Sur La Table Dishes Up New Location at Hearst Tower in New York Media Epicenter

NEW YORK, NY and SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - Aug 15, 2011) - Seattle-based Sur La Table, the retail destination for those with a passion for cooking and a love for food, will open its flagship store in Hearst Tower in late 2011. Its first NYC space opened in SoHo in 2005 and a second store in the Upper East Side opened in 2010.

The new store will include Sur La Table's largest kitchen and cooking class program. Customers will be able to take cooking classes, as well as attend events with media partners and renowned chefs from around the world. Cooking classes are currently slated to start in early December.

Sur La Table is nearing a 40-year legacy of knowledgeable and passionate service. Dedicated employees, many of them serious cooks themselves, share their expertise and enthusiasm for cooking every day. The 6,174-square-foot store will employ about 20 full- and part-time employees.

CEO Jack Schwefel, a native New Yorker, comments on the expansion, "New York City has such a vibrant food culture and is the media capital of the country. We are thrilled to open our doors in the heart of the city, inviting customers into our home where they can shop and hone their cooking skills."

Lou Nowikas, senior director, corporate real estate & facilities planning, Hearst Corporation, adds, "In addition to being one of the nation's largest media companies, we pride ourselves on being leaders in environmental awareness, civic enhancement and strategic decision-making. We couldn't be happier to have Sur La Table join us in our corporate headquarters -- one of New York's most iconic buildings. It's a great fit and makes sense for our community and for our employees."

Over the past several years, Sur La Table has been committed to growth. The company currently operates over 85 stores nationwide, many with cooking class programs. Earlier this year, two new stores were opened and two stores were relocated. Plans to open seven additional retail locations, grow its distribution center and expand one retail store are currently underway for 2011. In addition, the company will remodel several stores and add two new cooking class programs to existing stores. Seven of nine new store openings include cooking class programs. Sur La Table also launched a new website and gift registry program in January 2011. Two new store leases for 2012 have already been signed.

Since its beginnings in Seattle's Pike Place Market in 1972, Sur La Table has believed that the kitchen is the center of the home. Today, those with a passion for cooking and a love for food can discover a leading selection of global brands in over 85 Sur La Table stores, online at www.surlatable.com, through the Sur La Table Catalog and via the Sur La Table Gift Registry. With cooking classes in over 25 locations, Sur La Table operates the largest avocational cooking school nationwide. From essential basics to hard-to-find specialty tools and cookware, Sur La Table is sure to have something for every cook.

Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) is one of the nation's largest diversified media companies. Its major interests include ownership of 15 daily and 38 weekly newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union; hundreds of magazines around the world, including Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, ELLE and O, The Oprah Magazine; 29 television stations, which reach a combined 18% of U.S. viewers; ownership in leading cable networks, including Lifetime, A&E, History and ESPN; as well as business publishing, including a minority joint venture interest in Fitch Ratings; Internet and marketing services businesses, television production, newspaper features distribution and real estate.

Sur La Table's press kit, product look books, high resolution photos and other materials are posted on the company's FTP site. This site is available for media only. Please request the link from razonia@razoniapr.com. Information in this document and on our FTP site is intended for your media outlet and its employees seeking products and company information from Sur La Table. Sharing information for any other purpose is strictly prohibited.