GUTHRIE, Okla. (KFOR) – Bill Frederick’s bread and butter mixed with sea salt for the skin is still selling at arts and crafts fairs, and state fairs. But he and his family are still soaking in the pleasant afterglow of opening an actual storefront in downtown Guthrie, with more merchandise than what they can travel with.

“So this is like a giant state fair booth,” jokes his visitor.

“Giant. Yes,” Bill smiles in reply. “We love how it came together.”

They even have a spot in the new Guthrie Chamber magazine.

“We’re officially part of the community,” he glows pointing at his ad.

Go back 3 years though, and those bath salts Bill and his wife Andrea were blending and selling from their Edmond garage were threatening to sting.

All those shows, all those fairs, more than 300 of them in a year, were canceled. By late spring of 2020 Andrea got busy beefing up their online sales.

One idea, including many others, was to throw in a protective mask with every purchase.

“Would you call your experience a journey or an adventure,” asks his guest?

“Definitely an adventure,” says Bill, “because of all the ups and downs.”

2020 didn’t prove to be a banner year for sales but they survived long enough for the shows and fairs to open back up. After all, people didn’t stop taking baths or needing them.

The company even outgrew their garage.

Bill points out, “This is our shipping area. This is may daughter Jessica who packs all the orders.”

That’s what made the latest chapter in their business story necessary. When an old building in Guthrie came up for sale, the family acted quickly.

“Just like in life you never really know what’s going to happen next,” Bill quips.

The company really is a family run operation. Bill and Andrea’s sons, daughters, and even their grandchildren have roles in the operation.

They have so much room now the Fredericks are thinking about opening up space for events.

“We can set up themes for parties,” says daughter Page Kamp.

The past 3 years have been more adventure than journey, but like a good, hot bath, they all feel better now.

The Salt Soothers store location, open in mid-April 2023 is 103 South 2nd Street in Guthrie.

For more information on Salt Soothers go to their website or their Facebook page.