After spending more than 30 years in the telecommunication industry, Jaime Aguirre and his wife, Ginger, traded their management positions at GTE for cutlery, cookbooks and ownership of Ginger’s Kitchenware.

“We discovered the business quite by accident,” said Jaime Aguirre. “However, we were excited to share our love of food and entertaining, and confident our previous professional experience would transfer well to retail.”

The couple had just moved to Bend and were searching for single-serving teapots when they stumbled across Millette’s Kitchen Store and More on Bend’s west side. And while the Aguirres were discussing plans for their new lives in Bend, the Millettes mentioned their store was up for sale.

“Ginger tugged on my shirt,” Jaime Aguirre said. “She didn’t sleep for three days, and a week later we began negotiations to purchase Millette’s Kitchen Store.”

Jaime Aguirre said he had a longtime dream of quitting his corporate telecommunications job and going to culinary school to build a career in the food industry.

The couple purchased Millette’s, which was originally started in Sunriver during the 1980s, in 2007, and two years later changed the name to Ginger’s Kitchenware to personalize the business. In May 2011, they relocated the store to a 2,000-square-foot space in the Old Mill District. The move more than doubled their sales.

Ginger’s Kitchenware sells home kitchen equipment and decor including cutlery, cookware, stoneware and linens from around the world. It specializes in gadgets for almost every purpose ranging from $2.99 potato peelers to $100 thermocouple thermometers used to check the temperature of foods and cooking surfaces. The couple also offers cooking classes with chefs from as far away as Florence, Italy, who have been published in cookbooks and featured on TV.

“We’re the kind of place cooks love,” Jaime Aguirre said, “a boutique kitchenware store with top-quality lines and great decor. We hand select every item in the store.”

Q: What is the best part about operating Ginger’s?

A: Jaime Aguirre: Our favorite part is that it serves as a conduit to our community. Ginger and I decided that it’s important to give back to the community that we live in. We do that through hosting fundraiser dinners and supporting the efforts of nonprofits by auctioning off culinary journeys, to building community gardens in NorthWest Crossing and financially contributing to education.

Q: Where do you see Ginger’s in the next five years?

A: Jaime Aguirre: We will collaborate with like-minded businesses to draw attention to the food and culinary activities available in our community. Clearly Central Oregon’s national recognition has grown in the areas of tourism, recreation and beer production. With the efforts of (other) organizations, … we hope to build an even broader interest in our community.

What: Ginger’s Kitchenware

What it does: Sells home kitchen equipment and culinary decor, and offers cooking class

Pictured: Jaime and Ginger Aguirre, owners

Where: 375 S.W. Powerhouse Drive, Suite 120, Bend

Employees: Eight

Phone: 541-617-0312

Website: gingerskitchenware.com