Little Kitchen AcademyFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Little Kitchen Academy franchise requires a total initial investment of $436K – $881K, including a $65K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $560K[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $436K – $881K
- 29th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $560K
- 3rd pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 26th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 2
- 6th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $436K – $881K including a $65K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $560K/year.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 45/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Little Kitchen Academy USA, Inc.
- Parent company
- Little Kitchen Academy Ltd.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite #2907, Los Angeles, CA 90067
- Auditor
- A&G LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.5M
- vs $1.3M prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
Little Kitchen Academy operates children's culinary education centers offering cooking classes, camps, and birthday parties for kids. Franchisees manage facility operations, instructor hiring/training, class scheduling, event marketing, and direct parent/customer engagement in their protected territories.
- CEO
- Brian Curin
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 2
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $65K | $65K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $30K | $60K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $341K | $756K |
| Total initial investment | $436K | $881K |
Source: Little Kitchen Academy 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$50K
9.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
7%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
14.0 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $436K – $881K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $60K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $65K – $65K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $4K |
| Transfer fee | $33K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $560K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 2 units
- vs category median 13 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $278K→$843K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 3 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · below
Compared against 1264 Full-Service Restaurants brands
Revenue is only 0.9x the investment. This means each unit may take 5+ years to recoup the initial outlay at typical margins.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Little Kitchen Academy Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 2
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- N/A
- Turnover rate
- 150% (!)
- Closures exceed total units. See FDD Item 20
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 2 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
2
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Early-stage franchisor with minimal operating units, undisclosed profitability, and insufficient franchisee base for meaningful validation—investment viability cannot be assessed without Item 19 financials.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · A&G LLP⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 45 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 2 existing units with unknown growth trajectory suggests minimal track record and severe scalability concerns
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 makes ROI analysis impossible; average revenue of $560k may not translate to viable owner income
- 03MINORWide investment range ($436k-$881k) with vague cost allocation raises transparency concerns and suggests inconsistent build-out standards
- 04MED6% royalty on gross sales (not net) combined with non-disclosed profitability creates cash flow risk
- 05MEDExtremely limited franchisee base (2 units) makes validation difficult and indicates franchisor may be pre-revenue or in early survival mode
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | geographic area |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Delaware |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 29 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 19 hrs
- POS system
- Microsoft Office 365 Business
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Microsoft Office 365 Business
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
4 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Little Kitchen Academy · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Little Kitchen Academy franchise?
The total investment to open a Little Kitchen Academy franchise ranges from $436K – $881K, with an initial franchise fee of $65K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Little Kitchen Academy franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Little Kitchen Academy FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $560K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Little Kitchen Academy's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Little Kitchen Academy (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Little Kitchen Academy franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Little Kitchen Academy has 2 total units in the United States, including 1 franchised units and 2 company-owned units.
Is Little Kitchen Academy a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Little Kitchen Academy as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 45 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Little Kitchen Academy, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Claim this brandOther Full-Service Restaurants franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Full-Service Restaurants category
Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.