We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessi Brelsford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessi, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Jessi Walter Brelsford is the Founder & CEO of Taste Buds Kitchen, a vibrant culinary adventure she started over 18 years ago. Jessi’s path into the world of culinary entertainment began in an unlikely place—Wall Street. As a Vice President at a major financial institution, her life was far removed from the world of flour, sugar, and butter. But everything changed when she hosted a cupcake-making birthday party in a SoHo loft. Surrounded by the laughter of children and the joy of creating something from scratch, Jessi saw an opportunity to create a space where kids, families, and friends could come together to connect, learn, and have fun in the kitchen.
That moment led to the founding of Taste Buds Kitchen, a business centered around the belief that cooking is more than just a skill—it’s a way to bring people together, spark creativity, and create lasting memories with family and friends. Today, with over 30 thriving locations across the country and growing, Taste Buds Kitchen offers a wide range of interactive cooking classes, summer camps, birthday celebrations, BYOB adult classes, date nights, and corporate events for ages 2 to 99. Each location is independently owned and operated by passionate families, ensuring a warm, community-centered atmosphere.
Jessi’s entrepreneurial journey is shaped by her diverse experiences—before her career on Wall Street, she earned an Economics degree from Harvard University where she competed as a Division 1 swimmer. The discipline and resilience she learned in the pool, paired with a passion for creativity and community, continue to fuel her work at Taste Buds Kitchen. In 2008, after the economic downturn, Jessi took the leap to pursue Taste Buds Kitchen full-time, guided by her mission to inspire confidence, creativity, and connection through cooking.
Outside of work, Jessi enjoys spending time with her family in Maryland, where she and her husband Jeff moved to be closer to loved ones. When she’s not at Taste Buds Kitchen, you’ll find Jessi baking at home with her three children, enjoying a home renovation projection or exploring new culinary adventures with her family. Her passion for food, family, and community continues to drive the success of Taste Buds Kitchen as she inspires others to #LearnLaughCook.

What should our readers know about your business?
I love Taste Buds Kitchen. Creating and growing the brand continues to be the greatest professional development of my life. I’m so happy with where we are today and even more excited to see my business-baby grow as we work towards our goal of opening 200 locations across the United States in the next five years. If you’re interested in opening your own location in your local community, you can learn more at tastebudskitchen.com/franchise and reach out to speak with us.

If you’d like to cook with us, visit tastebudskitchen.com/locations to find a location near you and register for a class or book a party. We are thrilled to have a local location in Miami!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d take them to our local dock bar and grill to enjoy an orange crush on the Chesapeake bay with fish tacos. We’d watch the sun set and enjoy great conversations and good laughs.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not be where I am today without the incredible support of my family. My parents and grandparents were entrepreneurial and owned a few businesses when I was growing up. Many family dinners were spent discussing all of the nuances needed to make their businesses a success. When I first had the idea for Taste Buds Kitchen, my mom and grandma helped me to design the kitchen and my dad drove a trailer into NYC with supplies to make it happen. Today nearly 18 years later, I couldn’t do it without my husband who is my biggest cheerleader and support as we run the business today and raise three incredible children who are all under the age of 7.

Website: https://tastebudskitchen.com

Instagram: @tastebudskitchen

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessi-walter-brelsford-0138628/

Facebook: @tastebudskitchen

Image Credits
Taste Buds Kitchen

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