Education · Culinary Est. 13 Years ✓ 50% ROI · 2-Year Hold

Cook! Culinary
Programs

📍 Emeryville & Hayward, California
50%
ROI · 2-Year Hold
<30
Days to Close
80%
Sold Out in First Month
13
Year Legacy Brand
Cook Programs — kids cooking class in session
The Legacy

A 13-year brand built on food, education, and community

Cook! Culinary Programs was founded by Tracy Paulding in Emeryville, California. For 13 years it ran cooking classes for kids and teenagers — teaching not just technique, but confidence, creativity, and how to nourish themselves and others.

When Tracy moved to New Mexico, she didn't want to shut the school down. She wanted a partner who shared her values and would carry the mission forward. That alignment became the foundation of the deal — and shaped everything about how the acquisition was structured.

For our part, this wasn't purely a financial decision. It came from a deep personal interest in food, education, health, and giving back to the communities we invest in.

A Notable Credential

Cook! Culinary Programs taught the animators at Pixar how to cook for the production of Ratatouille — a film whose entire premise rested on authentic culinary experience. That's the caliber of reputation this school carried.

🍳
Deep Personal Conviction
This acquisition was driven by genuine passion for food, health, and education — not just financial returns. Values alignment between buyer and seller made the deal possible and durable.
🤝
Partnership Structure
The deal was structured as a partnership, not a pure buyout — protecting the downside while giving the founder an upside if the business performed well post-acquisition. It did.
⚡
Speed of Execution
The business was acquired in under 30 days. Tracy didn't have to wait, wonder, or negotiate endlessly. When values align, deals move fast.
🌏
Community Impact
Cooking education for kids builds life skills, promotes healthy eating, and strengthens communities. Preserving that mission — not just the business — was the priority.
Deal Structure

Structured to protect the founder, reward performance

The owner was facing a hard choice: shut down a 13-year business she'd poured her life into, or find someone who truly understood what it meant. A traditional sale felt wrong. So we built a partnership structure that reflected the spirit of the deal.

The downside was protected from day one. If the business struggled, the exposure was capped. But if it thrived — and it did — Tracy would share in the upside. Closed in under 30 days, with no drama. Exactly how a deal built on trust should feel.

🛡️
Downside Protection Built In
Partnership structure capped exposure while preserving operating flexibility from day one.
📈
Founder Upside on Performance
Tracy retained the ability to benefit if the business grew — aligned incentives on both sides of the table.
⏱️
Closed in Under 30 Days
When values align, there's nothing to debate. Swift execution gave Tracy certainty and preserved momentum.
🎯
50% ROI · 2-Year Hold
The structure that protected the founder also worked for investors — returning 50% over a two-year period.
Cook Programs — full class in session
Cook Programs — students at the prep table
The Pandemic Pivot

We closed the deal — then COVID hit the next week

Almost immediately after acquiring Cook!, the pandemic shut down every in-person business in California. A cooking school — built on hands-on, in-person instruction — had to reinvent itself overnight.

We moved fast. Within weeks, Cook! was teaching summer camps online. The curriculum adapted. The community stayed. It was a hard blow when the Emeryville location eventually gave up its lease — 15 years of history, gone. But it wasn't the end.

Post-pandemic, we opened a new retail location in Hayward, California. Through grassroots guerrilla marketing — no paid ads, no agency — the location went from zero to 80% sold out within one month of opening.

Pre
Acquisition & Partnership Formed
Values-aligned deal closed in under 30 days. Cook!'s 13-year legacy secured.
2020
COVID Hits — Immediate Pivot to Online
Moved summer camps and classes fully online within weeks. Community retained.
2020
Emeryville Location Closes
A difficult but necessary decision. 15 years of history at that address — the lease couldn't be sustained without in-person operations.
2021
New Hayward Location Opens
Guerrilla marketing only. No paid ads. 0 to 80% sold out in the first month.
Now
Active — Seeking Permanent Location
Operating part-time, teaching individual and group classes. Actively searching for a permanent California home or expansion to Asia.
Results

The numbers — and the mission — both delivered

50%
ROI · 2-Year Hold
<30
Days to Close
80%
Sold Out · Month One
13+
Years of Legacy Preserved
🍽️
Legacy Preserved
A 13-year institution that would have closed instead found new life — and reached new communities in Hayward that the original Emeryville location never served.
🔄
Pandemic Resilience
Fast pivots to online, then physical relocation. The business adapted at every turn without losing its core identity or community.
🌏
Growth Vision
Actively searching for a permanent California location and exploring expansion into Asia — where culinary education programs for children are a high-demand, growing market.
What's Next

Seeking a permanent home — or the right expansion partner

Cook! Culinary Programs is actively operating and looking for its next chapter — a permanent location in California or the right partner to bring the program to Asia.

Visit Cook Programs → Partner With Us