Meet Erasmo Casiano and Diego Coconati

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erasmo Casiano and Diego Coconati.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Erasmo and Diego. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Erasmo Casiano:

I started working in the food & beverage industry at a young age and slowly worked my way up the ranks in different restaurants in Dallas, Texas. I attended Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island taking advantage of their prestigious culinary program and later transferred and graduated to their Denver campus. After graduating, I moved back to Dallas and worked under some fantastic chefs and restaurant groups.

In 2009, I decided to move back to Denver. I “grinded” for a few years before injuring my back for the first time. Needing surgery, I had to take a few months off to recover enough to get back into the kitchen. I picked up another restaurant job and about a year later, I injured by back again. I had a second surgery. After discussing my future with my wife, MacKenzie, we decided the best course of action would be to get into teaching. I applied at a nearby cooking school and met Diego Coconati.

We immediately hit it off and started teaching recreational cooking classes together and thought that we had something special. I had a recurrence on my back injury and had to have a 3rd back surgery. We decided to join forces and create a new model for a cooking school. One that focuses on the guest experience as a whole. A place that is warm and inviting.

I then enrolled in the business planning course at the Denver Metro Small Business Development Center and began the three 1/2 year journey towards opening our space at the Stanley Marketplace. Diego and I felt that the Stapleton neighborhood would be perfect Create Cooking School and we are so glad to be part of such a great community. Create Cooking School opened November 14th of 2018 and the team at Create are having a blast.

Diego Coconati:

I was born in Argentina and moved to Venezuela at the age of seven. At the age of 13, I moved to Puerto Rico where I fell in love with the culture and food. After graduating High School, I moved to Miami to attend Johnson & Wales University. After receiving my Associate, I started working in the restaurant industry and met my wife, Anna.

We decided to move to Denver in 2005 and I started working in restaurants around the city. After having my second child, I decided to move to teaching cooking classes for everyday people. This gave me more time to focus on my wife and children.

I met Erasmo Casiano and the rest is his story.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Fundraising was the biggest obstacle. As chefs in the hospitality industry, we had no 401K, no retirement plan, little to no benefits, and little collateral for lenders (even after 17+ years in the same industry). We had a strong business plan but found it really difficult to raise funding for our dream.

We found Colorado Enterprise Fund through the Denver Metro SBDC and the team there helped us secure an SBA 7a Loan. With that loan approval, we were able to get some angel investors and piece the project together.

Since opening, our guests have made the entire experience worth it.

Please tell us about your work. What do you guys do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
Create is a recreational cooking school and neighborhood wine & cocktail bar located in Stanley Marketplace. We invite guests to join us in the kitchen to take one of our regionally diverse cooking classes hosted by Chefs for an intimate and engaging experience.

We offer a multi-sensory experience without the work of reading from a recipe. We are making restaurant-quality meals more approachable while also providing tips and tricks that the everyday person can use in their own home. After enjoying libations and delicious dishes, you will receive the recipes for everything you created with us.

What sets us apart and what we’re most proud of is the level of service we provide. While we are mostly chefs, we live and breath hospitality. We want our guests to feel at home while at the same time, receive the service you’d get at a full-service restaurant. We believe we do this well because we limit our attendance to 12 people per class; giving our guests more interaction with the chefs. We have a curated bar with wines, cocktails, and beers to enjoy during class.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Our families. Without the ongoing support of our spouses, we would not be here. When Diego and I got hit with curve balls our wives (Anna Coconati & MacKenzie Koncher-Casiano) were always there to make sure we did not give up on our goals.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Our families. Without the ongoing support of our spouses, we would not be here. When Diego and I got hit with curve balls our wives (Anna Coconati & MacKenzie Koncher-Casiano) were always there to make sure we did not give up on our goals.

Pricing:

• $20 per person Quick Fire Lunches – Thursdays & Fridays 11am-2pm Walk-ins Welcome
• $59 per person Wednesday Family Nights
• $75 per person Thursday Night Cooking Classes
• $99 per person Fridays & Saturdays – Themed/Regional Cuisines & Date Nights (includes 2 paired alcoholic beverages per person)
• $60 per person Sunday Brunches
• $60 per person Baking & Pastries Classes
• $60 per Parent/Kid Duo Cooking with Your Kids Classes (6-9 years old)
• $75 per Junior Chef Classes (10-13 years old)

Contact Info:

• Address: 2501 N Dallas St., #128
  Aurora, Colorado 80010
• Website: https://createfoods.co/
• Phone: 7205739949
• Email: michelle@createfoods.co

Image Credit:
-From The Hip Photo (FB Banner Diego, Owners-Chef Diego Playful)
-Front Porch Stapleton (Cooking-Cheers)
-Erasmo Casiano Create Cooking School (Food-Bar Food 5)