Soma Water began at founder Mike Del Ponte’s home, when he went to serve water from a plastic filtered pitcher, only to realize that it was not attractive enough to set on the table. After attempting to pour the water in a wine decanter—and spilling—Mike decided it was time to design a water filtering system that was also beautiful.

The first Sur La Table store opened in Seattle's Pike Place Market in 1972 selling hard-to-find kitchenware imported from France. Since then the company has expanded to more than 75 stores nationwide, a direct-mail business distributing millions of catalogs each year, an e-commerce site, a gift registry, and a cooking class program. Sur La Table continues to carry many of the same products from France that it carried when it opened, but now offers tools from around the world to prepare any cuisine. Sur La Table remains committed to its roots by continuing to provide exceptional customer service and a broad assortment of premium-quality products. Sur La Table headquarters are located in Seattle, Washington.