Our Story

"We'd been to cooking classes all over the world and always wanted a cooking studio in Cleveland. So I ditched the corporate world and set out to create one of our own."

stir is owned and operated by Cleveland native Charlie Denk.

Charlie and his wife Lizzie went to their first cooking class as high school sweethearts in 2009. It immediately perplexed them that Cleveland, unlike nearly every other metropolitan city in the world, did not offer a quality, dedicated group cooking boutique. Nearly ten years and many cooking classes later, Charlie set out to create stir.

Charlie has a Biological Engineering degree from Penn State, but ventured away from his engineering profession for stir. He has also conducted cooking classes for over 1,000 guests on behalf of the largest avocational cooking school in the United States. Lizzie has degrees in English and Psychology from Bucknell and maintains a career in marketing for the world's largest food and beverage company. Charlie oversees instruction and general business operations while Lizzie handles content marketing. They live in Ohio City just four blocks from the studio in a 1870's refurbished home.

If he's not cooking, Charlie is probably riding a bike and lives a car-free lifestyle. When Lizzie isn't flexing on Instagram, she's likely playing with her cats Pepper and Nutmeg.

stir set its table in Ohio City and is a proud contributor to the revitalization of the neighborhood, especially along Lorain Avenue. It's a part of the thriving small business ecosystem that includes Forest City Shuffleboard, Platform Beer Co., and Ohio City Provisions. The historic building was constructed in 1880 and was beautifully renovated in 2019.

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