Pike Place Market's Sur La Table to file for bankruptcy, according to report

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Seattle restaurants, and cookware companies are feeling the heat of the economic downturn as a result of the novel coronavirus.

Sur La Table, which began in Pike Place Market 48 years ago, is preparing to file for bankruptcy, according to a recent Bloomberg report.

The cookware company and retail giant beloved for its ceramics, culinary trinkets, home goods and cooking classes, began as a humble independent business, but now boasts upwards of 125 stores across the country. Its hub in Pike Place Market has been a shopping destination for both culinary gurus and kitchen newbies for decades, with famed chefs like those of Jacques Pepin and Julia Child dishing out in-store demonstrations over the years.

In wake of the novel coronavirus, the flagship shop nestled in Pike Place Market joined many of its shuttered operations temporarily closed down in mid-March.

Now, things aren't looking quite as temporary.

Although phase one of Washington state’s plan to reopen the economy might permit some retail shops to reopen for curbside pickup, there's no word on whether or not Sur La Table will be able to do so given the reported pending bankruptcy.

Sur La Table was originally founded by entrepreneur and home cook Shirley Collins, who filled the need for quality kitchenware for sale in Seattle at the time. In 1995, she sold the store. In 2011, private firm Investcorp (think: high end brands like Gucci and Tiffany) bought it for $146 million. The alleged bankruptcy comes a bit of a surprise as just last year the company cut the ribbon on a 5,000-square-foot store in Jacksonville, Florida.

As of late, there is no word from Sur La Table.

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