Williams-Sonoma, Inc. - Company Overview

During the late 1940s and early '50s, Chuck Williams worked as a contractor in Sonoma, CA. Also during this time he became part of a circle of friends who loved to cook and eat together. In 1952, Chuck and a couple of these friends traveled to Paris and were introduced to classic French cooking equipment—specialized items like omelet pans and souffle molds whose quality he'd never seen in the U.S.