Sur La Table

Sur La Table’s Pike Place Store Will Remain Open for Now, As Company Files for Bankruptcy | Eater Seattle

"Founded at Pike Place Market in the early 1970s by Shirley Collins, the flagship Sur La Table shop in Seattle has long been a shopping destination and now houses the company's headquarters. Known for a well-curated selection of kitchen tools, ceramics, and home goods—and for popular cooking classes and in-store demonstrations by famed chefs such as Jacques Pepin and Julia Child—the Pike Place location was recently reopened and will be spared as the retailer filed for bankruptcy and closes more than 50 stores nationwide. Sur La Table saw a steep drop in revenue after many classes and events were paused during coronavirus measures, and CEO Jason Goldberger noted in the bankruptcy filing that the company's economic troubles predated the pandemic; Collins sold the business in 1995 and Investcorp acquired it in 2011 for $146 million. The pending sale is being framed as a way to revitalize the brand and preserve high-performing stores like the Pike Place flagship." - Gabe Guarente