Little Kitchen Academy franchise
2024 filing · April 17, 2024GrowingShares sales figures
Little Kitchen Academy at a glance
A Montessori-inspired cooking school with classes for children and teenagers. At the end of 2023 there were 6 Little Kitchen Academy locations in the US, 3 franchised and 3 company-owned.
The business
- Industry
- Education
- Franchisor
- Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2020
- 4 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Los Angeles, California
- Typical size
- 1,200–2,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $409K–$747K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $65,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- Yes
- Up to 3% of gross sales
- Renewal fee
- $15,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 6
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 3
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 2 years
- +3
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 6
- Most in British Columbia, California and Colorado
From Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc’s 2024 filing; revenue and net loss from its audited financial statements, page 64; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Little Kitchen Academy among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Little Kitchen Academy | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $578,019 | Costs more than 69% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $65,000 | Higher than 92% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 6 | Fewer than 69% of franchises |
How much a Little Kitchen Academy franchise costs
Opening one Little Kitchen Academy costs an estimated $409,250 to $746,788. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($232,000 to $465,000) and initial franchise fee ($65,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $65,000 | ||
| Rent for First 3 Months | $0 | $30,000 | |
| Security Deposit | $0 | $21,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $232,000 | $465,000 | |
| Signage | $5,000 | $9,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment | $36,700 | $42,700 | |
| Initial Training Expenses | $0 | $5,000 | |
| Point of Sale and Computer Hardware and Software | $150 | $12,088 | |
| Initial Inventory/Supplies | $15,100 | $16,700 | |
| Professional Services | $21,000 | $29,500 | |
| Promotional Expenses | $17,800 | ||
| Insurance | $1,500 | $3,000 | |
| Additional Funds – For Initial 3-Month Period | $15,000 | $30,000 | |
| Total | $409,250 | $746,788 | |
Source: Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc, 2024 filing, page 17
Little Kitchen Academy franchise fee
The franchise fee is $65,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc, 2024 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to 3% of gross sales. |
| Technology Fee | $3,280 per year |
| Transfer Fee | $15,000 |
| Renewal Fee | $15,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc, 2024 filing, pages 11 and 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Little Kitchen Academy publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc, 2024 filing, page 49
How Little Kitchen Academy compares
Of the 221 education franchises on this site, Little Kitchen Academy is the 190th cheapest to open and the 136th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Little Kitchen Academy | Typical education brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $409K | $120K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $747K | $228K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $65K | $42K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 7% | 6% |
| US locations | 6 | 15 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 148 of 221 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 221 brands in education franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 (+1) | 2 | +1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 (+2) | 3 | – | – |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc, 2024 filing, page 51
Where Little Kitchen Academy locations are
At the end of 2023, Little Kitchen Academy had locations in 6 states. The most are in British Columbia, California and Colorado.
- British Columbia1
- California1
- Colorado1
- Illinois1
- Ontario1
- Texas1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| California | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Colorado | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Illinois | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ontario | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Texas | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc, 2024 filing, page 52
Who owns Little Kitchen Academy?
Little Kitchen Academy franchises are sold by Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc. It is a subsidiary of Little Kitchen Academy Ltd.
From Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc’s 2024 filing, page 7.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc, 2024 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 11
Little Kitchen Academy filings
The figures on this page come from Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc’s 2024 filing, issued April 17, 2024, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | April 17, 2024 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
