Young Chefs® Academy, the nation’s premier children’s cooking school, reported record-breaking sales in 2021, demonstrating strategic success fueled by high consumer demand and strong brand recognition. This past year alone marked the highest revenue increase in the brand’s history.
When compared to 2020, same store sales for the brand climbed by more than 100% in 2021. However, in contrast to pre-pandemic sales in 2019, same-store sales increased by an unprecedented 35%. This trend is tracking to continue as demand for children’s services rise and spending habits for high-quality learning activities expand.
“I’m truly humbled to see my vision (to make a lasting positive impact through teaching the joy and value of cooking) coming to fruition,” states Young Chefs Academy Founder & CEO, Julie Burleson. “This upward trajectory that our franchise owners are experiencing may be surprising to those on the outside looking in; but when you have a support team dedicated day in and day out to franchisees’ profits and providing an exceptional customer experience, coupled with parents who see the value proposition, I’m not surprised.”
The proven business model of Young Chefs® uniquely positions the brand to meet the needs of today’s families by bringing value to the learning adventure through state-of-the-art proprietary curriculum, strong brand recognition, and a unified core of franchise partners dedicated to providing the best possible experience for their customers and the communities in which they live.
Young Chefs Academy’s comprehensive training program and ongoing support equip franchise owners with the necessary tools to create an exciting encounter on a local level. Each touchpoint in the learning experience features a variety of maximum hands-on opportunities where children can explore their creativity while combining built-in S.T.E.A.M.-focused components and activities.
With the focus of quality over quantity, the company’s growth is also attributed to a strong, collaborative network of franchise partners who align with the core values that lead the company culture. This shared passion and commitment to uphold brand standards plays a pivotal role in the organization’s overall success.
The company has plans in 2022 for strategic improvements to support franchise owners in further growth.
They plan to refine current media platforms, launch national marketing initiatives, enhance customer offerings, and provide time-saving support on a local level.
“To say I’m excited about the future would be an understatement,” adds Burleson. “YCA has become the expert in teaching kids to cook, through our years of building and perfecting our model. We’ve never wavered from our commitment to bring on franchise owners who embody our Core Values, to become the strong brand we are today. The result is that we can focus our efforts on looking for even more opportunities that add value to our franchisees’ investment that they’ve entrusted to us – something I will never take lightly.”
