Cupboard’s not bare: After 42 years, iconic Fort Collins kitchen store still cooking

FORT COLLINS — Thanks in part to the popularity of shows such as Master Chef, Chopped and The Next Food Network Star, cooking continues to be big business. According to the International Housewares Association, U.S. houseware sales increased more than 3 percent to $69.3 billion in 2012. The top four categories alone – cook and bakeware, kitchen tools and accessories, tabletop, and kitchen electrics – accounted for a $36 billion slice of the pie.

While competition for those dollars is fierce, one Fort Collins store has carved out a niche among the crowd of retail giants. The Cupboard, 152 S. College…