Young Chefs and Young Chefs Academy
Franchise research report · reviewed 2026 disclosure data
Researching Young Chefs and Young Chefs Academy franchise opportunities? Every figure below is cited to the FDD.
Reviewed sources
Young Chefs Academy franchise specializes in culinary education programs for children and teens, offering hands-on cooking classes, camps, and birthday parties
Headline figures
Quick facts
- How much does it cost to open a Young Chefs and Young Chefs Academy franchise?
- The Young Chefs and Young Chefs Academy Franchise Disclosure Document reports an estimated initial investment of $238,735 (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 16). This is the franchisor's disclosed estimate, not a quote. Details
- What ongoing fees does Young Chefs and Young Chefs Academy charge?
- The disclosed ongoing royalty is $6 (2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 11). The brand or advertising fund contribution is $2 (2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 11). Other recurring fees are listed in Item 6. Details
- Does Young Chefs and Young Chefs Academy disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Yes. The Young Chefs and Young Chefs Academy FDD includes an Item 19 financial performance representation (2026 FDD, Item 19, PDF p. 38). Figures apply only to the locations and period each one covers. Details
- How many Young Chefs and Young Chefs Academy locations are there?
- The FDD reports 30 outlets at the end of 2025 (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 53). Existing locations do not indicate territory availability. Details
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
What the disclosures show
- 1Opening costs are estimated at $238,735 in the 2026 FDD (Item 7); several initial fee options apply.
- 2Item 19 covers 20 separate groups: other measures for 3 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 3 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 3 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 9 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 2 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 2 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 4 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 3 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 3 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 3 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 9 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 2 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 2 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 4 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 26 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 8 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 4 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 7 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 3 third-party franchised outlets locations; other measures for 22 third-party franchised outlets locations. They are not combined.
- 3Outlets grew by 1 in 2025, to 30 (Systemwide, as labeled in the FDD, Item 20).
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
Costs · Items 5–7
What does it cost to open?
Estimated opening costs and the fees payable to the franchisor.
Startup Investment — Item 7
Total estimated initial investment
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 16
Formats disclosed in Item 7 (2)
Each format has its own total. The total depends on the format you choose; multi-unit packages are listed but not included in the headline range.
- Total standard franchise — $238,735–$563,164PDF p. 16$238,735
- Total multi-unit (2–3 units; first unit investment plus additional fees, not buildout of all units) — $278,735–$644,164Multi-unitPDF p. 16$278,735
Ongoing Fees — Item 6
Selected recurring charges; payment bases and conditions remain attached to each fee.
- Monthly royalty — 6%; $400 minimum subject to Note 2 grace periodMain ongoing fee
25 reported fees, each with its payment basis, are listed below; they haven't been sorted into recurring, initial and occasional groups yet.
Financial Performance — Item 19
What results are disclosed—and for which locations?
20 separate populations, shown apart. Revenue is not owner income.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 3 locations
- Who is counted
- Full time dual classroom; 1 tertile
- Period
- Full time dual classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 3 locations
- Who is counted
- Full time dual classroom; 2 tertile
- Period
- Full time dual classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 3 locations
- Who is counted
- Full time dual classroom; 3 tertile
- Period
- Full time dual classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 9 locations
- Who is counted
- Full time dual classroom; All included outlets
- Period
- Full time dual classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 2 locations
- Who is counted
- Full time single classroom; 1 half
- Period
- Full time single classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 2 locations
- Who is counted
- Full time single classroom; 2 half
- Period
- Full time single classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 4 locations
- Who is counted
- Full time single classroom; All included outlets
- Period
- Full time single classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 3 locations
- Who is counted
- Part time dual classroom; 1 tertile
- Period
- Part time dual classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 3 locations
- Who is counted
- Part time dual classroom; 2 tertile
- Period
- Part time dual classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 3 locations
- Who is counted
- Part time dual classroom; 3 tertile
- Period
- Part time dual classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 9 locations
- Who is counted
- Part time dual classroom; All included outlets
- Period
- Part time dual classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 2 locations
- Who is counted
- Part time single classroom; 1 half
- Period
- Part time single classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 2 locations
- Who is counted
- Part time single classroom; 2 half
- Period
- Part time single classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 4 locations
- Who is counted
- Part time single classroom; All included outlets
- Period
- Part time single classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 26 locations
- Who is counted
- All full-year reporting outlets; All included outlets
- Period
- All full-year reporting outlets
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 8 locations
- Who is counted
- Full time dual classroom
- Period
- Full time dual classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables. One of nine transferred during year and did not report sufficient expenses/margins.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 4 locations
- Who is counted
- Full time single classroom
- Period
- Full time single classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables. All four full-year outlets included.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 7 locations
- Who is counted
- Part time dual classroom
- Period
- Part time dual classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables. Two of nine transferred during year and did not report sufficient expenses/margins.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 3 locations
- Who is counted
- Part time single classroom
- Period
- Part time single classroom
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables. One of four full-year outlets lacked sufficient expense/margin data; three opened during year. Note erroneously labels this exclusions section Table 1B.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 22 locations
- Who is counted
- All full-year expense-reporting outlets
- Excluded
- Outlets not operating full year or not reporting sufficient data; former officer Julie Burleson's Lenexa outlet excluded from all tables. Four outlets lacked sufficient expense/margin data; three opened during year; former officer's Lenexa outlet excluded.
- Method
- Unaudited reported historical results. Annual gross sales exclude sales/use/service taxes. Expense ratios are outlet ratios averaged across included outlets; incident/one-time repairs and maintenance excluded. Current royalty 6% and advertising 2% imputed; technology $250/month.
These groups are never combined.
Outlet Changes — Item 20
How has the outlet count changed?
Systemwide, as labeled in the FDD · counts as of 2025 of each year.
2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 53
Net +4 outlets, 2023–2025
Year-end counts reported in Item 20. The scale starts at zero; the labels between the dots show each year's change. Openings and closures for 2025 haven't been pulled from the Item 20 tables yet, so no turnover or churn is shown.
Questions to investigate
Prompts based on what this brand's reviewed disclosures do and don't show — not conclusions. Join free as a member to save questions to your research.
For the franchisor
Which line items in the 2026 Item 7 estimate ($238,735) vary most by market, and why?
Which initial fee option would apply to my situation, and what conditions or discounts affect it?
Which locations are included in the Item 19 figures, and which were excluded?
Reported units went from 29 to 30 in 2025. How many new units opened, closed or changed hands?
Is a territory available in my area, and how is it defined in my agreement?
For current and former owners
How did your actual startup costs and timeline compare with the Item 7 estimate?
How many hours a week do you work in the business, and in what role?
How do your results compare with the Item 19 figures, and what explains the difference?
What support from the franchisor has been most and least useful?
For your advisors
Ask a franchise attorney to review the territory, renewal, transfer and termination terms.
Ask an accountant to build a cash-flow plan using your own assumptions, not the franchisor's.
Sources & vintage history
Every displayed fact is retained with its disclosure vintage, item, page, and reviewed status. Prior vintages remain on file rather than being overwritten.
Citations (2026 FDD)
- [1]Estimated initial investment — Item 7 · PDF p. 16
- [2]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Full time dual classroom; 1 tertile · PDF p. 38
- [3]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Full time dual classroom; 2 tertile · PDF p. 38
- [4]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Full time dual classroom; 3 tertile · PDF p. 38
- [5]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Full time dual classroom; All included outlets · PDF p. 38
- [6]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Full time single classroom; 1 half · PDF p. 41
- [7]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Full time single classroom; 2 half · PDF p. 41
- [8]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Full time single classroom; All included outlets · PDF p. 41
- [9]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Part time dual classroom; 1 tertile · PDF p. 44
- [10]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Part time dual classroom; 2 tertile · PDF p. 44
- [11]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Part time dual classroom; 3 tertile · PDF p. 44
- [12]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Part time dual classroom; All included outlets · PDF p. 44
- [13]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Part time single classroom; 1 half · PDF p. 47
- [14]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Part time single classroom; 2 half · PDF p. 47
- [15]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Part time single classroom; All included outlets · PDF p. 47
- [16]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All full-year reporting outlets; All included outlets · PDF p. 50
- [17]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Full time dual classroom · PDF p. 39
- [18]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Full time single classroom · PDF p. 42
- [19]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Part time dual classroom · PDF p. 45
- [20]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Part time single classroom · PDF p. 48
- [21]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All full-year expense-reporting outlets · PDF p. 51
- [22]Outlet counts — Item 20, Table 1 · PDF p. 53
"PDF p." is the page in the PDF file; "printed p." is the number printed on the FDD page. Source document: FDD
Territory & operations
No territory or operating requirements have been reviewed yet.
These are contract disclosures, not confirmation that any territory is currently available.
Legal & agreement
Franchisor financial statements
No verified franchisor financial statement figures have been reviewed yet.
SBA-backed loans to franchisees
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Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) & 504 FOIA data. Loan volume is not a measure of franchisee success.
Related research
Brands in the same subcategory first, then the wider industry, ordered by shared business format and overlapping investment range. This is not a ranking or recommendation.
Head-to-head comparisons
At a glance
Business history
Not reviewed
Owner participation
Not reviewed
Territory language
Not reviewed
Litigation disclosure
Not reviewed
Bankruptcy disclosure
Not reviewed
Agreement term
Not reviewed
Independent analysis of franchisor-provided data. Not investment advice. Franopolis does not distribute FDDs.