HomeChef Closes 3 of Its 7 Stores

HomeChef, a privately held Corte Madera, Calif.-based chain of kitchen stores and cooking schools, last week closed three of its seven stores--including its two Southern California shops in Pasadena and Newport Beach.

The closings, which also affected the Sacramento HomeChef, are part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization filed in May, said George Whitney, the company’s vice president of merchandise and marketing. Days before the filing, the company suddenly lost a key financial backer, Whitney said.

HomeChef began as a cooking class given by Judith Ets-Hokin in her home kitchen in 1972 and grew to its first store location in San Francisco in 1976. At its height, the chain ran eight stores.

Anyone who has paid for upcoming classes at the stores will be sent instructions on filing claims for reimbursement. Customers with store credits or gift certificates are asked to contact the HomeChef headquarters at (415) 945-2908.