McCormick & Co., the spice and flavoring company, plans to open its first store, McCormick World of Flavors, this summer at the popular Harborplace tourist attraction in Baltimore.
The 3,800-plus square-foot store will include interactive and educational displays to engage families. Shoppers will be able to determine their personal flavor profile and chart the origins of spices, among other activities. In a cooking demonstration area, McCormick's internal chefs and celebrity chefs will demonstrate recipes featuring McCormick flavors.
In addition to selling McCormick brand products for cooking, baking and grilling, the store will sell other McCormick brands like Grill Mates, Lawry's, Zatarain's and Old Bay.
"What better way to communicate what we do than to allow visitors to experience it personally," said president, chairman and CEO Alan Wilson in a statement. "It will show visitors how McCormick brings great taste to their lives — every day. You can see how our business, rooted in the exploration of the New World, has its sights on the newest frontiers of flavor."
The store is steps away from the site of the historic McCormick Plant and Headquarters that stood at 414 Light Street from 1920 to 1989. The facility was known for spreading the aroma of spices throughout the harbor. The company is now based in Sparks, MD.
"There is a wonderful historic link for McCormick to return to the Inner Harbor, and Harborplace is a perfect setting because it is such a popular draw for tourists and local residents alike to see the best of Baltimore," said Lori Robinson, McCormick vice president of corporate branding and communications.
Many apparel and footwear vendors operate their own retail stores and food brands such as Nathan's, Starbucks and Ben & Jerry's have a grocery shelf presence as well. But it's rare for a food brand to have a flagship location. The most notable example is M&M, which opened a 25,000-square foot store in New York's Times Square in 2006 that was followed last year by a second location in London.