News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Kent Couch, his wife Susan and Chef Keith Brandt have opened Sisters Market.
Long-time Sisters residents will hardly recognize the newly-opened Sisters Market.
The venerable Sisters institution located at the corner of Cascade Avenue and Elm Street has a new owner, a new look and a whole new approach to filling the wants and needs of the local Sisters community.
Kent Couch purchased the market with ambitious plans. A Redmond resident, Couch has 20 years of experience managing Safeway and Thriftway stores and owns a Stop-and-Go convenience store in Bend.
“One thing I know about marketing is you need to separate yourself from your competition — and I like to have fun,” he said.
Those two elements are in play at the new Sisters Market.
There’s not just a beer cooler, there’s a Beer Cave, fashioned out of artificial rock by Bend artisan Kelly Payne. Payne also created a wine cellar that looks like a piece of Tuscany and concrete flooring that looks like elegantly grained wood.
But the new look is not all that’s new. Couch brought certified chef Keith Brandt on board to make sure that the food offerings are something special, not just regular convenience store deli food.
“I was real fortunate to find Keith,” Couch said.
Brandt will create international-style wrap sandwiches, panini sandwiches, soups, salads and more. He is creating his own recipes for gourmet Italian gelato ice cream which is made on site.
Hot fresh donuts are churned out by Tommies Donuts machine while the customer waits (for about two minutes).
There’s a smoothie bar and a wide selection of wines that is expected to grow exponentially.
Traditionalists can still find deli fare like chicken strips and jo-jos and Jiaayao Chen’s Oriental Express will also open at the site by Memorial Day weekend. (Oriental Express will have its own entrance).
In addition to the food court, there are the usual sundries and a $1 store with small items from kitchen to camping gear.
One corner of the market is devoted to a Unicel cell phone service center.
It’s all part of a philosophy based on serving the varied needs of local customers. Couch doesn’t dismiss the importance of tourism in Sisters. He just figures that if he takes good care of the locals, they’ll point the tourists to his door.
Sisters Market is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and may open till midnight during the summer months.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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