It's obvious that Dorothy and Al Trebes love country living, and they strive to share the joy with their customers at Pamela's Country Cupboard in Solvang. Maybe it's the shop's nostalgic charm with its red roofed dormers, or the nature of Dorothy Trebe's country style that flows throughout the 3000+ square foot store, but whatever the reason customers enjoy visiting here.
| Dorothy Trebes makes delicious coffee bar style drinks for Pamela's customers, very much like proprietors old-fashioned country stores. The coffee bar and secluded patio is a popular shopping break stop, and one of the few places in town open until 9pm on Friday and Saturday nights. |
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In the old days, visiting a country store included sitting at a counter and sipping an ice-cream soda. At Pamela's Country Cupboard you can kick back at the coffee bar, enjoy a stimulating latte, Italian flavored soda, or a Snickerdoodle, a popular cinnamon-hazelnut coffee. Or linger at an outdoor table under the shade of a big umbrella with a flavorful blended iced coffee and listen to the soothing water fountain on the secluded garden patio. Once refreshed, allow time to wend your way through the rest of the store's nooks and crannies where you discover Fine English Bone China teapots, Dansk dishes, rows of jams and a sea of greeting cards. Also be sure to see the Yankee candles, Thomas Kinkade gifts and Fitz and Floyd collectibles. There are several racks of reasonably priced ankle-length dresses and even Italian bracelets with interchangeable themed charms. Many shelves are stocked with copper kitchen accessories and otherwise hard to find merchandise. Travelers who are enamored with Solvang's Aebleskiver, a round Danish pancake, will find the special cast-iron pans packaged with all the mixing ingredients needed to cook the cakes at home.An endearing tradition, Pamela's Country Cupboard personalizes a Ladies Night Out, a special retreat for parties of twenty or more. Dorothy supplies homemade refreshments, offers a 10% storewide discount for partygoers and requests reservations be arranged in advance so she may prepare and plan your in-store event.
During holidays throughout the year, she uses her hospitality skills to transform the store into a gala open house with live entertainment, free goodies, and prizes. Dorothy says, It's our way of saying thanks to our customers'.
After graduating from Westmont College in Montecito, Dorothy taught kindergarten for twenty years at the Santa Barbara Christian school. It was in Santa Barbara, at a holiday home boutique, that she first met the shop's namesake Pamela Sommers.
When Dorothy retired from teaching and Al retired from engineering, they met with Sommers and purchased the business in 1997. They agreed to keep the name of Pamela's Country Cupboard in order to maintain an already established and loyal customer following.
With no knowledge of how to run a cash register, Al Trebes learned to do the bookkeeping. Having a penchant for tinkering, he immediately found his niche restoring the antique furniture displayed throughout the store. He added collectible coins to the store's merchandise, something for the men to enjoy. Al also maintains the store's website (www.country-cupboard.com), for customer online purchases through a state of the art secured (web) server.
| Al and Dorothy Trebes proudly display one of the antiques Al has restored for Pamela's. |
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A few miles from town, away from the bustle of Solvang, the Trebes enjoy their idyllic country home. Here they live in the peaceful countryside surrounded by nature and wildlife. The land was once a part of the original Atterdag College grounds, a folk school built by Danish settlers shortly after they arrived in 1911.
Despite the demands of full-time shop keeping, the couple helped start the Valley's Evangelical Free Church that meets Sundays at the Santa Ynez Christian Academy.
Life in Solvang is good for the Trebes. Kind of like living in Disneyland or Mayberry, says Al |
