All Fired Up!

All Fired Up!
602 Haddon Avenue
Collingswood, New Jersey 08108

All Fired Up! is a family affair. Opened by a mother-daughter duo more than 25 years ago, the Collingswood pottery painting studio has become a tradition for many families in the area – and even some more than 3,000 miles away.

AAA South Jersey sat down with All Fired Up! co-owner Kim Raiguel to find out more about the story behind our Discounts & Rewards partner.

"All Fired Up! started with my mother,” Raiguel explained. “She was looking to open up a business. Her boss at the time -- she was working in insurance -- and her boss came in one day and told her all about a place over in Pennsylvania, Manayunk actually, that his wife had been to. She went there and fell in love with it, called me up, told me about it. I was working at an ABC affiliate down in Maryland at the time and I decided to come home and help her.”

In October of 1997, All Fired Up! was born. Pam O’Brien and daughter Kim set up shop in Haddonfield, and 10 years later moved a few towns over to Collingswood, where All Fired Up! has sat on the corner of Haddon Avenue and Powell Lane for the last 16 years.

The move to Collingswood was a homecoming for Raiguel.

"Love Collingswood,” she said. “We have family ties to Collingswood. My great grandmother's aunt built the first house on Frazer [Avenue]. She was a nurse and she ran it as a hospital and then left it to my great grandmother and her husband who lived there until they both passed away. But they had a boarding home and a laundry service in there and then when they passed away my grandfather sold the house.”

Furthermore, Raiguel serves as the volunteer coordinator for Collingswood’s May Fair, one of the largest festivals in the region that welcomes approximately 50,000 people each year.

With deep roots in Collingswood, it’s no surprise All Fired Up! has become a common stop for many community members. That’s what Raiguel enjoys the most.

"My favorite part is the fact that we become a tradition for people,” Raiguel said. “We've had customers who live in Europe who come here once a year to visit family. Every time they come here to paint with us while they're here visiting family.

"It's really nice knowing that on Christmas or Mother's Day or Father's Day, they're opening gifts that are hand painted at All Fired Up! So we get a lot of that and seeing the kids -- we've been here so long that the little kids that used to come in are now bringing in their little kids and making me feel really old,” she said.

If you have never been, the process is simple. First, choose your piece of pottery. There are hundreds of shapes, sizes, and items to choose from. Then, decorate and paint your item in any way you want. When you are finished, the crew at All Fired Up! will glaze your item and fire it in the kiln. The finished product will be ready to pick up in about a week.

It’s a fun activity for all ages. Even babies can get in on the fun by placing their hand or footprint on an item, like a plate or bowl, as a keepsake.

Plates and bowls are great, but there is one item that Raiguel says has always been a bestseller.

"I have to say over the years, from the very beginning, dogs. Cats too, but dogs. Dogs are just the most popular piece always in the store. Mugs are always popular, plates are always popular, bowls are always popular. But the thing that gets sold the most that I'm always having to constantly restock are dogs,” she said.

If you’re interested in painting a dog – or nearly anything else you can think of – All Fired Up! can host your next party and also offers a summer camp that is open to all ages.

AAA members can save 15% on all pottery, canvas, and glass fusing experiences. Learn morehere.