Williams-Sonoma Returns

Williams-Sonoma reopens in Sonoma for Chuck Williams' 99th birthday

Chuck Williams in 1956. A Williams-Sonoma store will open in Sonoma in October 2014.

Chuck Williams in 1956. A Williams-Sonoma store will open in Sonoma in October 2014.
Chuck Williams in 1956. A Williams-Sonoma store will open in Sonoma in October 2014.

After several years of planning, permitting and building, kitchen outfitter Williams-Sonoma will be returning to its roots in Sonoma. In celebration of founder Chuck William’s 99th birthday, the store will open in early October at its original Broadway location on the Sonoma Square.

There will be a small cooking school and historic display, in addition to cookware and kitchen gadgets.

The landmark store opened in 1956, when a prescient Williams decided Americans might appreciate European-quality cookware. Just a few years later, Julia Childs’ Mastering the Art of French Cooking kindled a firestorm of interest in his high-end copper pots, pans and knives. utensils. Ironically, Sonoma County has’t had a Williams-Sonoma store since Williams moved his operation to San Francisco in the late 1950s.