Chef's Going Out Of Business>>

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You know, I wondered about that>>

Right after I posted with that link...I was not able to continue to browse their site...

 

I would guess they aren't gone yet, but that email this pm, (after lunch) was the first I heard about it...no mention in Wall Street this week that I heard about.

Let's just hope they can get the site back up...a few things were not any higher than other places...and I have a few things from them, but not much.

 

LaVidaBoem
 
Not News A Moi

Saw something several months back in the WSJ that Target (the parent company) was shutting down Chefs catalog.

http://gazette.com/160-jobs-lost-with-chefs-catalog-shutdown-in-colorado-springs/article/1562273

Have some pieces from Chefs and yes, they are of good quality. They were my second choice after Bridge Cookware here in NYC, but they closed years ago.

Sur la Table was great when they had catalog only, but their NYC stores aren't up my street. William Sonoma is "meh" but you can find nice things from time to time. They have an outlet in Woodbury Common so when up there see what there is.
 
I just pulled up the shopping site no problem.  I even had something in my cart.

 

Then I saw a Nesco 18 quart roaster on sale for $99.  Same thing is $30 or so at Target and similar stores.

 

I closed the window.
 
Same thing on some of their Wusthopf Trident knives. Their "sale price" is the same as our local Sur La Table stores regular price.

A few years ago a local woman ran an auction on Ebay for a box full of brand new baking and cooking items from Chef's. She was going to start a business and that fell through. This stuff was never used and still brand new. Cooking trays, knives, mixing bowls, spoons, spatulars, etc. She started the auction at $4.00. For the hell of it, I put in a bid of $4.00. A few days later I received a notification that I won the auction! I felt so sorry for that woman. She forgot to put a reserve on her auction. I even sent her a message saying that if she wants to rerun the auction she could go ahead. But she said I won fair and square and I went down and picked up the stuff. I still felt sorry for her, she took at least a couple of hundred dollar loss on that.
 
Sur la Table...

I used to go to Seattle several times a year and Sur la Table was always my first stop. Loved that place. There's also a great shop in Minneapolis in Calhoun Square on Lake street...of course the name escapes me at the moment. (Kitchen Window, maybe?)

When a friend and I started a catering business in the early 1990s, I discovered the wonderful world of restaurant supply stores and never looked back. I order All-Clad cookware and Wustof knives online, but everything else comes from restaurant suppliers.
 
My first experience with Sur la Table was in Seattle back in the early '90s.  It was a great store in what's probably a historic building not far from the Public Market.  We bought a couple of little things, although I can't remember what.

 

Now they're everywhere.  I wonder if they're still in that same "flagship" building in Seattle or in keeping with their sort of chic mall retail strategy, have moved into something more sleek and modern.
 
The Flagship Sur La Table is still there in Seattle's Pike Street Market and is still a treasure trove of delights. Only part of the building is historic and has been added onto. The original owner Shirley-can't remember last name-sold it to another local family the Behnke's, retired President of Pepsi Cola and that's where all the money came from to expand. I'm 61 and I first discovered Sur La Table when I was a freshman in high school and got my driver's license. I still have many of the first items I purchased and still us today including my first Kitchenaid mixer! It's always a busy store with super salespeople. It's part of the must see's when visiting the Market.
 
For kitchen items, the best place I've found is Wasserstrom. I like going to their stores, and they have a website that is excellent.

Shop Commercial Foodservice Smallwares and Equipment | Wasserstrom

Shop commercial dining room and kitchen supplies, restaurant equipment, furniture, disposables, janitorial, displayware, and more. From mom-and-pops to national chains, Wasserstrom is a proud leader of the restaurant supply industry.
www.wasserstrom.com www.wasserstrom.com
 
Buying Kitchenware:

I prefer Hockenberg's for both my personal and professional uses. Fabulous selection and very helpful staff. You could easily supply ANY commercial kitchen of any size through them. However the are open to the public. Just remember that they only sell commercial products.
WK78
 
Chefs going under-USED to get their catalogs and even ordered stuff from them.Guess this explains why I don't get their catalogs anymore.When I lived in DC area-used to use the Williams-Sonoma places.They were sort of handy source of high quality kitchen utensils and appliances.
 
Williams Sonoma stores are not as complete as they once were. I believe that there is just so much online shopping that brick and mortar stores are unable to stand up to the competition. The current condition of the Housewares Department in Macy's Stores is noting like it used to be and most department stores are Macy's now. Even Bloomies' Housewares Departments have taken a hit. Many businesses like Chef's are probably feeling the pressure from places like Amazon. Unfortunately, most people who have money for shopping, don't have a lot of time to drive several places to shop. Many people have become habituated to a few favorite online sites, check there first and usually find what they want at a price and quality they accept. One thing I like about online shopping is the review process. At a time when you can't find knowledgeable sales people in stores, it is nice to be able to read pros and cons from people with experience/knowledge.
 

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