Dean & DeLuca With an experience that’s always been equal parts stylish, inviting and expensive, Joel B Dean & Giorgio DeLuca introduced New York to the best food and kitchenware in the world. A large, airy store where people had time to browse – as well as be seen by others – Dean & DeLuca was a novelty New Yorkers loved and were willing to pay a premium for. Despite expansion, the company struggled to make a profit until outside capital and business acumen were introduced. Nevertheless, being first to introduce the US to everything from sundried tomatoes to black truffle cream, Dean & DeLuca has a status that money can’t buy.
Britain may be famed as the nation of shopkeepers, but it’s in America that some of the very finest examples of retail therapy are to be found. In stark contrast to the halogen lights and primary colours of most stateside chains, both metaphorically and literally, Dean & DeLuca is an island of good taste. Its eclectic mix of indulgent products presented in weighty jars, cartons and tins adorned with achingly elegant labels cannot fail to delight the eye and prise open the purse. The risk with the premium pricing and naked elitism practiced at the food halls of Harrods, Fortnum’s and Harvey Nic’s is that the packaging too often slips into gift shop vernacular. In contrast, the carefully edited brands and the clean, fresh graphics of Dean & DeLuca’s own-label express a humility and respect for the customer that 48
anchors its relevance to everyday life. Like M&S’s Simply Food, although the experience is a delight, as an affluent urbanite it’s almost impossible to survive without a daily visit to Dean & DeLuca. This thoughtful approach influences every aspect of the design – from the cathedral-like environments, the restrained graphics and the respectful service. Reminding us of the old aphorism that simplicity is sophistication, no one rewards easy pleasure so much as the American people and few make it so easy to feel happy and optimistic as Dean & DeLuca. AK