Quick Take
Facing steep price hikes from global suppliers due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported goods, downtown Santa Cruz cookware shop Toque Blanche warns customers of inevitable increases on imported kitchen staples. Owner Charles Nelson says the community’s support — sparked by his candid letter explaining the impact — is keeping his spirits high as he braces for more cost pressures by May 1.
President Donald Trump’s universal tariffs on imported goods are very bad news for Toque Blanche, a cookware store in downtown Santa Cruz. Around 80% of the cookware, knives and gadgets the Pacific Avenue shop sells are made offshore in Europe, Asia or South America.
In a letter to his customers on Monday, owner Charles Nelson explained that tariffs mean cost increases ranging from 10% to 20% on many products are inevitable. While Toque Blanche – named after the tall white chef’s hat, called a toque – stocks some American-made products, many kitchen supplies do not have counterparts made in the U.S. Nelson specified that “anything with a cord” and any gadget or tool for under $30 comes from China. Most of the cutlery comes from Germany and Japan and is made from steel, which is subject to an additional 25% tariff.
Much of the high-end cookware – including pieces made by iconic French brand Le Creuset, with which the store has a coveted partnership – comes from Europe. Nelson also imports black clay Chamba cookware from Colombia. “We’re not reacting to the tariffs. We’re reacting to someone else who’s reacting to tariffs – importers and manufacturers who are giving us their prices,” said Nelson.
Suppliers have already begun to increase prices. This week, the retail price of a stainless steel battery-operated milk frother jumped from $44.99 to $55.99.
Nelson said that he’s feeling a lot of anxiety about the future, and is holding out hope that these punishing policies will change. “I think it’s going to be a disaster. Tariffs are one thing, but the whole economy is on shaky ground,” he said.
Unfortunately, there’s not much Nelson can do to avoid increasing prices without significantly changing the stock in his store. In some cases he’s able to buy American-made products, such as some U.S.-made cutlery. But there aren’t any high-quality domestic cookware brands available to him, especially since American-made All-Clad cookware no longer sells to independent retailers.
Nelson decided to write the letter after a random uptick in sales last week on some more expensive items suggested to him that customers were buying ahead of upcoming price increases. “People seemed to be buying something that had been on their wish list, thinking that ‘it’s now or never,’” he said.
After he sent out the letter, Nelson received many supportive emails from customers who promised to continue shopping at the store, and appreciated his factual, apolitical approach. “They were mostly appreciative that I was explaining the situation in a way that made them understand what it looks like from my perspective,” he said. “One negative response told me to ‘suck it up.’”
He’s only just begun to see price increases from suppliers, and expects to see more increases take effect by May 1. In some cases, high prices could mean taking some products off the shelves.
The letter also had an unintended consequence: The encouraging emails from loyal customers buoyed his resilience. “It’s extremely gratifying,” said Nelson. “There’s a strong motivation to continue because of the support we’re getting from the community.
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