Cooking Classes That Create Memories, Not Just Meals

In today’s world, cooking classes aren’t just about learning to make a great dish. They’re about creating a memorable, hands-on experience that customers want to come back to. Whether you’re a dedicated cooking school or a kitchen-ware retailer adding classes to your offerings, combining the power of Shopify with the Experiences App is a smart way to manage it all on your own terms.

Why Shopify + the Experiences App?

Shopify gives you a robust retail backbone where you can sell everything from cooking tools to specialty ingredients. The Experiences App layers in the ability to offer and manage bookings for classes right on your own site. That means your customers can browse, book, and buy everything in one place—no redirect to third-party platforms like Eventbrite or Airbnb Experiences.

In other words: you stay in control of your brand, your customer relationships, and your revenue.

The Opportunity: Cooking-Class Experiences Are Growing

This isn’t a niche hobby any longer—it’s a trend. Here’s what the research shows:

• The global cooking-class market is projected to be valued at approximately USD 246.5 billion in 2025, and expected to reach nearly USD 450 billion by 2034, at a ~10.5 % compound annual growth rate (CAGR).  source »
• The “culinary tourism” market (people seeking food-experiences in travel or lifestyle) was estimated at USD 11.5 billion in 2023, and is projected to reach USD 40.53 billion by 2030, at ~19.9 % CAGR.  source »
• In the U.S. the cooking-class industry is projected to reach USD 98.9 billion (according to one recent source) driven by rising demand for culinary experiences.  source »

What all that tells us: people are spending on experiences around food, not just meals. That means if you frame your cooking class offering as a shared, memorable event, you’re tapping into a growing behaviour—not merely a commodity.

Creating Anticipation from the Start

When you’re setting up cooking classes, remember: people love having something to look forward to. That’s important. With this in mind, here are some strategies:

1. Frame it as an event, not just a tutorial.

For example: “Family Pasta Night” instead of “Beginner Pasta Class”. Emphasize that it’s perfect for all ages, a fun evening with ties to your brand, maybe even a glass of something non-alcoholic, a memory, a moment.

2. Use descriptive listings.

Mention not just the recipe, but the atmosphere: “You’ll knead dough side-by-side, laugh over flour on aprons, then gather round to enjoy what you made”. This kind of descriptive language builds excitement.

3. Offer tiered experiences.

Beginner classes, interactive “cook-and-chat” evenings, advanced workshops. Maybe even a date-night edition, or a team-building version. This variety helps you speak to different customer segments (families, couples, coworkers).

4. Use visuals & narrative.

On your site (and via Shopify) use photos or short videos showing previous participants, smiling, interacting, enjoying the finished dish. Stories sell. The booking flow via Experiences App can include a pre-class email (“Here’s what to expect”) to heighten anticipation.

Running the Experience: Making It Special

During the class itself, the key is to create an environment that feels both educational and collaborative. This isn’t just about teaching a recipe; it’s about helping people connect over a shared experience.

Here are some tactics:

• Warm welcome and group introduction. Let attendees say hi, share what drew them here. That builds connection.
• Hands-on segments + visible progress. Make participants part of each step—chopping, stirring, plating. Use instructors to walk around, ask questions, spark conversation.
• Encourage sharing. Maybe at one point: “Pass your plate to your neighbour and see another person’s take on it.” Or “snap a photo of your dish, tag us on Instagram”. These small moments make the event more memorable.
• Brand connection. Tie in how the class reflects your brand identity: the shop’s products, story, ethos. For example, if your kitchenware store is offering the class, highlight how the equipment being used is from the store, link to purchasing it on Shopify.
• Finish with a communal wrap-up. Everyone sits together, tastes each other’s versions, maybe a little debrief: what surprised you, what would you do differently next time. That reflection locks in the memory.
• Follow-up. After class, send a thank-you email with a recipe card, link to purchase featured tools/ingredients on your store, and a prompt to book the next class.

These touches turn a simple cooking class into a community event where people leave not just with a dish, but with a story.

Encouraging Return Visits

First-time attendees are gold: your job is to turn them into repeat customers. For that, think strategy:

Start simple, then increase depth.

Offer an easy-win class (e.g., “Weeknight Taco Fiesta”) that’s low-risk for the customer. Then invite them back for a more specialized workshop (e.g., “Hands-On Mole Sauce Masterclass”). This makes the offering feel like a journey, not a one-off.

Create membership or series hooks.

If you can, package a series of classes (e.g., “Four Seasons of Cooking” or “Around the World in Five Dishes”) and offer incentives for booking multiple sessions. People value belonging and narrative. Your positioning—“memory-making over consumption”—fits here: frame it as joining a community of cooking explorers.

Cross-sell products.

Since you’re on Shopify, recommend tools/ingredients used in class, offer attendee discounts in the store. That keeps the brand alive after class day.

Encourage referrals and gift-edition.

Offer a “Bring a friend” discount, or gift-certificate versions for people to purchase. Word-of-mouth is especially strong when the experience is personal and fun.

Ask for feedback and testimonials.

After class, ask for short clip or photo of them with their dish. Feature these in your store/class listings. Seeing other people’s smiling faces builds trust and desire.

Wrapping Up — Why This Works

When you set up cooking classes the way described, you’re doing more than teaching recipes. You’re building memories, creating community, amplifying your brand. The future of retail isn’t just products—it’s experiences. And the data backs it: high growth in the upstream cooking-class and food-experience markets shows demand for this kind of thing is real and expanding.

By managing all of this on Shopify + Experiences App, you stay in control of the funnel, brand, and customer relationship—not just the “event” but the ongoing journey.

So let’s get cooking. It’s not just about the pasta. It’s about the laughter, the shared moment, the photo they post, the story they tell. That’s what sticks.

Listen to a podcast interview with a successful cooking school founder

If you want a real masterclass in what it looks like when cooking classes become a true business engine, listen to my conversation with Jeff Pennypacker of Sweet and Savory Classroom.

Jeff breaks down how he and his wife built one of the most successful cooking-experience brands in the country by obsessing over hospitality, crafting unforgettable hands-on moments, and designing every class to hit all four realms of experience, entertainment, education, aesthetics, and escapism.

He shares the financial discipline, the faith-driven clarity, and the practical systems that turned a simple idea into a sustainable, wildly booked operation. If you’re thinking about offering classes—or wanting to level up what you already do—this episode will flip a switch for you.

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