Meet Lindsey Reese | Owner Operator of Cook Street School of Culinary Arts

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lindsey Reese and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lindsey, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Entrepreneurship runs deep in my family. My great-great-grandma on my mom’s side, Thea Foss, started the Foss Tug Boat company in 1889 after she and her husband Andrew moved to Tacoma, Washington. She noticed a need to transport sailors and other seamen from ships to shore. It quickly became the largest tug and towing company on the west coast of the US. On my dad’s side, my grandpa started his own home building company in the Oakland, then San Diego, area. His business model was an early rendition of today subdivisions. My dad started working for him in his early teens, which sparked the entrepreneur spirit in him from an early age. I say all this to say that starting a company was never a foreign concept in our household. It never seemed like an impossible feat.

In 2014 my friend and I noticed a gap in the women’s mountain bike apparel world. We decided to start Goldilocks Gear, a mountain bike apparel company for women. The decision to start the company was easy (as that part usually is). It’s what comes next that’s hard. Neither of us had worked in the garment industry, so the learning curves for design, fabric sourcing, manufacturing, labeling, etc. were incredibly steep. But, I learned through that experience that showing up everyday accounts for 80% of the effort.

In 2013 my dad and I had looked at Cook Street School of Culinary Arts, a culinary school that had been around since 1999. The company was for sale and my dad and I had worked together on a culinary school in Oregon for a number of years. We decided 2013 wasn’t the right time for taking that step and went on our separate ways. However, in 2016-17 we began talking about business ideas we could do together. So, when the owner of Cook Street approached us in 2018 about buying the school we decided to jump on the opportunity.

I will say buying an existing company is very different than building a company from scratch. There were a lot of arcane systems in place that either needed to be revamped or shut down all together. But the bones (and the people) of the company were strong. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I also knew I had a good team already in place to support the changes.

5+ years on the challenges haven’t gone away, but I’ve become more adept at handling them. Again, I’ve found that showing up everyday can solve 80% of the challenges. I can’t say that this has been easier than starting a business from scratch as they each have their own distinct challenges and opportunities. But, buying an existing company certainly isn’t easy!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Entrepreneurship runs deep in my family. My great-great-grandma on my mom's side, Thea Foss, started the Foss Tug Boat company in 1889 after she and her husband Andrew moved to
Tacoma, Washington. She noticed a need to transport sailors and other seamen from ships to
shore. It quickly became the largest tug and towing company on the west coast of the US. On
my dad's side, my grandpa started his own home building company in the Oakland, then San
Diego, area. His business model was an early rendition of today subdivisions. My dad started
working for him in his early teens, which sparked the entrepreneur spirit in him from an early
age. I say all this to say that starting a company was never a foreign concept in our household. It
never seemed like an impossible feat.
In 2014 my friend and I noticed a gap in the women's mountain bike apparel world. We decided
to start Goldilocks Gear, a mountain bike apparel company for women. The decision to start the
company was easy (as that part usually is). It's what comes next that's hard. Neither of us had
worked in the garment industry, so the learning curves for design, fabric sourcing,
manufacturing, labeling, etc. were incredibly steep. But, I learned through that experience that
showing up everyday accounts for 80% of the effort.
In 2013 my dad and I had looked at Cook Street School of Culinary Arts, a culinary school that
had been around since 1999. The company was for sale and my dad and I had worked together
on a culinary school in Oregon for a number of years. We decided 2013 wasn't the right time for
taking that step and went on our separate ways. However, in 2016-17 we began talking about
business ideas we could do together. So, when the owner of Cook Street approached us in 2018
about buying the school we decided to jump on the opportunity.
I will say buying an existing company is very different than building a company from scratch.
There were a lot of arcane systems in place that either needed to be revamped or shut down all
together. But the bones (and the people) of the company were strong. I knew it was going to be
a challenge, but I also knew I had a good team already in place to support the changes.
5+ years on the challenges haven't gone away, but I've become more adept at handling them.
Again, I've found that showing up everyday can solve 80% of the challenges. I can't say that this
has been easier than starting a business from scratch as they each have their own distinct
challenges and opportunities. But, buying an existing company certainly isn't easy!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I truly enjoy my little neighborhood of Edgewater. Between the Beer Garden, Joyride Brewery, Edgewater Public Market, my local coffee spot and a host of other restaurants, it is very easy to find everything you need there. Not to mention Sloan’s Lake and the host of fun public events there! But, for a day-in-the-life, there are a couple itineraries below.

Summer itinerary:
Walk down to Bonfire Burrito before going to St. Mary’s Glacier for a hike and maybe summer ski. Then back down to Golden Mill for early dinner and a beer. Probably some variation on that throughout the week. Pretty low-key, always focused on an outdoor activity and a fun communal spot for dinner. Throw in a mountain bike ride at Lair o’ the Bear, a day hike at Mt. Falcon, a City of Denver cruiser bike ride and it’s a week!

Winter itinerary:
Wake up early morning to head to Winter Park for a sunrise skin up the mountain. Grab a breakfast burrito and a bloody marry on the hill before a day of skiing. Head back down the hill and go to Edgewater Beer Garden for margaritas and tacos! If the weather is really bad we would go to the Museum of Nature and Science, one of my favorites! Then Leven Deli for a delicious sandwich and maybe Punch Bowl Social for some games and libations.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not have made this monumental shift in my professional life had it not been for my dad. Not only did he provide the impetus to move on the business, but he was there for every tearful, fearful, oh no! phone call. He’s fostered the entrepreneurial spirit in me and continues to challenge my self-doubts. Along the same vein is my mom; she instilled a sense of determination, a can-do attitude, and a nurturing environment that showed me how to show up for people. And, of course, my husband, who has gone through the thick and thin emotions of running a company and managing people!

Website: www.cookstreet.com

Instagram: @cookstreetschool

Linkedin: lindseyreese

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cookstreetculinary

Yelp: Cook Street School of Culinary Arts