to see if it’s available in the store.

“So, if you want, and you have been using a certain knife, a certain pot, a certain tool in the class, we offer the opportunity to purchase that,” Janssen said. “During an event we will never hard-pitch a product, but we will show you why a certain knife where the curve is a little bit more comfortable and supports a certain technique.”

Along with its cutlery, the store offers STAUB cast iron and ceramic cookware, products from DEMEYERE, considered among the best stainless-steel cookware and MIYABI, a top Japanese cutlery line.

The store is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is accessible from the Village Lane side of the building.

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