Young Chefs Academy franchise
A Young Chefs Academy franchisee operates a cooking school for children, families and adults. At the end of 2025 there were 30 Young Chefs Academy locations in the US, all franchised.
- Cost to open
- $239K–$563K
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Royalty
- 6% or $400/mo
- Locations, 2025
- 30+7 in 1 yrs
Compare with similar brands Estimate your costs
Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From YCA Franchising, INC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a Young Chefs Academy franchise costs
Opening one school costs an estimated $238,735 to $563,164. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: YCA Franchising, INC, 2026 filing, page 16
Young Chefs Academy franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: YCA Franchising, INC, 2026 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of monthly gross sales or a $400 monthly minimum. The minimum starts at opening or day 365 after signing, whichever is earlier; timely openings receive a three-month minimum waiver. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: YCA Franchising, INC, 2026 filing, page 11
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Young Chefs Academy publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations: 2025 unaudited results of full-year third-party franchised schools that reported sufficient information. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: YCA Franchising, INC, 2026 filing, page 38
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 24 (+1) | 2 | 2 |
| 2024 | 27 (+3) | 2 | – |
| 2025 | 30 (+3) | 0 | – |
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.
Source: YCA Franchising, INC, 2026 filing, page 54
How Young Chefs Academy compares
Of the 21 education franchises on this site, Young Chefs Academy is the 17th cheapest to open and the 14th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | Young Chefs Academy | Typical education |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $239K | $127K |
| Royalty | 6% | 7.5% |
| Closed or left per year | 8.7% | 1.4% |
| Change in franchised locations, 1 yrs | +30.4% | +33.5% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 18 of 21 |
Typical is the median across the 21 brands in education franchises.
