5 Shocking Secrets About The Barefoot Contessa Original Store That Launched Ina Garten's Empire

Few culinary empires have a backstory as unexpected as the Barefoot Contessa. What started as a tiny specialty food store in the Hamptons became the foundation for Ina Garten’s global brand of cookbooks, television shows, and effortless entertaining. As of late 2025, the original storefront is long closed, but its legacy is constantly celebrated, with Ina herself reflecting on the shop's 46th anniversary in May 2024, reminding fans of where it all began.

The story of the Barefoot Contessa store is one of radical career changes, impulsive decisions, and a passion for simple, delicious food. It’s a tale that proves you can pivot from writing nuclear energy budgets to becoming a Food Network icon, all thanks to a small, pre-named shop that caught her eye in the New York Times classifieds.

The Unexpected Biography of Ina Garten: From White House Analyst to Culinary Icon

Ina Garten's journey is one of the most surprising in the culinary world, marked by a complete pivot from high-stakes government work to the world of gourmet food. This detailed profile outlines the key milestones that led her to the Barefoot Contessa.

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• Full Name: Ina Rosenberg Garten
• Born: February 2, 1948
• Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York
• Spouse: Jeffrey Garten (m. 1968)
• Education: Syracuse University (Sociology, dropped out), George Washington University (Business Administration)
• Pre-Culinary Career: Budget analyst at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during the Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter administrations. Her focus was on nuclear energy policy.
• The Pivot: Purchased the Barefoot Contessa specialty food store in 1978.
• Store Operation: Ran the store for 18 years, from 1978 to 1996.
• First Cookbook: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999)
• Television Debut: Barefoot Contessa on Food Network (2002)
• Key Entities in Her Career: Jeffrey Garten, White House, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Westhampton Beach, East Hampton, Food Network, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

The Tiny Shop That Started It All: Westhampton Beach, 1978

The original Barefoot Contessa store was never a grand, purpose-built endeavor by Ina Garten. Instead, it was an impulsive purchase that changed the trajectory of her life. While living in Washington, D.C., and working a demanding job as a nuclear budget analyst, Garten felt unfulfilled. She and her husband, Jeffrey Garten, would spend weekends restoring houses and entertaining, which she found far more satisfying.

1. It Was Named After a 1954 Film—Not Ina

The most common misconception about the Barefoot Contessa brand is that Ina Garten coined the name. In reality, the name was already attached to the 400-square-foot specialty food store she bought in 1978. The original owner, Diana Stratta, had named the shop after the 1954 film starring Ava Gardner and Humphrey Bogart. Garten loved the name because it sounded "elegant and earthy," and she kept it, securing its place in culinary history.

2. The First Location Was a 400-Square-Foot 'Leap of Faith'

Ina Garten’s first foray into the food world was not in the glamorous East Hampton location many remember, but in a small storefront in Westhampton Beach, New York. She saw an ad for the shop in the New York Times and, despite having zero experience in the food business, drove out to Long Island with Jeffrey the very next day. She described the purchase as a "leap of faith," quitting her prestigious government job and immediately diving into the high-pressure world of gourmet retail.

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The Store’s Evolution and Its Surprising End

As the Barefoot Contessa grew in popularity, its humble beginnings in Westhampton Beach were quickly outgrown. The store became a destination for Hamptons residents, known for its high-quality, simple, and elegant food, setting the stage for what would become Ina’s signature style. She focused on making food that tasted homemade, avoiding the overly complicated techniques of professional chefs.

3. The Iconic Location Was 46 Newtown Lane, East Hampton

To accommodate the booming business, Garten moved the Barefoot Contessa to its more famous and larger location at 46 Newtown Lane in East Hampton, New York. This store became the epicenter of her local fame, allowing her to expand the offerings from simple items to a full-service gourmet market. She developed her now-famous recipes, including her perfect roast chicken and countless desserts, all tested and perfected for her demanding Hamptons clientele.

4. Ina Sold the Store to Her Employees in 1996

After 18 years of running the highly successful gourmet shop, Ina Garten made the surprising decision to sell the Barefoot Contessa in 1996. The store had grown to fifty employees, and she was sometimes baking a thousand baguettes a day. The demanding nature of the retail business, which required constant oversight, began to limit her creativity. She realized that to move forward and focus on writing cookbooks—a dream she had deferred—she needed to let go of the physical shop. In a move of great loyalty, she sold the business to two of her long-time employees, allowing the legacy to continue briefly before it eventually closed for good.

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5. The Sale Directly Led to Her Food Network Stardom

The moment Ina sold the store, she felt a profound sense of emptiness, saying she went from "running a store with fifty employees... and the next day, I literally had nothing to do." However, this emptiness was the necessary space for her next act. The sale provided the time and mental freedom to compile her best recipes into her first book, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, published in 1999. The book was a massive success, selling over 100,000 copies in its first year and landing on the New York Times bestseller list. This success directly led to the offer for her own television show, Barefoot Contessa, which premiered on the Food Network in 2002, cementing her status as a global culinary superstar. The store was the crucible; the sale was the catalyst.