Julie Hickethier has cooking down to a science.

She said Trovare, her new kitchen supply store in Whitefish, is “all based on data.”

The Great Falls native relocated to Whitefish with the express purpose of opening a high-end kitchen supply store in town. After extensive research on the ground and at the University of Montana, she determined Whitefish to be the ideal location for her vision.

“Up in this valley here, there’s lots of foodies,” she observed. “I knew it was the right place.”

Trovare — Italian for “to find” or “to stumble upon” — carries more than a thousand kitchen supply products, from salts, cheeses and spices to pots, pans and cutting boards. As soon as they step in the door, customers are greeted with 46 tubs of uniquely flavored, extra-virgin olive oils, followed by an entire wall of infused salts.

“It’s a small space, but there’s lots in here,” Hickethier said.

Out of the hundreds of kitchen supplies, she said, “I’m most proud of our cheeses.” Trovare’s cheese selection includes selections from a variety of well-known European creameries, along with cheese from prominent American creameries like Rogue Creamery in Oregon, which recently became the first American creamery to win the top prize at the “World Cheese Awards” in Italy.

With so many unique palate pleasers, Hickethier insisted, “This is a tasting store. We want people to leave here with stuff they love, and the best way is to try it.”

And Hickethier hopes customers will still love the products they can’t taste in the store. Trovare supplies “some of the best cookware you can buy,” such as Emily Henry, Le Creuset, Rosle and Wusthof. Without Trovare in town, she said Flathead Valley locals would have to travel to Missoula to find many of these acclaimed international products.

“We have things coming in every day,” she added. “We’re not done. Things will be changing all the time.”

She said she chose the ambiguous name “Trovare” because “it leaves my business model open.” After the holidays, Hickethier said Trovare will expand to include cooking classes and special events with trained chefs.

But she made it clear, “we’re not a culinary institute.” She insisted her goal is simply “to inspire people to get into the kitchen and get cooking.”

“I’m not a trained chef,” she pointed out. The former health-care executive and national consultant said she started cooking “by necessity” raising her two children.

She spent years cooking for crowds, groups, friends and family.” Now, she said, “It’s just my passion.”

In the short time since the store opened Nov. 9, it seems like Whitefish locals share her passion.

“I’ve had so many people tell me, ‘we were just waiting for you to open,’ and ‘this is what Whitefish needed.’”

“There’s not a store like this in Whitefish,” she added.

Trovare is located at 317 Central Avenue, Suite 102. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at bserbin@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.