Sur La Table is an American retail company specializing in kitchenware, cookware, and culinary education. Founded in 1972 in Seattle's Pike Place Market by Shirley Collins, the company has grown to operate approximately 50 retail stores across the United States along with a comprehensive e-commerce platform. The name, French for 'on the table,' reflects the company's focus on everything related to cooking and dining.
Sur La Table positions itself as a specialty kitchen retailer catering to passionate home cooks and culinary enthusiasts. The stores are designed as immersive cooking environments, many featuring in-store cooking class studios where customers can take hands-on culinary courses taught by professional chefs. These cooking classes have become a signature feature of the brand and cover a wide range of cuisines, techniques, and skill levels.
The product range includes premium cookware, bakeware, cutlery, kitchen electrics, kitchen tools and gadgets, tabletop items, food and drink products, and specialty ingredients. Sur La Table carries a curated mix of well-known brands such as Le Creuset, Staub, All-Clad, Wusthof, Zwilling, Vitamix, and Breville alongside its own private-label products. The company is known for its knowledgeable staff who can provide detailed product recommendations and cooking advice.
Sur La Table emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in 2020, which resulted in a reduction of its physical store footprint. The company has since focused on strengthening its e-commerce operations, enhancing its cooking class program with both in-person and online formats, and curating a tighter product assortment focused on quality and culinary performance.