From Chef Instructor to Tampa Franchise Owner

Cassandra Pavlick has gone from working at elementary schools to franchise business owner of Sticky Fingers Cooking in Tampa, Florida.

Cassandra (”Cassie”) Pavlick, 34, has spent much of her career helping others and working with children. Her professional life has included working as the director of before and after school programs in the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado and at private schools in Pennsylvania and Virginia before she moved to Colorado in 2015. She has also worked in administrative roles at the University of Colorado College of Nursing and Denver Public Schools.

Yet, it was her part-time role as a chef instructor with Sticky Fingers Cooking that led to becoming a franchise business owner.

“I did a Google search for a part-time job to supplement my income,” this single mom of 7-year old daughter, Alessia, said. “In the past year, I’ve been a chef instructor at multiple schools throughout Denver.”

As much as she enjoyed her work, Cassie longed to be near family on the east coast again so her daughter could grow up with her cousins.

Taking the Leap: Franchise Business Ownership

Once she’d decided on a move to Tampa, Florida in 2025, Cassie checked to see if Sticky Fingers Cooking was available there so she could easily transfer into a local job teaching kids there to cook in after-school classes.

“When I checked to see if there was Sticky Fingers Cooking in Tampa, I saw online that I could open my own,” she said of the franchise opportunity. “The universe was calling me! The timing just aligned.”

A woman in glasses is wearing a grey blazer over a black and smiles directly at the camera. — Cassie Pavlick, 34, is the owner of Sticky Fingers Cooking serving Tampa, Florida.

Tampa is considered a family-friendly city where Cassie says there are a lot of elementary-age students and an abundance of activities for families—which interests her as a business owner catering to families with young children and to her second grader who will become a student here.

“Cassie is such a bright, compassionate young woman who aligns perfectly with our values at Sticky Fingers Cooking,” said Erin Fletter, founder and CEO of Sticky Fingers Cooking®. “It is truly an honor that she loved her job as a chef instructor so much that she was looking for ways to keep working with us, and then pursued this life-changing opportunity for herself and her daughter. It is a goosebumps moment for all of us!”

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Blending Family & Business

Cassie grew up in Queens, New York with a Puerto Rican grandmother who made an impression with her cooking. “My grandmother used to cook a lot so there was a Spanish Caribbean influence growing up,” she shared.

Perhaps it was this early experience around the kitchen with a loved one that made working in the kitchen so natural for Cassie when it came time to teach groups of kids how to cook. Now her own daughter is able to make some of the Sticky Fingers Cooking recipes for the two of them.

A woman in glasses and a pale green top smiles at the camera with a young girl wearing a pink t-shirt with a rainbow smiling over her left shoulder. — Cassie Pavlick, owner of Sticky Fingers Cooking serving Tampa, and her daughter, Alessia.

“My favorite recipe is the Stacked Lasagna Pizza Bites,” Cassie says. “It’s easy and my daughter can almost do that recipe independently. It’s also really, really easy to modify.” She adds that Alessia loves to bake and is looking forward to this new adventure too.

Melted cheese surrounds a stack of crispy wonton wrappers coated in cheese and sprinkled with green Italian herbs. — Stacked lasagna bites are one of Cassie’s favorite Sticky Fingers Cooking® recipes.

For Cassie, the thrill is in the new: “I’m looking forward to learning new skills and then seeing everything grow from zero to what it can be.”

New to franchising, Cassie says the support and guidance available thanks to the franchise model gives her confidence in growth and success.

Another bonus? Cassie says that having a flexible schedule as a franchise business owner also appealed to her. “My daughter and I love exploring and visiting new places,” she says. “Being able to take work with me wherever I am is a huge benefit.”

Could Franchising Be a Fit for You Too?

Cassie was not looking to be a small business owner or to buy a franchise, but she was searching for a new life for herself and her daughter. Maybe it was a matter of the right place and right time for her to become a Sticky Fingers Cooking franchise business owner, and it could be for someone else like Cassie.

If you’re someone who is going through a transition in life—possibly moving to a new state, like Cassie and Alessia, or looking for a career where you can make a difference in your community—the Sticky Fingers Cooking franchise opportunity might be what you seek.

After taking some time to learn about the start-up investment and what makes us grape, click here so we can get to know you.