Combining Education Experience with a Love of Food

Pamela Allen is the franchise owner of Sticky Fingers Cooking® serving the Inland Empire in California.

Pamela Allen knows what she likes, so when she began researching franchise opportunities it just took a few online searches before the algorithms dished up Sticky Fingers Cooking®.

“I was researching franchises and I realized that I wanted a franchise that worked with children,” she says. “I love STEM and this got me on a journey where I discovered Sticky Fingers Cooking and it just checked so many boxes for me!”

Erin Fletter, founder and CEO of Sticky Fingers Cooking®, could tell that Pamela has the right mix of experience and passion to bring to her new business.

“Pamela brings exceptional business acumen, advanced education, and a deep commitment to her community to her franchise business,” Erin says. “With her corporate and higher education background, strong marketing instincts, and natural ability to connect, Pamela is positioned to grow her Sticky Fingers Cooking business quickly and meaningfully in the Inland Empire. Our social enterprise model is built for leaders like Pamela, and we are absolutely thrilled to welcome her to the Sticky Fingers Cooking team!”

‍

Discovering an Education Franchise: from Education to Educating

Pamela, 55, describes herself as a lifelong learner who has three college degrees, including an MBA with a concentration in marketing and a master’s degree in organizational leadership.

An African-American woman wearing a pink blazer smiles at the camera. — Pamela Allen is the franchise owner of Sticky Fingers Cooking® in the Inland Empire, California.

Not only has she enjoyed her time as a student, she has worked in higher education for 15 years and is currently the Regional Director of Graduate Recruitment for a private university on the East Coast, which has two campuses in California too.

In her free time, Pamela enjoys leading the youth ministry at her local church.

‍

How COOL’inary Curiosity Led to Franchising

Pamela lives in North Fontana with her husband, Michael, and their blended family of five kids and two pampered pooches. Pamela, along with her two sisters and their mother, started a catering business together, Allen’s Catering, and then a ghost kitchen, 901 Soul Kitchen.

“Food is my jam!” Pamela exclaims. “My family is originally from a small town outside of Memphis and food is the nucleus of our family.”

A large group of people in matching t-shirts pose for a family photo below large leafy trees. — Pamela Allen, franchise owner of Sticky Fingers Cooking in the Inland Empire, California, enjoys time spent with family.

And the food she is most enthusiastic about is soul food: black-eyed peas, collard greens, yams, and more. Pamela adores the ritual of family reunions centered around soul food and Sunday night dinners with her parents for “Soul Food Sunday.”

As someone who has lived in California most of her life though, Pamela also has a taste for SoCal Mexican food (not TexMex, she clarifies). “I’m trying to figure out how to combine these,” she says of soul food and Mexican food.

‍

Seeking Franchising Success Through Food

The Inland Empire is about one hour from Los Angeles, and Pamela has seen new schools popping up to join what she describes as award-winning school districts that embrace after-school enrichment for their students. “There is infrastructure here for Sticky Fingers Cooking to join,” she says.

As Pamela took stock of her life–what she loves to do, how she wants her future to look and feel–she determined that franchising is the best fit for her.

“What appeals to me about franchising is that I love structure and systems,” she says. “If you have the right franchise, it’s an automatic kind of brand integrity. I love that Sticky Fingers Cooking is particular about the franchisees they bring on. It’s like a security blanket for me.”

With her heart for service–she shares the story of one client for her 901 Soul Kitchen business who lost his job and when they noticed he had stopped ordering, checked in and offered to keep bringing him his usual order–Pamela recognized a kindred spirit with Sticky Fingers Cooking®, which provides scholarships for those in need to attend their cooking classes.

Six people wearing matching black t-shirts stand in front of a booth at a farmer’s market with a sign that reads, “901 Soul Kitchen.” — Pamela Allen (second left) started the 901 Soul Kitchen before she became the franchise owner of Sticky Fingers Cooking in the Inland Empire, California.

Despite her taste for soul food and Mexican Food, Pamela says her favorite Sticky Fingers Cooking® recipe (so far) is the Radical Raspberry Tiramisu that was being made when she visited a class during her Discovery Day.

“The kids went crazy over it!” she says. “I was thinking, ‘how are they going to make tiramisu here?’ The kids had a ball and they wanted to eat it all up! They made their own whip cream with some kids blending and some kids shaking so they got to see it all come together and the different ways they approached it. It signified so many things, showing if they can do it, they can do anything.”

Are you curious about franchising too? Start the conversation with us today by clicking here to see if you can join Pamela and our other franchisees.