In our own version of the famous Frank Sinatra song, “New York, New York,” we have to say, “You butter believe it, folks/You always make it there, you make it anywhere!”

Yes, Sticky Fingers Cooking has now expanded to Manhattan, aka New York, New York, with Khalil Hymore joining the Sticky Fingers Cooking® franchise family!

“Once I met everybody at Sticky Fingers on the Meet the Team Day, there was never a doubt in my mind this was my path,” said Khalil. “I had to be practical and make sure it was financially sound, and once I did that, it was just a no-brainer.”

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From Recipe Creator to Franchise Business Owner

Khalil, 48, is originally from San Francisco, California and was raised in Auburn, California. With a degree in film, he moved to New York and started his work in TV (ever heard of MTV? VH1?), but after just nine months in this field, he wasn’t feeling satisfied so he enrolled at the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education) and found his passion for all things food. However, he quickly realized that late nights working as a restaurant chef were not for him and instead combined his media experience with his love of food. He is a seasoned culinary expert with experience in creating recipes and mouthwatering stories about food for prestigious brands like Martha Stewart Living and The Food Network. 

This father of two–a 10-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter–Khalil has kids on his mind a lot, so combining his professional life that revolved around food and his home life made perfect sense. “Being a parent is my greatest joy,” he said. 

The team at Sticky Fingers Cooking is thrilled to start working with Khalil and possibly learn from him too. 

“Khalil’s incredible talent, passion, and warmth perfectly embody everything Sticky Fingers Cooking® stands for,” said founder and CEO Erin Fletter. “He has unbelievable culinary expertise, creative vision, and a genuine love for giving back to the city he adores. Khalil’s passion and drive are truly contagious—I’m absolutely confident he’ll build a thriving, joyful business and create a lasting impact in New York.”

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Ready to Mix It Up

Khalil’s story may be familiar to many these days: after surviving multiple rounds of layoffs at his job in just a few years, he found himself in search of a new career. In conversing with friends, he spoke with Jenny Young, founder of the Brooklyn Robot Foundry (“The Sticky Fingers Cooking of robotics,” Khalil explained), whose son is a friend of his son’s. 

“In my mind, I knew I wanted to pivot,” Khalil said. “I worked with a career coach for a little bit and also realized I was dealing with some burnout. When I spoke to Jenny, I said, ‘nothing is sparking joy, I just want to do what you do but cooking.’ She looked at me and said, ‘that exists.’ I looked into it and did my research and didn’t entertain other franchises. It was extremely organic.”

His five-month journey from casual chat to researching the company to signing on to be a franchise business owner included education about franchising. 

“When my friend Jenny, who franchises her business, was telling me about Sticky Fingers Cooking, she was using a word I found uncomfortable–franchising,” Khalil recalled with a laugh. “I had a reaction that was not totally based in reality. I had another friend tell me to do this on my own. But as I took meetings with the team, I learned it’s not a bad word, and suddenly had an about-face with the word.”

Once he completed training in Denver with the team, Khalil felt even more confident about his decision to join a franchise business. “I view my relationship as a partnership where we are all on the same team,” he said. “If I hit a snag or have a question or can’t work out a problem, it’s very reassuring to know I have support from people who are very thoughtful and kind and who really care.”

He added, “It’s the best of both worlds–you are your own boss, you own a piece of this dream, you are not lonely, you are not adrift, you are not without help. Why would I do this by myself? They have the processes down, they’ve made all the mistakes, the business model is proven, people have my back, and I’m part of this community.”

Serving Up Diversity

Khalil is looking forward to offering Sticky Fingers Cooking after-school enrichment cooking classes across Manhattan, as he leaves food media behind and embraces business ownership to inspire local kids to cook. 

“My territory is almost all of Manhattan–from where I live in Harlem all the way down to the bottom tip of the city and connecting to part of Brooklyn,” Khalil said. “I think that people don’t realize this is a working class city, with yes, a ton of wealth, but also it’s a city filled with families.”

Khalil said that many New York City families rely on after-school programs for their kids, and the Sticky Fingers Cooking curriculum will appeal to many different families: “I am ready to be the best part of a kids’ day, that is so appealing to me! We are probably the most diverse city in the country where every culture is represented, and I cannot wait for a child to realize that today is the day we cook a recipe that represents their culture, their heritage, their traditions. It’s a subtle way this generation will realize we are a lot more similar than we are different.”

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Once a Foodie, Always a Foodie

Khalil’s fondest memories growing up are connected to food. “I come from a long line of skilled and accomplished cooks,” he said. 

His great-grandparents on his mother’s side emigrated from Germany and opened a bakery in upstate New York; when his grandfather visited the family in California, Khalil was treated to daily fresh-baked goods such as pies and cookies. His father is from Lebanon and Khalil explained, “Arab people don’t know how to make small meals!”

What it boils down to, Khalil said, is that food is love. “If you can’t say it, you cook it,” he said. “I think the thing my family taught me about cooking is it’s the way you show affection for others.”

As Khalil familiarizes himself with the original Sticky Fingers Cooking recipes, there is one that he said will stick with him after his Meet the Team Day experience in a local cooking class. The recipe was Sweet & Cheesy Ukrainian Blintz Bundles. 

“In that class I realized the power of food and curriculum,” Khalil said. “Food oftentimes isn’t about the food, it’s about the connection, the tradition, about sharing with people. The ‘Aha!’ moment was when the kids were mixing the batter and I heard one of them say, ‘Blintzes are like crepes from France, which is kind of like a pancake, and then a tortilla is just a pancake.’ It was beautiful the way they were connecting the dots.”

If Khalil’s story–his experience, his passions–resonate with you and your dreams of a career pivot, and you are curious about becoming a franchise business owner, contact us today.