Sur La Table, Inc. is a privately held American retail company based in Seattle, Washington, that sells gourmet cooking utensils and related merchandise, such as appliances, food, and cookbooks. As of 2007, Sur La Table sells products in 67 stores in 26 states across the country and the District of Coumbia, as well as through their web site and catalogs. Cooking classes are available through about 20 of their stores.In French, sur la table means on the table.Shirley Collins founded Sur La Table in 1972, opening a single retail location in Seattle's Pike Place Market. In 1995, Collins sold the company to the Behnke family of Seattle, who soon opened a second location in Berkeley, California, and, funded by venture capital proceeded to expand the company and open new locations nationwide.Sur La Table is currently owned by a group of private investors, including the Behnke family and private equity firm Freeman Spogli Co. Corporate headquarters are located in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. Kathy Tierney is the company's chief executive officer, and is pursuing an expansion policy of opening new stores in "lifestyle centers", "with a mix of upscale national brands and creative local merchants, anchored by an upscale or organic-themed grocery store 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.Sur La Table currently has 67 stores located across the country under leadership of Kathy Tierney (CEO) and Jack Schwefel (President). External linksSur La Table homepageWedding and Gift RegistryCompany overview from Hoover's