Not every chef grows up dreaming of Michelin stars or fine-dining kitchens. For Ryan Beck, food was never about prestige — it was about comfort, family, and connection. Growing up in Ohio, he spent his childhood cooking for his brothers while their mother worked late shifts. Many of his earliest lessons came from his grandmothers, who passed down traditions that were as much about care as they were about flavor.
From Design Student to Accidental Chef|Ryan Beck – The Designer Who Found His Calling in the Kitchen |The Story of Ryan Beck: Chef, Innovator, and Co-Founder of Martha On The Fly | From Drafting Tables to Diners: The Culinary Journey of Ryan Beck
Not every chef grows up dreaming of Michelin stars or fine-dining kitchens. For Ryan Beck, food was never about prestige — it was about comfort, family, and connection. Growing up in Ohio, he spent his childhood cooking for his brothers while their mother worked late shifts. Many of his earliest lessons came from his grandmothers, who passed down traditions that were as much about care as they were about flavor.
Yet, as a young man, Beck didn’t see himself in a kitchen. He enrolled at Ohio State University, pursuing a degree in industrial design. For a while, the idea of shaping objects and drafting blueprints seemed to be his calling. But as he advanced deeper into the program, he realized something wasn’t right. The thought of spending his life behind a drafting table left him restless. He craved something more tangible, more immediate, more human.
That itch eventually led him back to the thing that had always grounded him: cooking. And once Beck followed that instinct, he never turned back.
Cutting His Teeth: Columbus Kitchens and Culinary Breakthrough
In the mid-2000s, Beck stepped into the professional kitchen world in Columbus, Ohio. Unlike many aspiring chefs, he didn’t finish culinary school. Instead, he took the road less traveled, dropping out to learn directly in the trenches. His destination: Sage American Bistro.
At Sage, Beck was immersed in the raw, unfiltered pace of restaurant life. He started from the bottom, absorbing the fundamentals of technique, consistency, and timing. Over five years, his determination and curiosity saw him rise through the ranks to chef de cuisine. It was here that Beck not only sharpened his knife skills but also found his voice as a creative leader. The experience taught him how to manage teams, design menus, and balance the delicate equation between artistry and execution.
When Sage closed its doors in 2015, Beck was at a turning point. Instead of seeing it as an end, he embraced it as a new beginning.
Cleveland Calling: A New Chapter with Culinary Mentors
Beck’s journey next took him to Cleveland, where he joined The Greenhouse Tavern, working under the guidance of Chef Jonathon Sawyer, a James Beard Award winner and Rising Stars alum. At Greenhouse, Beck immersed himself in a culinary environment where creativity met sustainability, learning the nuances of sourcing, seasonality, and modern American dining.
His trajectory within Sawyer’s circle continued as he helped launch Trentina, a celebrated fine-dining concept. There, he worked alongside Sawyer and Chef Jeremy Umansky, taking charge of the wood-fired cooking program. The role gave him a chance to experiment with old-world techniques while layering in new ideas, bridging the gap between rustic traditions and contemporary flavor profiles.
Cleveland, with its gritty energy and evolving food scene, felt like home. And Beck, now confident in his craft, was ready to keep experimenting.
Beyond Restaurants: Food in the Startup World
Always curious, Beck stepped away from traditional kitchens to test his creativity in the startup world. He joined HarvestOwl, a lunch delivery company, where he wasn’t just cooking but developing scalable recipes and operational systems.
This role was less about the adrenaline of service and more about problem-solving — taking flavor-driven ideas and reimagining them for large-scale production. It was industrial design thinking, applied to food. His time there proved that Beck’s creativity wasn’t confined to a single format; it could adapt to any challenge.
Later, he joined the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, where he managed food programs across multiple outlets and venues. It was another layer of growth, this time navigating the complexities of hotel dining, large events, and diverse audiences.
A Pandemic Pivot: Martha’s Pie On The Fly
Then came 2020, and with it, a global pandemic that forced the restaurant world to reimagine itself. For Beck, the crisis sparked one of his most creative ventures yet.
Armed with his scratch-made approach, he began baking pies and dropping them off on porches around Cleveland under the playful name Martha’s Pie On The Fly. It was casual, heartfelt, and a way to connect with people when the world felt uncertain and isolated.
The project resonated deeply with the community. The pies weren’t just desserts; they were symbols of comfort, joy, and resilience. What started as a humble side project quickly began to grow into something much bigger.
Martha On The Fly: A Diner with a Modern Twist
Out of the porch-pie project, Martha On The Fly was born. Beck teamed up with partners LT Magnotto, Justin Carolyne, and Joe Marino to create a modern diner concept in Tremont. The restaurant is both playful and soulful, a reimagining of the neighborhood diner for today’s generation.
At Martha, Beck has gone all-in on his scratch-made mindset. Everything, from the milk buns to the sauces and complex condiments, is crafted in-house. His ingredient-driven approach marries simplicity with depth, making dishes approachable yet elevated.
The diner has since gained a cult following, drawing locals and visitors alike who crave food that is both nostalgic and fresh. Weekly specials like fish fries and creative pop-ups keep the energy alive, while the core menu continues to win hearts.
For Beck, Martha isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a community hub — a place where food, joy, and togetherness come first.
Philosophy: Scratch-Made, Heartfelt, and Rooted in Community
Ryan Beck’s culinary philosophy is simple yet profound: make everything from scratch, focus on the ingredients, and cook with heart. His background in design taught him the value of process and craftsmanship, while his upbringing instilled a sense of hospitality and care.
At Martha, and in everything he does, Beck emphasizes food as a connector. From pies on porches to neighborhood diners, his vision is always about more than just taste — it’s about creating experiences that bring people together.
Looking Ahead: Expansion and Evolution
With Martha On The Fly thriving in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, Beck and his partners have their eyes on the future. Plans for expansion are on the horizon, but for Beck, growth will never come at the expense of integrity. Scratch-made remains the non-negotiable foundation, as does the commitment to keeping food approachable, fun, and soulful.
Whether through new locations, pop-ups, or collaborations, Beck’s influence on Cleveland’s culinary identity continues to grow. What started with dropping pies on porches has become one of the city’s most exciting food movements.
The Designer Who Redesigned His Life Through Food
Ryan Beck never planned on being a chef, but his journey shows that sometimes the most fulfilling paths are the ones we stumble upon. From Columbus bistros to Cleveland fine dining, from hotel kitchens to startup labs, and finally to a beloved diner, Beck has redefined what it means to be a chef.
He is more than a cook — he is a builder of community, a craftsman of flavor, and a storyteller through food. And as Martha On The Fly continues to soar, one thing is clear: Ryan Beck has found his true canvas, and it’s painted with the colors of Cleveland’s kitchens, neighborhoods, and hearts.
The Journey of Chef Ryan Beck
Ryan Beck didn’t grow up dreaming of a life in restaurants. His first path was design — as a student of industrial design at Ohio State University, he imagined a future behind a drafting table. But the more he immersed himself in design, the more he realized something was missing. Cooking, the comfort he had grown up with while preparing meals for his brothers and learning from his grandmothers, felt far more alive than sketching blueprints. That pull led him to kitchens, where instinct and creativity took over.
In the mid-2000s, Beck began cooking professionally in Columbus, Ohio, at Sage American Bistro. He dropped out of culinary school, choosing instead to learn hands-on. Over five years, he worked his way up to chef de cuisine, earning the creative freedom to lead. When Sage closed in 2015, Beck moved to Cleveland, joining James Beard Award–winning Chef Jonathon Sawyer at The Greenhouse Tavern. He later helped open Trentina with Sawyer and Jeremy Umansky, leading the wood-fired program.
Beck’s curiosity pushed him beyond restaurants into the startup world, where he developed scalable recipes for HarvestOwl, and later led the food program at Hilton Cleveland Downtown, overseeing multiple venues.
His defining moment came during the pandemic, when he launched Martha’s Pie On The Fly, dropping homemade pies on porches across Cleveland. The project evolved into Martha On The Fly, a modern Tremont diner co-founded with partners LT Magnotto, Justin Carolyne, and Joe Marino. With its scratch-made milk buns, sauces, and playful menus, Martha quickly earned a cult following.
Today, Beck remains rooted in Cleveland’s food scene, balancing creativity with community. From heartfelt pies to neighborhood diners, his journey proves that sometimes the best careers are found by following instinct — not blueprints.