How much does a Young Chefs Academy franchise cost?
Opening a Young Chefs Academy franchise takes a total initial investment of $238,735 to $563,164, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median annual gross sales (US$) of $222,612 across 26 outlets.
The FDD franchises the operation of a cooking school for children, families, and adults using the Young Chefs System and Young Chefs Marks. Category: Education.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Young Chefs Academy franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $238,735 to $563,164. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Real Estate Improvements & Millwork ($98,220 to $348,084), Furniture, fixtures, equipment, and signage ($22,515 to $40,080), and Additional Funds (for first 3 months) ($24,000 to $36,000). Together they make up about 75% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $50,000, about 21% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $50,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Opening Support Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $3,000 | $3,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Grand Opening Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $1,000 | $2,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Travel and living expenses for initial training (per person)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $1,000 | $2,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Lease2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $4,000 | $18,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Real Estate Improvements & Millwork2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $98,220 | $348,084 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Furniture, fixtures, equipment, and signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $22,515 | $40,080 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Architecture and Engineering2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $4,000 | $17,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Project management2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $19,000 | $19,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Office Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $1,000 | $2,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Supplies2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $500 | $3,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Grand Opening Marketing and Advertising2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 | $3,000 | $8,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8 |
| Deposits, business licenses, permits, etc.2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 | $3,000 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 |
| Insurance (For 1 year)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 | $1,000 | $2,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 |
| Professional fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 | $3,500 | $7,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 |
| Additional Funds (for first 3 months)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 | $24,000 | $36,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8-9 | $238,735 | $563,164 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8-9 |
Source Young Chefs Academy, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 8-9, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Item 19
What Young Chefs Academy franchisees actually report earning
Median Annual Gross Sales (US$)
$222,612
Young Chefs Academy's 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the 2025 fiscal year. Basis: Franchised outlets that operated and reported sales data for the full 2025 fiscal year.
Sample size: 26 outlets. The FDD also reports average annual gross sales (US$) of $266,024. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest outlets; the median is the middle outlet.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- The FDD excluded 3 franchised outlets because they opened during the 2025 reporting period.
- The FDD excluded 1 outlet in Lenexa, Kansas that was owned and operated by former officer Julie Burleson.
- For Table 5B, the FDD excluded 4 franchised outlets because they did not report sufficient information regarding their expenses and margins, 3 franchised outlets because they opened during the 2025 reporting period, and the 1 outlet in Lenexa, Kansas that was owned and operated by former officer Julie Burleson.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Young Chefs Academy outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Young Chefs Academy, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 43, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Item 20
How many Young Chefs Academy outlets there are, and how many closed
Young Chefs Academy ended 2025 with 30 franchised outlets and no company-owned outlets. In that year 5 franchised outlets opened and 2 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Young Chefs Academy opened 11 franchised outlets and 5 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 7, from 23 to 30 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 3 were terminated, 1 was bought back by the franchisor, and 1 closed for other reasons. Those openings and departures do not add up to that change, because the FDD's own Item 20 row for 2024 does not add up either. We publish the franchisor's figures exactly as printed; see the note under the table below.
On average, about 6.8% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 15.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 48 |
| 2024 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 271 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 48 |
| 2023 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 48 |
Source Young Chefs Academy, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 46-48, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Compare
How Young Chefs Academy compares with other Education franchises
Measured against the 56 Education franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Young Chefs Academy's estimated range is $400,950. It costs more to open than 73% of Education franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 6.8% for Young Chefs Academy. That is higher than 60% of the 36 Education franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Young Chefs Academy's franchised system grew 30%. The typical Education franchise here grew 2.1%.
- Earnings disclosure. 37 of the 56 Education franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Young Chefs Academy is one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Education franchise side by side.
Alert me when Young Chefs Academy files a new FDD
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