Sur La Table, Inc. is a privately held American retail company based in Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

, that sells kitchenware products, including cookware, cutlery, cooks' tools, small electrics, tabletop and linens, bakeware, glassware and bar, housewares, food and outdoor. As of 2011, Sur La Table sells products in 85+ stores in 27 states across the country and the District of Columbia, as well as through their web site and catalogs. Cooking

Cooking

Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...

 classes are available in 26 stores. The company launched a new web site and gift registry program in January 2011.

In French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

, sur la table means on the table. syʁ la tabl

History

Shirley Collins founded Sur La Table in 1972, opening a single retail location in Seattle's Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers,...

. In 1995, Collins sold the company.

Sur La Table is currently owned by Investcorp. Corporate headquarters are located in Seattle's Georgetown

Georgetown, Seattle, Washington

Georgetown is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is bounded on the north by the mainlines of the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, beyond which is the Industrial District; on the west by the Duwamish River, across which is South Park; on the east by Interstate 5, beyond which is...

 neighborhood. Jack Schwefel is the company's chief executive officer

Chief executive officer

A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...

, and is pursuing an expansion policy of opening new stores in lifestyle centers, malls and on city streets.,"with a mix of upscale national brand

Brand

The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...

s and creative local merchants, anchored by an upscale or organic-themed grocery store

Grocery store

A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...

 that encourages frequent trips".

As of 2005, it is the second-largest specialty cookware retailer in the US, after Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

Many of the stores offer cooking classes, which serve the dual purpose of teaching kitchen techniques and promoting the sale of Sur La Table's inventory.