Debbie Schaeffer, owner of Mrs G Appliances in Lawrenceville knows how to tell her story. Not just the personal story about this third generation family-owned retail showroom, but also about how it continues to evolve, serve its customers and be an active part of the community.
Every big box hardware store sells appliances but few (if any) offer innovation or a fulfilling customer experience like Mrs G.
Debbie hosts events, offers cooking classes and has business gatherings in addition to selling a wide range of high quality appliances. Debbie is an integral part of the community.
She wanted me to created some images to illustrate her store, so we got together and spent some time taking a few photos to give people insight into some showroom features that Mrs G offers.
My favorite is the Community Kitchen (pictured above) which is fully operational, not just a display. To get some authentic photos, Debbie had her chef cooked up some delicious chilly while I photographed the process. (I wish I could have photographed the aroma, too.)
The staff certainly enjoyed us having done this as can be seen in this panoramic photo grabbing some lunch in the kitchen. This is the view that customers experience upon entering the store.
There are also a wealth of other interesting displays of appliances with features I would never have imagined like the Kitchen Hub which offers a built-in screen connected to the Internet that can be used for cooking tips, photographing what you are cooking and visually communicating with others while you are preparing your meals. Photographing live screens can be tricky but I wasn’t there to fake the experience, but instead to illustrate it. I can just imagine someone watching a football game on the hub or getting live cooking tips from a sibling.
As a devoted coffee drinker I loved the various coffee and espresso makers available, too. One unit is conveniently situated at the front of the store where you enter, so you can start your shopping experience with a warm drink. (Cookies, too!)
There is even a unit you can program remotely using your smartphone so you provide custom coffee to your friends when they visit or when you have a party. Things have come a long way from the percolator grandma used to use.
This was a great assignment. Every business has stories to tell that are important to it and to the people it serves. My job as a photographer (my story) is to be a listener and then show others what I learn. My roots are as a photojournalist, a photo story-teller. If I can say in pictures what you want to tell, I’ve done my job.