The Happy Cook

I recently took a cooking class at the Happy Cook as part of a wine and cuisine club with UVA. Our chef was Melissa Close-​Hart (she cooks at The Local and will be the chef at a new Belmont restaurant soon), and the meal was chicken tortilla soup with flan. The store itself is adorable and the staff were waiting for us at the door to bring us back to the demonstration area. The demonstration was a lot of fun and the staff were attentive in making sure everyone got their food and had full wine glasses. For taking part in the class we were given $ 5 gift certificates off a purchase. The store reminds me of a Williams Sonoma but with a more boutique feel. It has high end kitchen pieces and a lot of fun trinkets for cooking and baking. It’s definitely expensive, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for something pretty common. With our gift certificates my husband got a great pour over coffee maker he’s been eyeing for a while and I actually picked out a nice pack of wine chocolates made locally by Gearharts and Barboursville. If you’re looking to get lost in kitchenware or need a unique gift, you should stop by the Happy Cook.

They have at least one Very Friendly and Helpful Associate! The Young Man (I would guess 16 – 18) who helped me was very Polite and Knowledgeable and though they did NOT have anything I was looking for (NO One Does ! If they did I would not still be looking for all these years) he still had great suggestions and showed great Customer Service to me and other customers i noticed him interact with!

This store is located conveniently in the Barrack’s road shopping center. There is ample parking in the enormous lot out front.
Yesterday, I stopped in here to buy a loaf pan for some homemade bread. I was able to quickly and easily find what I was looking for. The displays are well-​organized and aesthetically pleasing. There appears to be a wide variety of kitchen gear.
The customer service, however, leaves a little bit to be desired. The cashier helping me did not seem very knowledgable about how to process credit cards. I waited in line for awhile, despite there only being one person in front of me. Once the cashier had completed that person’s transaction, instead of turning to me, she left to help another customer who was still browsing. This seemed rude, and was certainly off-​putting.
Also, the prices here are unreasonable. I know you can purchase the same products more cheaply on Amazon or from a department store. Overall, it might be worth stopping by here for a last minute Christmas present, but I wouldn’t count on this place for any major kitchen shopping.

Place to get kitchenware. Staffs are always helpful. Got Le creuset teapot, mugs and butter dish.

I was in this store a couple of weeks ago and could not believe what I witnessed. I saw the worst display of customer service ever! The, what seemed to be, owners were almost to the point at yelling at one of their customers over what seemed to be an exchange or money back transaction. They were very rude and unprofessional. I am an avid cook have shopped here since I moved to Charlottesville a few years ago and will never go back. I felt so sorry for the customer that I walked out with her to make sure she was okay. Everyone was looking around like they couldn’t believe they were hearing and seeing what was happening. I do not recommend this business and am sure they won’t be open long if this is the kind of service they provide. I had heard their reputation was going downhill. Now I know why.

This wonderful little store in Barracks Road Shopping center nearly has everything a decadent kitchen could need. I am a sucker for kitchen stores and I have probably visited more than my share of them around the world. So if I liked the store, why not more stars? Service! The store would have received more stars if the weekend staff would have been a little friendlier and helpful. The woman on the floor was great, she was sweet and working her tail off. Where they hit bottom was at the wrap desk. The wrap desk is where the store makes or breaks a consumer’s shopping experience. Although The Happy Cook did not quite break my experience, I could not wait to pay my bill and make haste. The two behind the counter were not quite so friendly. I bought three items for just over $ 70.00 (a set of measuring bowls, a pizza cutter and a jar of herbs). I even tried to engage them about the herbs but nothing. Perhaps it was because they had to work on a Sunday. Perhaps my expecations were too high. It was not so bad that I won’t visit the store again but I will expect to get my things and get out quickly… no lingering.
I recommend a visit for sure. The store is filled with goodies — I bought a great $ 20.00 pizza cutter and I don’t regret one penny of it.