Retail roundup: Pepper Project brings taste of Cambodia to Orange [in California]

The Pepper Project started four years ago, mainly selling gourmet organic Kampot pepper. Now it sells much more than pepper at its new Orange store.

COURTESY OF THE PEPPER PROJECT

BY JOANNA CLAY / STAFF WRITER

Published: Oct. 24, 2014 Updated: 5:14 p.m.

The Pepper Project, an O.C. company that sells items made by Cambodian artisans, is opening a brick-and-mortar shop this weekend in Orange.

For the last four years, Orange residents Tom Gordon – a former Orange County Register news editor – and his wife, Cris Peterson, have operated the Pepper Project online.

Initially, the shop sold Cambodian organic peppercorns – which come in black, red and white and are grown in Cambodia’s Kampot province. Gordon, a Vietnam veteran, and Peterson were inspired during a trip to Asia almost five years ago, where they observed Cambodians’ hard work ethic and kind spirits but also their extreme poverty.

“Since that first taste of Cambodia in 2010, we have aligned with many other organizations working in Cambodia to help fill the needs all over the country,” Peterson said. “We knew that we would also be helping an extremely hard-working family of pepper farmers and the industry in general.”

Roughly 60 percent of the proceeds from the products sold – which include bath products, scarves, jewelry and home goods – go back to Cambodians. The company supports Cambodian-based organizations that help youth, orphans, victims of sex trafficking and the disabled, among others.

The store at 940 W. Chapman Ave., Suite 106, will host a grand opening from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday and 4 to 7 p.m. Monday. After that, shopping will be by appointment only. Items can be purchased online and be picked up in-store as well.

For more information, visit pepperproject.org.