Who We Are

Julie Burleson and Suzy Nettles, founders of YCA, are two moms who love cooking, love children, and love a good time in the kitchen! Since YCA's founding in April of 2003, the school has grown from a weekend-only operation, conducting classes and parties out of a restaurant, to a full-time school operating out of its own storefront.

At Young Chefs Academy, Julie and Suzy teach culinary skills that build upon each other to progress into more complicated food preparation. While learning such skills is the main ingredient at YCA, Julie and Suzy add a heap of kitchen safety, a scoop of etiquette, a handful of napkin folding and table setting, a pinch of menu planning, and laughter to taste. Their kid-friendly kitchen classroom also provides a "real" setting so that the students can use what they learn in their own homes.

A Hot Opportunity

As the popularity of kid-focused stores and services grows, you can bet the children's franchise biz is a promising place to play.

Hot in the beginning, prosperous now and promising for the future, the children's franchise industry has attracted long-term players who have left their marks, have achieved financial success and now offer a wealth of insight for people wanting to get into this industry.
Sara Wilson, Entrepreneur

How We Make Money

• Steady Revenue Stream provided through monthly memberships
• Birthday Parties...You can host 8-16 parties per weekend, based on a one- or two-kitchen setup
• After School & Weekend Cooking Classes allowing space for both members and non-members
• Private Classes with weekday space available for Home Schooling groups, pre-school classes, field trips, girl/boy scout troups, college groups, high school groups, Mom/Dad night out adult classes, etc

Stir It Up!

Julie and Suzy want to see families back in the kitchen, whether it be exploring exotic cuisine or baking cookies. The kitchen is the pulse of the home.... where we learn about life and each other. They believe that by enjoying the process of preparing food together, it will also be the place where special memories begin. As Julie says, "It's about making the home and the time together special. We live in a world that is geared towards fast and what's next." Julie and Suzy say, "Young Chefs Academy takes us out of that fast lane and teaches us to enjoy the ride along the way."

Young Chefs Academy, LLC is currently looking for qualified candidates to own franchises in all areas of North America.

We are looking for franchise owners who: 

• Believe in the power of learning and the culinary arts
• Believe and understand the value in following a proven system
• Are committed to quality service and delivering a great experience to our customers
• Work well with people and have the ability to make the personal, financial and emotional commitment to running a successful franchise business 

Because opening a Young Chefs Academy requires certain financial resources and skills we have established general requirements to begin the qualification process that can lead to awarding you a franchise.  

General Requirements:

• Franchisees must live in the market they wish to operate. 
• You must have a minimum of $72,000.00. 
• We carefully consider your personal experience and people skills. 
• You must understand the unique attributes of operating a business within a franchise system. 
• You need to be able to execute a franchise agreement within 3 months from the initial request for consideration to begin the qualification process. 

Young Chef's Academy is currently accepting inquiries from the following states: Wyoming, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Washington, Vermont, Virginia, Utah, Texas, Tennessee, South Dakota, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ohio, New York, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Nebraska, North Dakota, North Carolina, Montana, Mississippi, Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Kentucky, Kansas, Indiana, Illinois, Idaho, Iowa, Georgia, Florida, Delaware, Connecticut, Colorado, California, Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, Alaska.

Young Chef's Academy is also currently accepting Canadian and international inquiries.