Ten years ago, Patti Kendall left Dartmouth to open Pan Handler's Cookware and Cutlery in Newport, Rhode Island. Now, a decade later, she’s returned and is bringing her business with her.

Kendall and her partner Walter Platt officially relocated their kitchen cookware and cutlery shop to Padanaram last week. It follows her move back to her native Dartmouth several years ago amid the transformation of Padanaram.

“It seems like such an up and coming place,” Kendall said. “Ten years ago I wasn’t drawn in but it’s so welcoming here now,” adding that she had originally thought about setting up shop in Padanaram before settling on Newport.

With just under a month to go before the causeway is set to reopen, new sidewalks up and down Elm Street, and paving projects wrapping up, Kendall noted it’s the perfect time to open up a new business.

Working with a friend who lives in the area, she found the perfect location to set up shop in Dartmouth, at 354 Elm Street, the site of the former Village Merchant. She quickly secured a lease for her shop.

“We love to cook, and I’ve always been mesmerized by kitchen shops and the gadgets,” Kendall said.

In addition to pots, pans, knives, and other gadgets, her business also offers specialty orders on high-end equipment and knife sharpening. While the clientele at her Newport location tended to be professional chefs, she hopes to build a more diversified customer base in Dartmouth.

“We want everyone to come in -- professional, novice -- people love to cook and love to see what’s new and what products are out there,” Kendall said.

While Kendall is still handling opening tasks and settling in, she plans to hold a formal grand opening some time in the late summer or early fall.