After helping Torchy's Tacos, a local restaurant chain, get off the ground in 2006, Bob Gentry celebrated the grand opening of his new business, Serve: Gourmet Gadgets & Goods, 241 W. Third St., on Nov. 13.

Gentry, a former partner in Torchy's Tacos and co-owner of Serve: Gourmet, said the kitchen goods store is filling a need he identified downtown.

"Being in downtown Austin, you have such a growing population of people that are moving to this area that it's really developing its own neighborhood, own community downtown" Gentry said. "We felt like we wanted to provide the product for their homes that would be special. There's so much entertaining that goes on in people's homes."

Gentry said when he sold his shares of Torchy's to the other partners in the company, he was ready to pursue a new venture.

"I had been really looking at what was going on in the marketplace as far as people's interest and things they are drawn to," Gentry said. "There's just an incredible amount of excitement about the food industry and what people are doing with cooking in their homes. [People are] becoming not just cooks, but really becoming chefs and enjoying broadening their expertise when it comes to what they're preparing in the kitchen."

Serve: Gourmet offers food items such as jams, coffee and spices; cookware such as pots and pans from brands including Le Creuset, Cuisinart and All-Clad; and other kitchen essentials including dishes, stemware and cooking utensils. Gentry said the shop also tries to feature area products, including Black's Barbecue sauces.

"One of the characteristics we wanted to develop in our store was that [these] are not products that you would see everywhere else," Gentry said, adding that the partners in the store went to several trade shows looking for products. "We specifically were looking for items that are not in the local grocery stores, that are set apart as more of gourmet specialty items."

Liza Chen Willmore, who was visiting the store during its grand opening, said she enjoyed the variety of products the store offers.

"It has a little bit of everything," Willmore said. "It has knickknacks you can buy to go out to a party or something you can buy for the home. It's very convenient."

Willmore also said she enjoyed some of the ceramic place settings available at the store.

Tiffany Harelik, an author who was showcasing a line of jellies and jams at the store Nov. 13, said she has been doing some marketing for Serve: Gourmet, and the store has been well-trafficked since the soft opening Oct. 20.

"Everything has been selling really well," Harelik said. "When we opened, we weren't sure if it was going to be plates, the food or the cookware, but it's been everything."

For more information, visit www.servegourmet.com.