History

For a little kitchen shop in Fredericksburg, Texas, we’ve cooked up a rich history.

Jan and Lou Buehn opened their 700-square-foot kitchenware store in 1979 in Fredericksburg, Texas. They moved Der Küchen Laden in 1981 to the historic Patton building and expanded their sales space to 1,400 square feet.

In 1993, Jerry and Penny-Perry Hughes purchased the store but kept the name and the foundation built by the Buehns. (It became our mantra not to “screw up” the foundation that was laid for us.) We did, sort of by accident; change the store's logo in 1995 after our twin daughters were born. What started as a photo of our twins for a Thank You card to the community that had been so supportive snowballed into our new logo as the photographer, Melissa Starry, exclaimed  “Der Küchen Laden; for the little chef in all of us.”

Thus was born the image and tag line you see here.  Since that time, the store has moved into the Historic Keidel Memorial Hospital building. According to Elise Kowart, author of Old Homes, Old buildings of Fredericksburg, the Keidel Memorial Hospital building was first built as the Priess Building in about 1878. It served various functions until Dr. Keidel remodeled and added the hospital wing in 1937.

The store is well known for its full-range of cookie baking items (getting a mention in the April 2009 issue of Gourmet magazine), among an eclectic gathering of other kitchenware and gadgets displayed in themed rooms throughout the 3,500-square-foot store.  It is also a welcome respite to many veteran and amateur kitchen lovers.

To reflect our expanded product lines and our expanded customer base, we have evolved the brand. The girls are now grown up and won’t begin to fit into those bowls anymore, thus the store has grown up also, yet never to lose it’s history, foundation, or love of the “Little Chef in all of us.” We hope you will visit us and get inspired!