About Us

The moment you enter Zest! You get the feeling that this is going to be fun.

What We Are And Why

Zest! is an experiential culinary destination born from owner Sharon Landis’s vision to provide a place where like-minded foodies could delight in gourmet products… especially the unusual or hard-to-find. “When my husband and I travel,” she says, “we’ve always looked for places like Zest. We often find ourselves in local food markets and specialty kitchen stores while vacationing all over the world.”  Recognizing a similar enthusiasm for food and cooking among local area inhabitants, Sharon wanted to share her appreciation for joyful culinary experiences.

How Far We’ve Come

Our Main Street location was founded in 2012 and features gourmet tools & gadgets, specialty foods, and an extensive barware department. The Zest Cooking School opened in January 2018 on Erbs Quarry Road and the Zest! Spice Shoppe was added to the main store in September 2019 (featuring over 200 premium herbs and spices). Our most recent expansion was a 2022 addition that offers a store-within-a-store outlet devoted to gourmet food provider Stonewall Kitchen, a customer favorite since our opening.

Who We Are

“Made in the USA” is very important to us, and we go the extra mile to locate and offer distinctive culinary products from American companies, with a special emphasis on Pennsylvania vendors. Sharon has also prioritized the support of women-owned businesses since founding her own business in 2012. 

What We Teach

The vision for the Zest Cooking School started with a quote from Julia Child: “This is my invariable advice to people.  Learn how to cook – try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, BE FEARLESS, and above all have fun.”

Join Us

When you visit Zest! we hope you enjoy what we’ve made, love what you see, and join us in celebrating the joy and fun of cooking.