Behind the Biz: Kitchen Barn

For most families, the kitchen is the heart the home. It's a communal place where memories are made and events are held. And for a local Ramona business, the kitchen is also the workplace.

Kitchen Barn, which sits at 780 Main Street, Suite G, is family-owned and operated by the Tafts. Matt has been in the business for more than 20 years, his wife Tracy keeps things running smoothly and the kids help out where they can.

The local biz is just off Main Street, with a storefront that doesn't do the large showroom and warehouse justice. They offer full-service kitchen remodeling, flooring, installation, even closet design: you name it, they can do it.

Read on to find out what makes the Kitchen Barn experience different and why the room deserves to be the center of your home from Kitchen Barn owner Matt Taft.

Patch: Why did you decide to start this business in Ramona?

Matt Taft: My wife and I have been a longtime residents of Ramona, and among other things, I owned a local custom kitchen cabinet shop for nearly twenty years.

I have also built many custom homes in the area, so it made sense that I could fill a need with a kitchen and bath remodeling and design showroom right in the heart of my hometown.

Patch: What distinguishes your business from others in the same industry?

Taft: The Kitchen Barn specializes in helping people through a daunting process. Many homeowners delay remodeling their kitchens because of fear of the unknown. For many people, it is seen as a scary, expensive, disruptive inconvenience, even though they know they need to do it. We dedicate ourselves to building a relationship of trust, so we can reduce the amount of anxiety, and ultimately deliver an exciting new kitchen our customer can be proud of.

Patch: What are some current challenges you face as a business owner?

Taft: The weak economy, the uncertainty of the future has made it difficult for homeowners to justify a major home improvement expense. We are also facing competitive pressures from cheap and inferior imports that have distorted market pricing. We rely heavily on referral business and local social network marketing to spread the word, so we work extra hard to provide a seamless, stress-free experience for our clients.

Patch: What's the best business advice you've ever been given?

Taft: A good friend of mine who has been very successful in the kitchen remodeling business constantly reminds me to keep focused on what we do and who we do it for. He advises me to “be cautious of the lure of trying to do too much; it will dilute your strengths and your ability to give good value to your customers.”

Patch: Why is the kitchen the most important room in the home?

Taft: An efficient kitchen keeps the trains running on time…

But beyond the need for efficiency, it is increasingly becoming the focal point when company comes over. People tend to congregate around the preparation of food, so it is important to incorporate space for friends and family to socialize without interfering with the work being done in the kitchen.

A good kitchen design allows the energy generated in the kitchen to be dispersed throughout the home in a way that provides a sense of comfort to the owners and their guests.

Looking to remodel your kitchen and make it the center of your home? Call up Kitchen Barn at 760-788-6900 or email the Tafts at info@kitchenbarn.net.