Our Story

Hello, Cooker Fans!

It’s good to be back. It’s been a long journey for the Cooker but we are thrilled to have the honor and opportunity to get this started back up.

Founded by Phil Hickey and Jerry Hornbeck in 1984 on a foundation of food quality, great value, and genuine service, Cooker veterans Steven Schuster and Paul Baerenstcher have updated a few things but plan on growing the concept around the standards set by the founders. Steve and Paul are both pleased that Phil and Jerry have been so supportive of their efforts.

The Sandusky restaurant was a wonderful test store for us and we are pleased with what we learned and how it has prepared us for the future. And, oh yes, there will be a bright future for the Cooker. You, the guest, spoke loud and clear that you were thrilled to have the Cooker back. What an honor it was to have guests travel from Detroit, Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, Cincinnati, and even Nashville, just to have dinner with us! Wow.

The menu is the same, with a few updates to appeal to 21st century palates. We painstakingly went through every version of every recipe, selecting the best the Cooker had to offer. Over the years, some raw ingredients changed, but we successfully matched recipes in most circumstances and even improved a couple of others. Ultimately, we want guests to enjoy the Cooker they remember, updated for the new millennium.

So what’s our next step? We have closed the Sandusky restaurant while we are searching for sights and investors to relocate to the west side of Cleveland, with plans to head to Columbus after that. We know everyone is anxious, but be patient. Having the right location is very important to the success of the Cooker.

If you’re interested in helping us grow financially or working with us again, please shoot us an email: schuster@cookerbarandgrille.com

Welcome back.