The Final Link

Dina Clausen, proud owner of three Consider The Cook stores, stands surrounded by her Vero Beach inventory. Her cheerful, relaxed demeanor belies a serious, dedicated and hard-working entrepreneur.

When Consider The Cook opened in Vero Beach in October 2014, it was the final link in the trio of stores that owner Dina Clausen had dreamed of years earlier. The original store was founded in Cross River, New York in 1978 by Betsy Barnett and a group of her friends. Twenty years later, Dina became manager of that store and soon after, the sole owner. In 2000, she relocated the store to the Village Green in nearby Bedford, New York. 

Dina’s first job after graduating from Tufts University was a stint as owner of the original Il Papiro, an Italian stationary store in Washington, D.C. She struggled to run the store, feeling pressure to get it established and profitable. Dina says, “Looking back, my six years at Il Papiro, though stressful and full of frustrations, were actually the genesis of my entrepreneurial skills.”

Moving north in 1984, Dina was hired as a buyer for Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue in New York. There she connected with an amazing mentor, John Loring, the fabled design director at Tiffany’s for 30 years. Dina studied with Loring, traveled with him, and under his tutelage, honed her eye for design and a desire to excel in her field.