Bittersweet & Company deals in low-carb products

Pam Huber, owner and manager of Bittersweet & Co., is eager to sell the community on low-carb and sugar-free foods. Her store is stocked with a variety of foods for those shying away from sugary snacks, breads, cereals etc.

By Rozella Hardin
STAR STAFF
rhardin@starhq.com

   Pam Huber is quick to admit that she has an entrepreneurial spirit -- one of the factors in her opening a new business in town. She in February opened Bittersweet & Company, located on E Street at the intersection of Pine Street.
   The store deals in low-carb food items. Inside the store, which has a homey, country-store atmosphere, are shelves of items, which range from bread mixes, cookies, cereals, salad dressings, jams and jellies, crackers, an assortment of breads, tortillas, bagels, pizza crusts, coffee flavors, cranberry and praline sauce, etc. All of the foods are either sugar-free or low-carb.
   The business has been in the planning for almost a year. "My husband and I went on a low-carb diet following his heart surgery, and it was difficult to find low-carb products. That was one of the factors that figured into my decision to begin the business -- that coupled with the fact that the diabetic population in this area is high," Pam explained.
   "I wanted to include products outside the realm of Atkins (low-carb diet) products, that were as good or better," she said. The inventory is expansive and varied. "We have Ross sugar-free candy bars, which are very good, cinnamon and butter pork rinds, sugar-free peanut butter brittle and caramels," Pam rattled off her inventory list.
   A cooler holds a variety of bread products, including sourdough bread, wheat bread, rye bread, cinnamon-swirl bread, blueberry bagels, and the like. There is also a variety of tortilla flavors, which can be used for wraps.
   "People have different reasons for eating low-carb foods. Some are diabetics, others are dieters, but, many persons prefer low-carb foods because they are healthier," she said.
   Pam's business is located in the old ET&WNC Railroad Depot, which provides a bird's eye view of Elk Avenue, looking south on Pine Street. "I like the location, and when the car shows begin in the spring, we will stay open late," she said. The store is currently open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
   Pam and her husband, John, moved to Elizabethton from California in 1996. While living in California, Pam worked as a coppersmith. "I had my own sheetmetal shop," she said as she showed a copper tray which she had made. The tray as well as some more of her copper items are fixtures in her downtown store. "I made custom light fixtures for architects," she explained.
   Joining Pam as a partner in Bittersweet & Company will be a longtime friend, Christine Howard, who is moving to Elizabethton from Virginia Beach, Va. "She will help me run the store," Pam said. Also helping in the store is Susie Hodge.
   Future plans include hosting "tasting" nights as well as information programs. "We are expanding all the time and constantly looking for new things. This summer we hope to sell soft custard," she said.
   Bittersweet & Company is a new venture for Pam Huber, and she hopes it will be a new draw for local customers as well as customers from North Carolina and Johnson City.