| Founded | 1961 |
|---|---|
| Defunct | 1987 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy and liquidation |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio |
Number of locations | 115 (1981) |
| Parent | Cook United |
| Subsidiaries | Rink's Uncle Bill's Ontario Whitehall's |
Cook's was a chain of discount department stores in the United States, from 1961 to 1987. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the chain grew to a peak of 115 stores before filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy first in 1984, then in 1987, before filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy later that year. [1] [2]
Cook's began in 1961, with the purchase of 5 Uncle Bill's Discount Department Stores and three other small discount department store chains in the Midwest and East. The 47-store Rink's Discount Department Stores chain was purchased from Gray Drug in 1981, at which point the chain reached its peak of 115 stores. [1] [3] In 1984, the chain closed a total of 41 stores in the Spring of 1984, shortly before declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy. [4] 12 further stores were closed during bankruptcy, reducing the chain to 32 stores before exiting bankruptcy in late 1986. [3] The chain filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy again in 1987, planning to close 26 of 29 stores and operate 3 stores, two in Lima, Ohio and one in Wauseon, Ohio. [5] It was announced in November 1987 that the final three stores were to liquidate, closing before the end of the year. [6]