The Cook Store

Wesley Lassen fondly remembers standing at her mother’s side in the kitchen as a little girl. She always insisted on being part of the action, whether it was baking cookies or welcoming friends to the home for a get together.

“They used to call me the little helper,” Lassen said. “I’ve just always loved cooking and entertaining.”

As an adult, Lassen was searching for the best outlet for her love of cooking when, in 1999, she got a fateful phone call that would give her the chance to turn her passion into a full-on business venture.

“I got a call that this store was for sale,” Lassen said. “I immediately took it.”

Founded by Sam Franks in 1975, The Cook Store was originally called The Kitchen Shoppe. Franks sold it to Betty Knight, who changed its name. Lassen, the third owner of the store, said she could not be happier being a part of the cooking and entertainment world that she loved as a child.

“It’s just a really fun business to be in,” Lassen said.

The quaint shop is nestled on the end of Mountain Brook Village under a black awning with a chef statue that holds a friendly welcome sign. Once inside, customers are met with a wall-to-wall display of every possible gadget, utensil, basket, pan or bowl related to cooking. Whether you are looking for a functional kitchen item or funky gift for a friend, there are plenty of options in this room.

The first room displays a variety of unique pottery from local artists and items from artists in Chicago, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Mississippi. Local artists include Earthbound Studios, Stonegate Pottery and Wade Oliver Pottery.

The second room holds an array of silver that does not need polishing and wooden trays, plates and bowls. There is also a miscellaneous cooking wall with everything from cocktail napkins to rainbow-colored scoops.

“Wood is a huge category for us right now,” Lassen said. “You can use it to grill, for family barbecues, everything.”

The back room contains a variety of cooking utensils and a selection of colorful aprons. Lassen said the store takes special orders and is also the perfect spot for brides looking for a not-so-typical place to register.

“We have tons of neat wedding gifts,” Lassen said. “And we’ll do complimentary delivery in the area.”

While Lassen has many loyal local customers, she said she has been pleasantly surprised at the number of out-of-town visitors who stop by the store.

“We get people from Cullman and a lot from Alexander City and even Mississippi,” Lassen said.

Lassen said the store works well with the bigger cooking stores around Birmingham, such as Williams-Sonoma, and enjoys participating in Market Day, a one-day sidewalk sale for Mountain Brook Village merchants, and other Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce events. The Cook Store also holds sales twice a year.

Beyond the storefront, Lassen sells items on shopmountainbrook.com and features cooking items and fun recipes such as chocolate chip cookies made with caramel cake mix, on Facebook and Twitter.

 “I recently started sharing things online, and I love it,” Lassen said.