Today we’d like to introduce you to Dennis & Therese Fenske.
Hi Dennis & Therese, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
As my husband and I entered our retirement years, we knew we needed something to keep us busy. We have other hobbies such as golf, fishing, and our two adorable granddaughters, but we needed a joint creative outlet. He, being a retired engineer, has always been interested in woodworking and I’m not afraid to get messy in the workshop.
In the fall of 2020, our daughters started talking about “charcuterie boards” and how fun they were for entertaining. I remember thinking, what is that word they are saying and how do you even spell it much less pronounce it? That Christmas, we decided to make a few of these new charcuterie boards for presents. They were a big hit with our family and friends and that began our journey and business woodworking adventure with charcuterie boards.
Our business has since expanded to include pizza peels, edge grain butcher block carving boards, and just about any shape and size charcuterie board you could imagine. In addition, Dennis makes handmade fishing nets, which are not only beautiful craftsmanship but also very functional.
They are truly a fisherman’s pride and joy, in addition of course to their catch!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
All businesses certainly have their ups and downs. and we have learned so much along the way. We have come a long way from our very first board and have learned much through the journey.
For example, our workshop is in our basement and we soon discovered we needed to have a ventilation system to handle all the sanding dust from our boards. We have also expanded our woodworking tools that not only make our process a little easier but also make a more beautiful board, peel, and fishing net.
While working from home definitely has its advantages, it also has its drawbacks. We had to learn how to manage our time because once again, with our workshop being easily accessible, we found ourselves working way too many hours. Our goal all along with our business has been to have fun making products for people to enjoy with their friends.
We never want to lose sight of that goal.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Pernod Avenue Marketplace?
We are very proud of the high-quality products we make and each one is handmade from start to finish.
We offer our products at local farmer’s markets and other various pop-up events, in addition to posting on social media. We mostly enjoy, however, meeting people and making something they want to share with their family and friends.
At one of our first farmer’s markets, we had a customer ask us about making a specific size board. He explained that he lived in a loft and had to take an elevator to the rooftop to grill. He needed something that would hold his food and also had cutouts to accommodate his whiskey glass or perhaps a bottle of wine.
We loved designing this unique board just for him. Another customer explained how she was limited in the kitchen due to being wheelchair-bound. We were thrilled to make a board for her with collapsible legs that perfectly fit her and her wheelchair.
Charcuterie boards are quite popular and there are many woodworkers now offering them. We like to think that a few of our products set us apart from the others and one is our Picnic Charcuterie Board. This portable board is our own design and our customers love it.
It has collapsible legs with a magnetic catch and a leather handle for easy transport. Living in the city, we love to take advantage of the park concerts and food trucks in the summer months. Our Picnic Board is perfect for these types of events. We even took it to the beach with us last summer and it was exactly what we needed to keep the sand out of our snacks.
Another interesting feature of Pernod Avenue Marketplace is the custom woodburning we offer our customers. Popular designs include the fleur-de-lis, St. Louis Arch, initials, family names, year of marriage, etc. Our fishing nets feature a favorite fish wood burned on one side of the handle and initials or names on the other side.
Our fishing nets are definitely a product that shows our unique craftsmanship. They are made of cherry, walnut, and maple hardwoods that are steamed, molded, and glued together. Many steps are involved in making a beautifully finished net and each must be done perfectly.
Quite often our customers will say that our nets are so beautiful they do not want to use them, We remind them they are both beautiful and very functional and to please send us a photo with a fish in it!
What do you think about happiness?
As we mentioned earlier, as a newly retired couple, we knew we needed something to keep us busy.
We are so excited and grateful for this business we have built. It is a joint effort and we very much do enjoy working together, collaborating on new ideas, and meeting so many interesting people along the way.
Family is by far our primary interest in life, and many aspects of our business are in fact, family projects. We love that when one of our children stops by, they are always open to heading downstairs to see our newest board or piece of woodworking equipment.
And they are definitely our go-to people with social media questions!
Pricing:
- Range from $50 to $150+
Contact Info:
- Email: pernodavenue@gmail.com
- Website: https://forms.gle/Bu2oGH6MJBu83Q9GA
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pernodavenuemarketplace/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pernodavenuemarketplace
