About The Cook's Warehouse
 |
As founder and CEO of The Cook’s Warehouse (www.cookswarehouse.com), Mary Moore has combined her love of cooking and business. The Cook's Warehouse is Atlanta’s premier gourmet store and cooking school with four convenient locations: Midtown, Brookhaven, Decatur and East Cobb. These are complemented by an on-line store at cookswarehouse.com and a mail order catalog. |
Moore opened the first Cook’s Warehouse location in Midtown on Amsterdam Avenue in 1995, and under her leadership, the business has expanded to include a cooking school with more than 800 classes taught annually by renowned chefs in four kitchens. In 2002, Moore opened a second location in Brookhaven that is shared with Sherlock’s Wine Merchant. This partnership, the first of its kind in the Atlanta area, enables Moore to offer the finest in cookware, kitchen accessories, appliances and unique gadgets, as well as handpicked artisan wines and cooking classes. In 2005, Moore, in partnership with Doug Bryant, owner of Sherlock’s Wine Merchant, and Craig Maske, general manager of Sherlock’s Wine Merchant, opened the third retail location in downtown Decatur. As with the Brookhaven store, this location offers the finest in cooking and wine to a dedicated customer base.
In the spring of 2006, Moore re-launched Cookswarehouse.com to include a full retail section. Web offerings include top brands of cookware, cutlery, kitchen electrics and gadgets as well as new, unique and local products. Moore re-located the “back offices” of The Cook’s Warehouse, housing its purchasing, accounting and cooking-school management, and opened a separate warehouse to support Cookswarehouse.com in fall 2007.
In the fall of 2009, Moore moved her flagship store to Ansley Mall in a space formerly occupied by Piccadilly Cafeteria. This 6,500-square-foot space is 30% larger than her original Amsterdam Avenue location, offers the largest live display of Miele appliances in the U.S. in the state-of-the-art teaching kitchen and more than 15,000 items for the aspiring cook to professional chef.
In September 2011, Moore opened the fourth retail location in Merchant’s Walk in an area of, Marietta, GA, known as East Cobb. Since opening her first store, Moore has grown her business to over 70 associates in four retail locations plus support staff and a separate warehouse location.
Prior to opening The Cook’s Warehouse, Moore managed the kitchens and cooked at the award- winning Atlanta restaurants Partners Morningside Café and Indigo Coastal Grill. She then served as the director of research and development for Harry’s Farmers Market, which at the time was Atlanta’s largest and most prestigious gourmet and fresh food supplier.
Moore frequently shares her culinary experience through the media. She has made television appearances on the Atlanta affiliates for NBC, Fox (Good Day Atlanta), Home Shopping Network, FamilyNet, CBS, PBS and Turner South. Moore is a food stylist and hand model for film productions, and her television credits include multiple national commercials, a GPTV Julia Child and Burt Wolf production and “Nathalie Dupree Entertains,” a PBS series. She has filmed cooking demonstrations for "Southern Living Presents" and a commercial for Duke’s mayonnaise. Moore has been a radio guest on “Business Radio X”, “Chef and the Fat Man,” and “Behind the Line” on WGSR Atlanta. She has also written for Atlanta’s Finest Dining magazine and Atlanta Woman magazine. In addition to leading The Cook’s Warehouse, Moore is a guest teacher of cooking classes. She is also respected nationally as a culinary resource and is frequently asked to speak at industry conferences.
Moore has received numerous awards and has been recognized as a successful businesswoman and leader in the culinary industry. She is an active member of many organizations including the Immediate Past President of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, a member of the Carter Center Board of Councilors, a Board of Direcotors member of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and a member of the Woodward Academy Governing Board.
Industry Leadership Roles:
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Council on Small Business, 2010 - present
Metro Atlanta Chamber, Board of Directors, 2010 - present
Metro Atlanta Chamber, Business Growth Advisory Board, 2008 – present; Chair, 2010 - present
Les Dames d’Escoffier International Board of Directors, 2008 – present, President, 2011-2012
Les Dames d’Escoffier International, Atlanta Chapter, Charter Member, 1996 – present, President, 2007
Atlanta Community Food Bank Board of Directors Member 2010 - present
Atlanta Community Food Bank, Advisory Board Member since 2001, Chair 2010 - 2011
Emory University Board of Visitors, 2012-2013
Woodward Academy Governing Board, 2012-2013
Woodward Academy Alumni Board since 2007 – 2012
Home World Business Product Design Awards Judge, 2012
Int’l Home and Housewares Association, GIA Awards Judge, 2011
Int’l Home and Housewares Association, Product Design Awards Judge, 2006, 2007, 2009 - 2011
Gourmet Catalog Retail Advisory Panel Member, 2003 - present
International Housewares Association, Specialty Retailer Advisory Panel Member, 2003 - present
High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction, Committee, 2004 - 2013
The Carter Center, Board of Councilors Class of 2010, 2013
James Beard Foundation Awards, Judge, 2000 - 2006, 2008, 2009
Awards and Recognitions:
About.com, Reader’s Choice, Best Kitchenware Retailer, 2012
Woodward Academy, Distinguished Alumni Award, 2011
Georgia Trend, 2011 Power Women
Gourmet Insider Magazine, All Star, 2011
Shun Retailer of the Year, 2007, 2011
Gourmet Retailer Magazine, Top 50 Retailer, 2010
Jezebel Magazine, Best Kitchen Specialists and Best Cooking School, 2010
The Gourmet Retailer, Retail Yearbook 2009
Intown Atlanta, Best of the Holidays - Best Place to Buy Gifts for the Cook, 2009, 2010
Metro Atlanta Chamber, Small Business Person of the Year 2008, Top Five Finalists
International Housewares Association, “Global Innovator Award, USA,” 2007-2008
Creative Loafing, “Best Place to Buy Kitchen Gadgets” and “Best Cooking School in Atlanta,” 2006 - 2012
Creative Loafing, “Best Place to Buy Kitchen Gadgets in Atlanta,”1997 - 1999, 2004, 2005
HomeWorld magazine, “The Players - People to Watch,” 2008
Atlanta magazine, Best Cookware Store, 1997, 2008, 2009, 2010
Georgia Trend magazine, “40 Under 40: The Best and Brightest,” 2007
Gourmet News, “Leadership Awards,” 2006 Finalist
Catalyst magazine, “Top 10 to Watch,” 2006
National Association of Women Business Owners, “Woman Business Owner of the Year,” 2006 nominee
Gourmet News, “Top 20 under 40,” 2004
The Gourmet Retailer magazine, “25 most important gourmet retailers,” 2004
Harper’s Bazaar magazine, “Top cooking schools in the Country,” 2002
