Sticky Fingers Cooking started in May of 2011 as an after-school program for kids ages three and up, but the first client was actually a summer camp! The name was appropriate—Dream Big Day Camp in Denver.

Once the summer was over, the first after-school cooking classes took place in the classrooms at the school where children attended their traditional lessons. The demand for those summer camps continued and today these experiences sell out.

In 2023, the company-owned territories in Denver and Chicago had 870 summer camp classes with 2,700 kids in Sticky Fingers Cooking camps, all having a grape time with six fun-filled camp themes and over 100 recipes.

Summer Is a Time for Learning Too

As a franchisee creating your own schedule and desired income, it’s up to you when and where to offer the cooking classes to kids. We have found that summer camps that teach cooking with fun activities are extremely popular, providing an opportunity to work with children who might have other commitments after school usually, and therefore is a chance to build a whole new customer base. 

What used to be called Home Economics, or Home Ec for short, was taught as part of the curriculum in middle schools back in the day, but eventually teaching kids to cook, paint, and sew was phased out. Sticky Fingers Cooking has brought back these time-honored lessons that are welcomed as a summer learning opportunity by many families.

Sticky Fingers Cooking Founder and CEO, Erin Fletter, told the Denver Post, “It’s about so much more than cooking. The kids are truly immersed in every aspect of learning to make delicious food from scratch as they read stories that inform recipes, taste new flavors, hear new languages based on recipe origins, and engage in crafts related to each dish.”

A Sticky Fingers Cooking business can expand to be year-round with the offering of summer camps. 

Private Parties and Family Cooking Classes

When kids come home from their Sticky Fingers Cooking class or camp excited about what the foods that they tasted, the dishes they learned to make, and the fun they had, their families want to be part of it. 

Sticky Fingers Cooking can offer private in-person cooking class parties in a home or online for a whole family to join in the activity of following a few recipes and making food together. We have found that these types of parties are often popular during the holiday season when families are gathered together and looking for creative ways to enjoy this festive time. 

As a franchisee, you can grow your business to include private events with kids and their families during the holidays or anytime. 

Sometimes there are chances to provide a cooking class to a corporate bonding party too. 

Sticky Fingers Cooking Outside of School

Just like Sticky Fingers Cooking can go to a private home to teach a class, these lessons can be taught in a variety of settings where a chef can plug in a hot plate, spread out ingredients on a table, and mix up some tasty bites for the kids.

As a franchise business owner, you can grow your business outside of the school walls and population to serve children who are being home schooled or others at local libraries, recreation centers, and other public facilities with space just waiting to be used for educational purposes. 

If you’re interested in becoming a franchisee with Sticky Fingers Cooking, click here to send us your information.