Create Cooking School has actively engaged with the SBDC community for two years by taking advantage of Leading Edge, Trout Tank, financial classes and multiple consultants within the network. And now, owners Erasmo Casiano and Diego Coconati are on the brink of opening Create Cooking School in the Stapleton neighborhood of Denver.
Leading Edge played an important role in the growth of the company. Casiano learned that adapting and pivoting is beneficial to your business, and how crucial it is to the success of the company in the long run.
“Leading Edge gave me the tools to pave a road to success. It helped me plan-out, in detail, the steps I needed to take to understand my market and write a comprehensive business plan.”
They developed relationships with mentors, leveraged what they learned, and ultimately got approved for an SBA 7a loan through Colorado Enterprise Fund.
“They worked hard to find us a location that matched the specific demographics…they kept an eye on the new Stanley Marketplace and once a space became available, they jumped to show us the space.”
After a couple meetings with the Stanley Marketplace, Casiano and Coconati signed the lease in April, and broke ground at the end of May. They now look forward to going 100 percent live on their website and growing through social media, print media and organically, hoping to be open officially by September.
“There have been a lot of curve balls, but Diego and I both believed in our concept enough to keep our heads down and continue pushing towards our goal.”
