Meet Stan Gafner of Treehouse Kitchen in Encinitas

Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Mary calls me a recovering “techie” as a former CEO of several communications and technology start-ups, and I am relatively tech-obsessed. But I’ve been called a true Renaissance Man and a pretty good cook, and I label myself an artist, musician, surfer, businessman, and I am really nice guy. After my last tech venture, I took some time to build our home and figure out what’s next. In early 2014, Mary suggested I do something completely different, out-of-the-box even! It was then that I established a small craft food company called Jammin’ Stan. After becoming immersed in the local farm and craft food production community, Mary and I began thinking about another business that would link local farmers, artisan food makers, chefs, and the like to the public. We considered a number of scenarios and realized that we were living in the perfect place for our ideas, literally! We call our house Treehouse and the kitchen is called… Treehouse Kitchen, the name of our business and culinary adventure. Weekdays the kitchen is dedicated to my Cottage Food Operation called Jammin’ Stan Artisan Foods. On weekends, we host creative cooking workshops with local chefs and craft food producers, highlighting locally available ingredients and produce. We also host private workshops for birthdays, family gatherings, team-builders, and such. We call the “classes” workshops because we present a real hands-on, all-in cooking experience. We design the workshops to teach people how to prepare foods and dishes of interest from around the world in a unique, well equipped, and comfortable atmosphere. Our mission is to empower people to confidently create their own versions of our recipes at home. We also host some very unique yoga workshops with local experts. So, here we are in a paradise by the sea sharing our passions! What could be better?!?

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In any new venture, there are struggles, and you just have to deal with them. Cancellations, chef availability, seasonal produce, or, forbid the thought, being one wok short for a stir-fry workshop could be an issue at any time, but we’ve been pretty cool and smooth, and we love what we’re doing.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Treehouse Kitchen – what should we know?
Treehouse Kitchen is situated on a unique and cozy coastal acre of land in Encinitas, CA. with a spacious, comfortable, and well-equipped kitchen and entertainment space, We host Creative Cooking and Living Workshops with local artisan chefs, craft food producers, artists, and yoga and lifestyle experts who share their techniques and expertise. We deliver an absolutely engaging experience where people have fun and learn something new every time! Our location, chef dedication and knowledge, and our attention to detail make us stand out against ordinary cooking schools.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Tenacity…