Owner and charities

Cooking Uptown^TM opened its doors quietly on March 11, 2004 in the Elizabeth Community, Charlotte, NC.

Upon securing the location of her cookware store, owner Karen Cooley was determined to bring out the historic character of the building and community, while adding some contemporary, creative elements. The structure located on Seventh Street near Hawthorne Lane was originally built in 1952 and keeping it intact was important to the retailer. After being covered in its original insulation for almost 50 years, the lofty wood beam ceiling has been exposed. All new ventilation, electrical, and plumbing were added to support the exposed structure. The floors maintain a worn look to them with an updated design of etched diamonds. An interesting mix of both antique and contemporary furnishings creates interesting displays and focal points throughout the kitchen boutique. The exterior now makes a striking statement. Many were curious when the building was being renovated from its previous humdrum slate gray to its current vibrant red exterior.

The original Cooking Uptown^TMdesign, built in 2004 features a full size test kitchen located at the rear of the store for hands-on classes, for as many as twelve aspiring cooks.

In April, 2008, the cooking class was expanded to accomodate up to 24 for hands-on participation events. Our regular classes have expanded with morning class in addition to the standard afternoon Saturday class. We also began offering private events for those foodies out there. Similar to our regular classes but you're the host! The perfect group event or team building venue.

Our hands-on classes focus on a variety of subjects complementing the season or a particular trend. A number of chefs from the local community have taught classes with a short list of select “preferred guest chefs” that frequently teach at the store. Among them are Dana Harding, Owner/Executive Chef of Dana Cooks!, and Susanne Dillingham, Owner/Chef of The Tiny Chef, and Greg Balch, Sous Chef, Ratcliffe on the Green.

Cooking Uptown™ offers everything the cooking connoisseur or want-to-be-chef seeks including bakeware, cookware, cutlery, hard-to-find gadgets, mixing bowls, chef’s clothing, select herbs, rubs, mills, mortars & pestle, cutting boards, small appliances, thermometers, scales, food preparation and specialty items. There are many unique and intriguing products in the store, which have been personally sought out and tested by the owner.

Prior to establishing Cooking Uptown™, Karen spent 20 years in consulting and corporate finance, honing her entrepreneurial skills in order to be prepared for the eventuality of owning her own business. Her love of fine food and passion for cooking led her to seek out a second career that would feed her desire for entertaining, cooking, and unique products.

Cooking Uptown™ is a free standing destination location, owned and operated by Karen. She has been building roots in North Carolina for approximately 12 years, along with the help and support of her husband Charles, who is a native Charlottean. The couple resides in south Charlotte.

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