Passing the Whisk: Inn and Trail changes hands, but keeps its heart

Inn and Trail’s new owners Corinne Cochran (l) and Annabel Moore (r).

By Berry Kendall

Sun contributor

Nestled in a small sage green Victorian cottage in Glen Arbor, Inn and Trail Gourmet has been a celebrated destination for locals and visitors since its inception in 2021. The soft creak of its storm door gives way to an aromatic haven beckoning shoppers with freshly brewed organic coffee, made-from-scratch baked goods, savory quiches and simmering soups. Wooden shelves are laden with imported oils, sauces, chutneys, jams, pasta, crackers, specialty salts and spices and small batch sweets. A glass bakery display features a variety of scintillating desserts and loaves of Nine Bean Rows bread. Humming softly in the corner, a refrigerator case offers neatly stacked wedges of pungent cheeses, savory cured meats and homemade sandwiches and salads.

Known for its friendly, helpful service and curated selection of gourmet products, Inn and Trail has become a cherished part of the community offering not just food but fellowship. Now, after four years of pouring their hearts into the business, beloved owners and spouses Julie Zapoli and Liz Erdmann are moving back to Montana. To the relief of their customers, they are handing over the reins to a worthy duo who share the same love for gourmet provisions and local connection.

Sisters Annabel Moore and Corinne Cochran never foresaw owning a food store together, but life served up something unexpected. “I always wanted to have a bed and breakfast,” Corinne says. “And now I kind of do, but I don’t have to make beds!”

Prior to this, Corinne, a gifted home cook, enjoyed a long and successful career as the partner of an executive search firm specializing in senior level corporate attorneys. She says, “I had been in my career for almost 43 years and upon returning from a ski trip, I suddenly felt like, “I can’t, I’m done. I’m cooked. I loved what I did, loved the beautiful career I had, but years ago I bought out my partner and it gets lonesome.”

A baker who can hold her own in the kitchen, Annabel dedicated the last 36 years to raising her four children while living in the U.S. and London. She also devoted herself to impactful volunteer work in her communities, owns and manages a storage facility business, and in recent years, serves as president of the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Glen Lake Community Library.

When asked how the Inn and Trail venture unfolded, Corinne explains that in February while on a quick trip to visit family, she learned via email that the home of their friends Liz and Julie was newly listed on the market. “My first reaction was, ‘Oh my God, they’re really going!’’’ she says. “And when we got back from the trip, I popped in and asked Julie, “What are you going to do about the store?” Julie said, “We’ve had a few people express interest but…YOU should buy it!” Cochran’s initial response was to demur, “No, no no.” She says, “So I left there and promptly drove to Annabel’s because I’ve been really struggling with what my next step is. Annabel, being her earth mother wise soul said, ‘Well, let’s just go talk to them. Let’s go have a beer and talk to them.’ And we did. And they shared some information with us and I said, ‘Why don’t I shadow for a couple weeks? Just let me come in, be part of your day, be part of your routine.’ And it took about a week. It just felt right, really right.”

The sisters put their heads together and discussed the life changes that owning a retail food store would require and the individual roles they would assume. They realized it would be prudent for them to understand what the other is juggling while knowing each other’s limits. “It’s understanding where our strengths are and allowing for growth,” says Corinne.

While both will have a daily presence in the store, Annabel says, “I will be doing books, and taking care of background matters, but as we go, we’re realizing that it can’t just be Corinne knowing how to cook and knowing recipes. I have to learn too. And so Corinne and I are getting certified by the health department in order to run a commercial kitchen.”

From the beginning, Inn and Trail’s motto has been “Go through life with a compass in one hand and a fork in the other.” Speaking to this, Corinne reflects, “So the more I thought about that motto, the more I realized how fitting it is. It’s part of the whole Godwink concept. Annabel is an adventurer. She loves to travel; she loves to be the navigator. She loves to figure out, ‘Where am I going? Oh, let’s take this route because this is a new route.’ And I love having a fork in my hand, not to eat but to mix. So not only do we believe that store’s ideology that Liz and Julie left us, but I think we really embody it. We each go through life with a compass and a fork and now I get to learn how to navigate in a way I didn’t before and Annabel gets to learn to ‘fork’ in a way that she never has.”

Although they have some new ideas for the future, Corinne emphasizes that for the first year, “We are getting our feet wet and just getting into the groove. We’re figuring out what we need in terms of staffing, in terms of food. How do we order [from vendors]? Just two days ago, Liz was walking me through ordering from Nine Beans Row. She said, ‘Some days you’re not going to get it right.’ You learn, you remember, ‘Okay, we had this much left over, let’s remember to do that next time.’ There’s a learning process and so I’m not in a hurry to make any big changes.” Annabel emphasizes, “Our goal is to enhance what’s already in place.”

Customers can rest assured that their favorite recipes will stay the same as well as the convenient take-and-go dinners in the freezer, with one or two additions like Corinne’s legendary red pasta sauce which she offers as a vegetarian marinara or with meat added.

The pair has decided to scale back one existing offering “until we get our sea legs.” Corinne explains, “It’s a huge learning curve which is actually kind of fun. And I’m excited to try new things. But for right now, the catering menu is off the website.”  In terms of seasonal fare, they hope to include a cold soup and more salads in the summer months. Next fall or winter they are considering offering a fresh takeaway dinner option one day a week which customers can pre-order.

The transition in ownership was made more feasible by the generosity of spirit shown to them by Liz and Julie. “I want to go on record saying that I feel really honored that they’ve left us in charge of their baby,” says Annabel. “And they’ve both been so incredibly helpful. Liz said the other day, ‘I’m a call away. It doesn’t matter if I’m in Montana fishing, I don’t care. We want you to succeed.’”

Corinne and Annabel plan to adhere to Julie’s quest to offer hand-curated gourmet food products from women-owned, socially conscious small businesses. “But the product has to, of course, taste good and be well packaged,” asserts Corinne. She continues, “Something we learned from Liz and Julie is this is a store where we don’t want customers to be able to go next door and buy the same thing. That’s what they’ve taught us and it’s true. They have such interesting products but you also have to know what to do with them. During our initial transition period, I said, ‘Julie, I want you to walk around the store with me and answer ‘What do I do with this? What about this?’ and she did, which is one of her gifts.”

Corinne says, “There are a lot of products about which the customers ask, ‘How do I use this?’ I’ve sold more jars of the lemon curd because most people don’t know what to do with it. I say, ‘Okay, that’s a half cup. Go get a full cup of heavy whipping cream, fold them together, put it in a martini glass or something cute, with little fruit, raspberries or whatever on top, and you’re done.’ ”

When asked how they want customers to feel when they enter the store, Annabel answers: “Homey. Warm. Welcome.” Those qualities extend to the lush garden behind the store which has been transformed into a tranquil sanctuary by their friend, Naomi Call. A gardener, herbalist and the owner of Alchemy & Co., Naomi has planted an array of edible flowers that can be incorporated into dishes in the store. Naomi is also a yoga instructor and weather permitting, will be teaching yoga in the garden on Wednesdays and Saturdays beginning in late June.

Annabel says, “I’m waiting for Carol Worsley, who owns Thyme Inn and this building, to stop by. I’ve been sending her pictures of the garden and she is thrilled.” Corinne adds, “There’s a little secret garden in the very back with tables of two. We added three umbrellas and there are now three tables of six. The other day, we looked out and it was packed.”

As she prepares for her next chapter, store founder Julie Zapoli shares a heartfelt reflection: “It’s very bittersweet leaving this town. The Inn and Trail Gourmet has given me a community. We have been honored with the most incredible staff — who are all now dear friends. I have had the opportunity to serve my food to wonderful, kind people. Knowing that I’m passing the whisk to Corinne and Annabel makes the whole process that much easier.”

Inn and Trail Gourmet is open six days a week in the summer. Tuesday 9 am to 1 pm, Wednesday through Saturday 9 am to 4 pm and Sunday 9 am to 1 pm.