Cooks was born in 1973 in a 1,500-square-foot storefront at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Lexington Parkway in St. Paul. There were four employees and approximately 250 different items for sale.

Thirty years later, Cooks spans two locations with two state-of-the-art cooking schools. We employ 85 people, and our schools rely on the services of another 60. Our inventory has grown to include more than 15,000 innovative culinary items.

From the beginning, we’ve been industry trendsetters. Here are some of the “firsts” that set us apart from the rest of the culinary pack:

• Gourmet products retail store in the Saint Paul
  
  
• Retail store to incorporate cooking classes
  
  
• Company to develop a team-building program centered on the preparation of a meal
  
  
• Cooking school to bring nationally recognized chefs and cookbook writers to the upper Midwest
  
  
• Espresso bar on Grand Avenue
  
  
• Company to develop a program supporting Minnesota’s regional, sustainable agriculture
  
  
• Company to incorporate specialty foods into a hard goods retail environment
  
  
• Gourmet retailer to create a brand-oriented, experiential retail experience
  
  
• Cooking school invited to teach at The Culinary Institute of America in California
  
  
• Gourmet product retailer to partner with a national department store
  
  
• Specialty gourmet retailer to directly import culinary products
  
  
• Company invited to serve as host to the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ annual conference
  
  
• Cooking school to develop a series of dinner-oriented classes for people who like to eat instead of people who like to cook
  
  
• Company to create a quarterly magazine devoted to sharing the culinary experience