Young Chefs Academy Franchise Discussion

• 

  admin said,

  The UFOC for Young Chefs Academy, as made publicly available by the state of California.

  http://134.186.208.228/caleasi/search.asp?TASKNAME=xshowDocs&PackageID=239661




• 

  Karen said,

  Be very careful if considering this franchise. I worked for one for over a year. The owners of the parent company have no franchise experience and don’t provide any real support. Buying this franchise means you get access to some recipes, and mostly from the Internet - nothing authentic. Beyond that you are on your own.

  Most locations are losing thousands every month. Call around and talk to the franchisees to see what their experiences are. Look at how many are for sale on the Internet. Even some as cheap as $30K for open locations! Each month, a large number continue to go out of business losing hundreds of thousands of dollars invested and ending up with tons of debt on top.

  Someone ought to really look into this from a legal perspective because it seems that many people have gotten taken and were sold a rotten bag of goods. There is lots of fluff on the outside (cute pictures of smiling kids, promises of a successful program), but no substance. Many don’t find out until it is too late.

  Try to also get a more updated UFOC. The one listed above is old and MANY locations have since gone out of business since that was printed.

  Do your homework!




• 

  Anonymous said,

  There has been a very lively discussion that was unfortunately shut down regarding Young Chefs Academy. After reading, it appears that Karen definitely has some truth to her comments. It sounds like there are a few people who have been really hurt by this franchise, and it’s very unfortunate what Young Chefs is doing to people who believed in their concept.

  http://startupprincess.wordpress.com/2006/08/20/questions-about-young-chefs-academy-franchises/




• 

  Anonymous said,

  Karen wasn’t lying about the 30K franchise for sale either. Somebody really lost their a** on this one.

  http://buyandsellbiz.org/listings/E4450.html




• 

  YoungChefs said,

  I am an owner of a Young Chefs Academy and what has been posted here is true. They claim in the marketin hype that this program is successful. I don’t consider losing hundres of thousands of dollars to be a successful venture. I guess they can say that because they are raking in over $80,000 a month in franchise fees.

  They used to have on the website “168 locations and growing!” Well, there have been so many closures this year that they finally had to remove the number because it was too embarassing. So far, about 30 of these have gone out of business this year alone and lost EVERYTHING!

  Last month we had a conference where we all flew to Houston, TX. This was SUCH a waste of time. One of their “experts” to speak to us was someone who has not even been in business a month. They probably had to get someone new who hadn’t been open long enough to know how much they would lose in the long run.

  Instead of having any answers for all of the struggling owners (which are most of us), they just put us in rooms together to figure out the answers ourselves. Worse, they don’t even have a business plan for the franchise, but wanted the franchisees to write the plan. How do you sell franchises to people and manage a franchise with no business plan??? The reason so many are failing is because there is no support from YCI and they have idea how to translate their “vision” (assuming they have one) into a business venture. There is much more to a business than showing pictures of happy kids in a kitchen and pulling some recipes off of the Internet.

  This Young Chefs franchise is the worse mess I have ever seen after having been in business for over 30 years. The owners of YCI have no franchise experience and have no idea how to pull this thing out of the toilet. They spend more time trying to tell everyone to be positive than they do on actually creating the business. Somehow, they think that if everyone just thinks happy thoughts, all of the problems will go away.

  This I will tell anyone considering buying this franchise - DO NOT BUY A YOUNG CHEFS ACADEMY! Call the franchisees and talk to them. You will be surprised how many have never made a profit after 1-2 years in business. Even the very first location had to close last month. Ask them about the level of support. Ask them whether they would buy it again. Even people who initially bought multiple territories have dumped them once they saw how poorly run this organization is.

  Karen is right. Someone should look into this from a legal perspective. I think it is high time someone did.




• 

  Lillian said,

  Young Chefs Academy is a really great idea. As a former teacher at one, I know these franchisees pour a lot of their heart into this business. The teachers do too.

  The problem is that the owners of YCI don’t know what they are doing. They don’t know how to run the franchise or how to make the business successful. There is no business plan?? I didn’t know that, but it makes sense when I look back on it. That should be criminal to sell a franchise with no business plan.

  The future should look great for this business, but those founders are running it into the ground. They just sit in Texas and pretend that the problems don’t exist, hoping the problems will just go away. Anyone who talks about the problems become a pariah.

  It’s also all in the family with family members of the founders set-up as required vendors where franchisees have to pay them money each month. They have set themselves up to live high on the hog and get rich off of the backs of people who have sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars into this failure of a business.

  In all the time I was at Young Chefs, not ONE time did YCI ever come visit or call to see if they could help turn the business around. For months my boss contacted them asking for help, and they did nothing. I even heard they started collecting additional national advertising fees each month and there is still no national advertsing. They are really sucking the life from the franchisees to fatten their pockets and don’t seem to care.

  This I know, I had fun teaching at Young Chefs, but the owner lost around $4,000 a month each month. From what I heard, this is the norm for most of the franchisees. I would NEVER buy a Young Chefs Academy. I think they should be investigated before being allowed to sell anymore businesses. It just seems like a big fraud is being pulled off here.




• 

  Concerned for a Friend said,

  In case the page on that one forum above is pulled, I think people should have a record of what young chef people have been saying about this business. ________________

  Sandy
  March 22, 2007 at 3:18 pm

  You are right to be concerned. My best friends purchased one and they said the ongoing support is basically non-existent. They are very disappointed in that part of it because there seem to be a lot of questions from owners, and no direction is being given. Apparently, many times they don’t even respond to questions if you can believe that. If I were you, I would just start calling a few of the locations myself to get a real picture of what is going on.

  Anyway, I still think it is a very cute idea. My friends said they may sell it if nothing changes, but I hope not. My kids love it! There is nothing else like it in our area and my kids have learned a lot. They do actually cook and they have lots of fun.

  keyroses
  March 30, 2007 at 4:39 pm

  We too are looking into opening a YCA. Unfortunately, we have contacted the Findley group several times over the past few weeks and have yet to hear back from them. My husband and I are pretty bummed about that because of all the franchise opportunities we have been exploring, it definitely is our #1 pick.

  startupprincess
  March 31, 2007 at 3:39 pm

  I hope you will be contacted soon!

  George
  April 30, 2007 at 12:38 pm

  My daughter is considering this Franchise opportunity. Has anyone out there received information on gross sales/unit? I realize that they have not been open very long and that numbers vary by location, but I would still like to get a sense of what the highs and lows are as it relates to gross sales. I assume the company does not quote those figures in their UFOC? Has anyone spoken to current franchisee’s regarding their numbers?

  chef lady
  May 7, 2007 at 7:54 am

  I purchased a Young Chefs Academy franchise & will be open soon! Our estimates for profit are extremely promising! Start-up costs are estimated based on the cost of living in the company’s home city-Waco, TX. It has cost us more to open our location than it would have in Waco, TX, but we are still optimistic that our investment will pay off! We have had lots of interest so far & we’ve booked lots of reservations even though we’re still in the build-out process.
  It is certainly what I would call a flexible franchise. I like the fact that the curriculum is established yet we have some room to still be creative as owners.
  I feel that my suggestions have been heard & implemented at the franchisor level.
  Also, territories are selling quickly, and several other owners I’ve spoken with wished they would have made the commitment earlier (so as to lock-in the territory of their choice).
  I can post again in a few months when we’re up & running.
  Also, fyi, the company that franchised Young Chefs is owned by Gary Findley. You may recognize that name because he was the original franchisor of Curves for Women.
  Anyway, I encourage you to contact the sales guys & get the info from them. Then apply that info to your area-rent, utilities, city regulations, build-out costs, etc. to see if it works for you. I devised a “calculator” of sorts which I used to determine profit/loss & determined that my store needs to be aroung 33% full to break-even. Other locations in our area are full or nearly full within one year of opening.
  Hope this info helps!

  Kidz Cook
  May 9, 2007 at 2:43 pm

  I too am a Young Chefs Academy owner, but I am already open. My experience does not match that of the previous poster. There is also some incorrect info in that post.

  The Findley Group and the expertise of Gary Findely is a major reason why many have bought into this franchise. However, he is no longer associated with YCA. If you are interested in pursuing a franchise, you must contact the YCI corp.

  There are major operational issues which directly affect finances. You are right to ask about numbers and I would perform due diligence before making any investment.

  Our initial investments were also very promising, as well as initial interest. The reality has been much different than what we were sold.

  I will not go into details, but leave it to say that if I had to do it over again, I would not have purchased it.

  Sorry I don’t have better news to give.

  Nicky K
  May 13, 2007 at 5:07 am

  I first saw this franchise about a month ago and was interested in starting one myself in another city/state. To date, my request for further info has gone ignored. Not even an email saying they are getting to it. Not a good sign when you don’t reply to people who want to pay you money!

  I’m not sure you could count on this company for support if you needed it.

  Sandy
  May 25, 2007 at 11:43 am

  Oh well, my friends have decided to sell [*sigh*]. They say that things have just gone from bad to worse lately, and the company just does not seem to care. From what they say, a lot of franchisees are fighting mad and also trying to sell because the company is doing next to nothing to support them. This is all just a shame, because my kids have enjoyed these classes.

  I was even thinking about buying my friends Young Chefs, but I searched today on the Internet and a lot of these schools are up for sale in a number of states. That is kind of scary since this business is so new. Kind of changed my mind.

  Me too
  June 26, 2007 at 1:35 pm

  I am a young chefs owner and I too have decided to sell. Anybody know a good franchise broker who can help with selling this?

  Kerry
  July 11, 2007 at 7:15 pm

  May I ask what has been the biggest disappointment considering this is such a new franchise? Support? Fees? Cost? Seems like a great concept

  advice
  July 22, 2007 at 12:53 pm

  If anyone knows of any young chefs franchisees that feel that young chefs academy breached its franchise agreement in connection with the sale of its franchises should call einbinder and dunn. They specialize in representing franchisee rights and have an excellent reputation for such representation.

  Roger
  August 4, 2007 at 10:14 pm

  Hi,
  I am looking to open a YCA. I have read previous emails. It’s been quite mixed response. What are the real issues with this franchise? Bad support, not enough revenue, high cost…? Any information would be helpful.
  Thanks
  Roger

  Richard
  August 6, 2007 at 3:10 pm

  Dear Kelly,

  My name is Richard Nettles and I am the husband of one of the founders of Young Chefs Academy. I also work for the founders in their merchandise company, which supports the Young Chefs Academies that are currently operating.

  Young Chefs Academy was the subject of one of your blog posts from August 9, 2006. Your post generated quite a lot of interest in the concept and even resulted in some folks licensing a franchise. After your post, comments started appearing that indicated there was trouble with the company…and there was.

  My wife, Suzy Nettles and her business partner, Julie Burleson started the company with the idea that children and young people can benefit from a culinary education that compliments the academic skills taught in schools, taps into the creative energy of children and shows kids that cooking is, most of all, fun! These aspects of Young Chefs Academy have not changed.

  What has changed with the company is what I believe is the making of a terrific interview for you to post on your blog. In January of this year, Julie and Suzy almost lost their company. During the long months leading up to May, 2007 they fought to keep control of Young Chefs Academy. Their hard work, tenacity and faithfulness to their vision has resulted in a company of which they are sole owners; a company that has a growing national brand recognition with a proven operating system; a company which has 100 operating academies; and a company that recently completed a co-promotion with Disney-Pixar for the animated film “Ratatouille”. There are several other partnerships in development as I type this.

  I hope you can see why, as a husband, I am so proud of my wife, Suzy and her best and closest friend, Julie. I believe they have a compelling story and a wealth of information that your readers may find useful as they achieve their own entrepreneurial dreams. If you would like to contact Julie and Suzy directly, their e-mail address is or they can be reached at 254-751-1040.

  Sincerely,
  Richard Nettles

  Kelly King Anderson
  August 6, 2007 at 10:51 pm

  Thank you Richard for representing YCA, we’ve been having this discussion for a year…so it’s great to see you here. Glad to hear that things are looking up! Congrats. I’ll be in touch and yes, I would like to interview your wife and her friend.

  Angelia
  August 7, 2007 at 1:29 pm

  Great!! I just received a magazine out of our local newspaper and have to comment on Young Chefs Academy’s behalf- American Profile has put them on the COVER page!! A great article also!! Look FUN and something I am peronally looking for!!

  Julie’s answers
  August 9, 2007 at 7:53 pm

  I don’t believe that Julie’s questions have been answered here. I am considering purchasing a territory, but the comments above worry me. I know the answers to some of these.

  Does the franchise require that you are owner-operator? This I don’t know, but I will tell you that from what I see teaching yourself may be the only way to make any money. Payroll is a huge expense.

  What does their monthly royalty fee include (theirs is $395 a month)? It includes curriculum. Oh and by the way- there’s a monthly web fee (the owner’s son own’s the design firm) which gives you essentially a link to their site and a flat template to use for your own pages.

  What kind of initial and on-going training do they provide? There is an initial training, and an annual convention.

  Do they require that you send them an overage check (percent of sales) if you exceed a certain amount in revenues? Don’t know this

  What non-compete clauses are you required to sign (for example, if you do a Color Me Mine franchise you are not allowed to do another arts/crafts store)?
  Teachers are required to sign a non-compete agreement. They are not allowed to teach cooking anywhere but YCA. All ‘products’ you want to sell and ‘classes’ you want to teach on your own (outside of their curriculum) must be approved. It takes at least 2 weeks to get approval.

  What does their suggested store build-out cost? Length of lease required? How much square footage do they require?

  Does your franchise fee include build-out? NO and one reply above says they base the estimates on Waco, TX costs. I don’t believe that’s representative of most of the rest of the country. Be careful and research on your own.

  Are you allowed to create your own products to support theirs and sell in your space? Again, there must be approval of any products sold inside the store.

  Required hours of operation? Are you required to be there when there are no classes in session (for example, to answer questions to a walk-in client)? I don’t know if they require it, but if you’re in a high traffic area you would want to be there.

  Suzy
  August 10, 2007 at 10:28 am

  Good afternoon to all! We would welcome the opportunity to speak to any of you that have questions about Young Chefs Academy as a franchise possibility. As many of the comments made here are false, it would be best to call us directly at 1-877-341-1041, or email us and allow us to address these questions.

  Keep on Cooking!
  Julie Burleson and Suzy Nettles
  Co-Founders
  Young Chefs International

  Lisa
  August 12, 2007 at 11:34 am

  Before you buy a franchise, any franchise, read The Franchise Fraud by Robert Purvin. I seriously regret buying a franchise, not YCA, but another that seems to be in a simmilar situation! I say, if you really believe you want own a business, start it yourself. If you think a franchise will be easier, you are fooling yourself and will be sadly mistaken. Also, do an informal poll of 100 people and if less than 50% can’t say anything good about the concept you are considering, walk away–the only thing you are buying when you buy a franchise is name recognition and if it isn’t there, walk away! Just my opinion, but one I wish someone had given me three years ago, Lisa

  Common $ense
  August 25, 2007 at 6:46 am

  Beyond the warm & fuzzies and sales pitches, you would be smart to ask questions. This is afterall a business decision and not a pen pal program.

  There do seem to be a lot of these for sale on the Internet as one poster stated. Postings for the business on different franchise sites place the total investment as between $89,350 - $208,000. But a number of these existing locations for sale are going for much cheaper. That may not be a good thing.

  Everyone claims to have a ‘proven’ program. Look for evidence of this. Have any franchisees gone bankrupt? Have any gone out of business? How has the franchise been growing? Are they growing too fast? Too slowly?

  How in tune with franchisees is the franchisor? Do they conduct on-site visits? Do they communicate regularly? Have them quantify the type of ’support’ provided (when you are opening and afterwards) so you know what you are getting into.

  Speak to existing franchisees - and not just the ones they give you. Call around and ask questions. Their current situations will give you a perspective into what the franchisor may not divulge. Ask the hard questions like how they view the franchise and franchisor relationship. How do they rate the support and the program? How long have they been open? Is their program growing? Knowing what they know now, would they invest again if they could do it over?

  Most importantly, take your time and do not rush into a decision. Do your homework. Ask questions.

  Too late for me
  August 29, 2007 at 3:44 am

  I really wish this info had been available before I bought this franchise. Someone asked what the problems are, there are many. A lot of them listed here. Everyone says this is a wonderful concept, in many aspects that is all it is.

  A major part of the problem is listed above in the statement that there “were” problems in the past but not anymore. Most anyone who owns one (and not someone just trying to sale more franchises) would find that laughable.

  A growing number are going out of business and just losing everything. To answer one question above, I would definitely NOT have purchased this again if I knew what I know now. I would sale mine too but many of those for sale haven’t found buyers after months of trying. Really a bad situation overall.

  startupprincess
  August 30, 2007 at 12:27 pm

  Hello to all,
  I just got off the phone with Suzy and Julie the owners of YCA and will be preparing “their side of the story” interview and feature on our new site, http://www.StartUpPrincess.com very soon…just to calm the storm a bit, my questions were answered and I can say that those of you who are owners are definitely in good hands! Be of good cheer and know that YCA has a bright future ahead, they are aware of the concerns and are working toward solutions. More on this soon.

  Kelly King Anderson
  Founder of StartUp Princess

  renaissancedame
  August 30, 2007 at 3:17 pm

  Well, this has been some very interesting reading! As a former owner of two franchises and now a YCA owner, I feel that I have some experience in the above-mentioned areas and will be happy to share my opinion.

  First, I have owned a Young Chefs now for a little over 1 1/2 years. There is probably no person out there who has started a franchise with as little start-up capital as I had when I bought my YCA. Young Chefs is a “new concept” and takes a while to establish in any new area. This means hard work and perseverance! I have gone to visit schools, given community demonstrations, participated in marketing events, put out fliers, press releases, and given countless items for donations. All this in an effort to get the YCA name out in the community. The result…my business is growing! It may be slower than I had hoped, but I will have my loans paid off within the first three years of business. I think this is a great testament to the business.

  Some other issues…
  A flat monthly royalty fee of $395 is extremely low. Most other franchisors take a percentage of the gross amount. I’m thrilled with $395!

  The curriculum staff at YCA cannot be beat! I was a teacher for over twenty years. A person who would like to start their own cooking school can, in no way, create the support materials and tested recipes that YCA has provided for its franchisees. Daily, this staff is coming up with new ideas and events for us.

  I’m actually not sure what the franchise fee is at this point, but if it’s under $30,000, it’s low. Also, build-out costs do vary according to your area, but my build-out ran true to my expectations. Did I want to pull my hair out during some of the build-out experiences? Sure, working through the codes and local ordinances was exhausting, but everything finally worked out for me.

  There is a non-compete form that is signed by everyone which truly protects the franchisee as much as anyone. It keeps teachers from teaching for me, gathering my materials and beginning their own business.

  Finally, to something mentioned above, one founder has a young son and the other has two sons under the age of 13 (I think). None of these guys run the website. The website is run by someone related to the family who is extremely capable and has exceeded my expectations as a franchisee.

  As all new businesses do, YCA has had growing pains, but the changes being made in this company are for the best. There are successful and happy franchisees out there. I guess, life is what you make of it, huh?

  Chef Teach
  August 30, 2007 at 3:36 pm

  As for “Too late for me”, it sounds like you ate too many of the lemons that were meant for the cookies. And kudos to “Lisa”, for the franchisee does not “own” the site. If you want to “own” your business, you must start it from scratch, like grandma’s wonderful chocolate cake. A franchise is more like a box cake where the cook takes the provided ingredients and makes something delicious. Even box cakes can be ruined if not used as directed. I am a YCA partner and have had a great time laughing, cooking, and earning. Yes, earning. The corporate office does a great job of providing curriculum, business tools, and the opportunity to succeed whereever you are. I know Julie and Suzy at the corporate office are focused on one thing, the success of the franchisee. However, the success of the site is up to the franchisee, not the corporate office. I am very happy with YCA and my experience has been life changing for me, as well as for the children I teach. I’ll keep cooking!!!

  YCAOwner
  August 31, 2007 at 1:44 am

  Been a YCA owner for 2 years now. Recipes? Originally from the Internet mostly, but much much better now. Real improvement and good variety.

  True, many are losing lots of money each month, but it is new. It takes time to establish and work out the kinks. A number are going out of business, but those who hang in will probably see things turn around.

  Agree fees are very low. You kind of get what you pay for. This is the beginning of the opportunity. You are getting in on the ground floor. If corporate had more answers about how to make this work and be successful, it would probably cost a lot more. They are learning as we are, both about the business and franchising. In the end, it should payoff because this is such a great concept.

  Surprised no one mentioned it takes a lot of work. Not the business for someone who wants to be part-time, hands-off, or has small children, which is how it was originally sold. I don’t think they are selling that way anymore. But anyone should know that if thinking of buying. This change in selling is another positive for what Julie & Suzy have done.

  So if you call around to franchisees you probably will find those who are not happy. That comment about sour lemon cookies was funny, but I am sure you know about what that poster was talking about too. There have also been some valid points here about the support problems and such, but I think things will get better. That is why I stick around.

  Also really agree that this is fun. Everyone enjoys it and I enjoy owning it. No, I personally am not making any money and don’t know of more than 2 or 3 who are. Most seem to be struggling financially, but it really does take time. Time to build relationships, time to tweak your program and pricing, time to find out what sells in your area. This corporate cannot do for you.

  There are things corporate should be doing to better support us and responsiveness can be pretty crummy, but again give it time. Let them get their feet wet and see what they can do.

  Basically, in spite of the poor financials, this is the best ‘job’ I have ever had. I cannot wait to keep cooking and see this thing turn around.

  Too late for me
  August 31, 2007 at 3:49 am

  Well, many of us cannot afford to wait around while losing thousands each month. Things will turn around? When? The people who head up corporate are the same people who have managed operations of this franchise for well over the past year. Yeah, they now do the sales part too, but they have always been responsible for operations. How long does it take to do what you are supposed to? Even you acknowledge that people are losing lots of money and they don’t even respond half the time.

  Of course corporate will try to spin it. They need to sale more franchises. You know what? If prospective buyers call around to existing owners like one poster said, then they will know. Whether my comments (and others here) are true or not, they will find out for themselves. I\’ll leave it at that.

  Too late for me too
  August 31, 2007 at 7:31 am

  We also were attracted to the business because of Gary Findley and his actual proven franchise success. As I am sure with any franchise in the beginning they shower potential franchisees
  with attention and approach every conversation with enthusiasm about how wonderful everything is. And as long as you are making money,not questioning anything they do or ask for any help then they stay that way. If not, look out! How do I know? I owned one and after nearly a year I had to close it. When I asked for help because I was losing my business they said they would get back to me but never did. They weren’t interested
  in me beacuse I was struggling. Another
  franchisee I spoke with who also closed said she begged for help and never got any. Shouldn’t there be something in place to help those who are hanging on for dear life? Isn’t that part of franchise support? When it got to the point that I knew I was closing and I loooked into it a little bit I realized I wasn’t the only one. There are quite a few who have closed, are for sale, or who are seriously struggling. I’m not saying there aren’t people out there making money because there are, it just seems that they are a select few. Someone stated that there are many for sale and that’s true, but are they selling? I know of many that have been for sale for quite some time.

  As far as Suzy saying there are false comments on this board, I have not seen any. Everything I have read here were similar to my experience.
  Nobody wants to hear negative things about their company, but you have to address problems and not sweep them under the rug because they make you uncomfortable. I think this franchise can be successful if you can afford to hang on for 3 to 5 years. I hope that for the sake of the friends I have made through this venture that it is,
  but with the current leadership I’m not sure it will.
  All in all what I learned from this experience is along what the lines of what ‘Lisa’ stated in her post, stay away from a franchise. Save the money you would spend paying a franchise fee to help market your business to get it off the ground. There are quite a few cooking schools
  for kids out there that seem to be doing very well and they aren’t restricted with what they can offer. Most importantly do your research, call around to talk to franchisees other than the ones they tell you to call. Then you will know what is really going on.

  Michelle Steckley
  September 24, 2007 at 9:22 am

  Make sure all of the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. Leave no stone unturned if considering a Young Chefs franchise. It is a Great concept but NOT what it is cracked up to be. There is nothing for the fees. If you can get questions answered, you are lucky. There are also additional fees for advertising, wesite usage, credit card usage, etc.
  I have recently had to close my academy and with a huge debt in tow.
  BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Wow Am I Amazed
  September 27, 2007 at 6:01 pm

  Holy cow do I wish I had found this board before I bought into this franchise. Everyday I wish that I had simply taken my $30,000 franchise fee and put it into starting my own business. The only thing worth any money here is that they provide you with recipes to use, and that just saves me some time, its nothing I couldn’t just do myself. Other than that it’s pretty much nothing but restriction after restriction and they’re super anal about having approval over everything. Understandable but still annoying.

  Then I read about the partners of YCI, and I can’t believe it. Their merchandising company is the founders husband? And the website company (horrible company) is another relative? That really makes me sick to my stomach. The website company is absolutely horrible and rakes in $85.00 a month from every franchise while accomplishing nothing. I happen to know for a fact that a website 10X’s better could be built for 1/10th of the price, but they obviously won’t look for a better priced web company thanks to the nepotism. (Note 150 franchises x $85.00 = $12,750 a month salary to build a website… ridiculous)

  And the merchandising company… some stuff is reasonable, but there are many things that are vastly overpriced. If I had known about the nepotism, I never would have gotten into this. There’s no way these “founders” are making objective business decisions when it might hurt their family.

  I just spoke to a business broker about selling and the price he said I may be able to get barely covered the franchise fee. Therefore I will stick it out, and I will make this profitable because I know I can do it. But if I had it to do over again, I would have simply done it myself and saved 30G’s and $700 a month. (Which is what the nickel and dime fees end up being.)

  I will make this work, but when I do, it will be in spite of the road blocks from their nepotism, not because they did their best to make sure costs were low.

  startupprincess
  September 30, 2007 at 3:27 pm

  Hello to all…this post has become quite the conversation about YCA. I have decided to not allow any anonymous comments on my blog so if you would like to comment, you must put your name (not “mickey mouse” or “YCA Owner”) and if it’s not a legitimate name, I won’t post your comment. If you have something to say, say it and be responsible for what you say and show respect. Thank you.

  Make a Wish, Make it Happen,
  Kelly

  Anonymous
  October 2, 2007 at 7:24 am

  Just my two cents, but anonymous whistle blowers are the key to saving people from getting involved in a personal dispute that could hurt their business, when it’s obvious they are already being hurt enough. Without anonymous whistle blowers you’d have no whistle blowers. Hopefully you reconsider your commenting decision.

  Young Academy
  October 2, 2007 at 9:25 am

  On one hand I’m glad this information is posted here. On the other hand, as someone trying to sell their store I wish it were not!!!

  Melanie
  October 3, 2007 at 9:25 am

  When will the interview with Julie and Suzy on “thier side of the story” be available? See entry from August 30. Is it on the website? I can’t find it.

  Young Academy
  October 3, 2007 at 11:57 am

  Give Julie and Suzy have to ‘prepare’ their side of the story makes me very suspicious.

  I can already almost tell you what the response will be. Something along the lines of, “YCA is all about bringing kids and parents into the kitchen. While we realize there are some issues that need to be addressed we at YCI have taken many steps to improve upon our offering including hiring a franchise consultant, slowing down franchise sales by bringing that aspect of the business in house, adding more curriculum offerings and establishing a franchise advisory council.”

  Lip service.

  startupprincess
  October 3, 2007 at 1:38 pm

  Hi there,
  Julie and Suzy didn’t “prepare” anything for our interview, the only delay has been on my part in publishing it. We had a great conversation and I have 6 pages of notes I need to spend some time pulling together to feature soon..after Oct 12th because I have a conference I’m producing for Startup Princess.

  Remember, no more anonymous comments. thanks.

  Melanie
  October 9, 2007 at 3:37 pm

  OK. The most positive post from an owner was on January 29, 2007 (Cindy Bartman). “My only regret is that I did not buy two.”

  Well, 7 months later, Cindy is selling her YCA with an asking price of only $75,000. Google her store in Pittsburgh and it indicates sale pending.

  What is going on???

  patty
  October 9, 2007 at 4:03 pm

  I also saw her store up for sale. Actually there are quite a few for sale. They are also some of the store YCA is touting as their most successful.
  I also own a YCA and I am doing fairly well, but I know of alot of franchisees who are not doing well.
  Corporate is trying to support us better, but not in the way we need. Too many franchisees went into this with no experience with children or with business and they need help. The franchise allowed them to spend way…… tooo much money opening up. They thought the money would come pouring in. It is a great concept and I love it, but the reality is we are not going to be millionaires.

  MJ Says
  Be very careful what you wish for. I was told of Young Chefs by a very well educated friend who bought several territories. I opened and am now closed. My friend is frustrated as well and hopes that she will not have to close as well. There are too many questions that go unanswered from corporate. Do not get caught not seeing the forest through the trees.

  cg Says

  I work at a Young Chefs Academy and we too are closing. If you are planning on buying a franchise, we have asked our corporate office for help for over a year and our questions have yet to be answered. Our state has over 5 locations for sale and several have closed their doors. The concept is great the kids love it but did not generate enough cash flow for our location.

  Sarah Knight Says

  YCI did dissolve its relationship with the original broker this year, but Julie & Suzy have been leaders of the franchisee training sessions from the beginning. They have also been managing operations from the beginning. How can they now distance themselves from policies they were repeating, supporting, and profiting from?

  If they believe that the previous broker was misleading franchisees in the sale of licenses, they should attempt to rectify this and not simply watch more and more people lose their shirts each month.

  Julie & Suzy are great examples of how we as women can be empowered to work for ourselves and fulfill our own dreams. That is what first attracted me to work for YCA. I just hope they don\’t also become examples of how a great vision can still result in a failed enterprise in spite of all the best of intentions.

  I know my boss has been asking Julie and Suzy (not the previous broker) for help for months, and no help has been offered. Nothing has been done to repair these damages.

  Many of the investors in this business are women too. Women entrepreneurs who believed in the vision of these founders and have been let down by their silence on this issue and many others.




• 

  LC said,

  I have no interest in YSA except as a landlord of one of the franchisees.

  Our YSA has been open about 6 months and seems to be doing well. As in any personal service franchise, much depends upon the franchisee’s capital position and willingness to make the business work. We will be doing a feature on her shortly on my website.

  One aspect of YSA that can be troubling is that many cities are not familiar with the concept. We were able to convince our local jurisdiction that as no food was leaving the premises YSA did not need to be fully NSF compliant, nor did the State require an inspection for the same reason. This was a major cost and time savings for the tenant.

  I’ll be happy to answer any question from a landlord’s perspective, and may refer some questions to our tenant as well.




• 

  Harold said,

  I am a current Young Chefs owner who carefully looked at the franchise. It is a great CONCEPT and vision but the franchisor seems to be VERY much weaker than I had thought when I bought into this. They are nice people but extremely paranoid and inexperienced. This inexperience DOES affect my business in many negative ways. In my opinion, they try to bully around even the best of their franchises which just pisses us off even more. They have VERY little background in actually running a kids cooking school on a retail level.

  Family Ties hurt the franchisees-
  The website is owned by David Hooper who is married to Julie Burleson’s sister.
  The only approved vender for the majority of the products is Hodgepodge which is owned by Julie and Susie’s husbands.
  There are MANY other family connections but the gist is that the concept seems set up to enrich the familial members and the franchisees get soaked with nobody to complain to.

  I’ve tried to look past this inexperience and paranoia but it really does hurt my business. I try to mind my own business because the kids and parents really like us. We like them too but I have more than enough capital to withstand the continuing negative cash flow months but will not do so for long. If anyone was interested in buying my location for anywhere near what I put into this (which was much higher than they had told me it would be), I’d sell it in a flash. But so far I havn’t put it on the market. Maybe later this year. 80 hour weeks are not uncommon. Creativity is stifled. Corporate support is negative (they never pick up a phone) except for a great curriculum department.
  If I had the money, I see great possibilities with purchasing YCI (the franchisor, not a franchise) but unfortunately, the first to go would have be those with the big egos and unfortunately, those two people are the founders who really are nice, just, in my opinion, not competent to run a company.

  I, as a franchisee, get called all the time by prospective franchisees. It happens all the time. However, I truthfully share my opinion that despite the fun I’m having working with the kids, the YCI franchisor seems to put up so many roadblocks to allow me to succeed. I truthfully ask them if their goal is to make money or just to have some fun. It it’s just fun, I say give it a shot but be willing to accept that all forms of creativity are being taken away. I then ask if they are looking to make money. Most are and frankly, most are so under-capitalized that they could close much sooner than the many others who seem to be closing. I tell them to go with their gut but to call at least 10 franchisees still in business and to try to get ahold of some that have left the business. They can then make a more informed business decision.
  It’s a very sad situation and in my mind, the franchisr really needs new ownership if the franchisees are to work. There might be a possibility of a hedge fund buyer but they are only interested in buying distressed companies. If the number of franchisees drops low enough, we might see them place an offer and who knows what might happen then.
  In the meantime, I’m hanging in here but if a buyer came a knocking, I might listen pretty closely.




• 

  LC said,

  Harold, that’s a disappointing report. My only experience is as a landlord, and what I have seen from corporate is that they do not understand California codes. We did a lot of work for the franchisee and actually help out others out of our area because they are so frustrated. Things are different in Waco, I believe. (I think it’s Waco).

  I’m fortunate because I have no axe to grind in any of these franchise topics. I’m not a franchise salesman, just a landlord who has about 30 years in dealing with franchisees and franchisors.

  I think your comments sound very fair, thanks.

  John
  http://www.localcenters.com




• 

  CryingShame said,

  Well, looks like the very first Young chefs - the one originally started by the founders which was sold to some unsuspecting couple last year - is now out of business too.

  That is a great selling point. Not even the location the founders started (and it is located right in the same city as the franchisor) has been able to stay in business.

  You would think that the one store the founders started, sold, and were in the same city with could make it. They couldn’t even hold on a year.

  If they cannot even keep open their own location, then what in the world gives folks the confidence that these founders have a “recipe for success” for any other location?

  This whole Young Chefs franchise sounds like a recipe for a disastor to me.




• 

  Karen said,

  I am a prospective franchisee and while doing my due diligence I stumbled upon this website. I have to say, I am shocked at all the negative vibes. I was really convinced this was the right franchise for me and my husband but now I am having second thoughts. I have done a lot of research on different franchises and this one “appeared” to have the right stuff according to all the ratings. My question to anyone reading is, if it is such a mess, why is it rated in top 500 franchises and why is it #22 in top new franchises?

  As a current succesful business owner, I understand about long hours, hard work and I was going into this assuming the franchise fee was going to buy me the general concept, the curriculum, and the marketing concept. I figured the rest would be up to me anyway. I dont think I would expect someone in Waco Tx to be able to solve problems here in So Cal.

  Are the biggest issues the support problems? After all, it is your own business and it is up to you to make it successful. Maybe a lot of the failed franchisees just weren’t good business people. I dont mean to offend anyone, I am just trying to make an informed decision. I’ve run the numbers in my area and it seems like a no-brainer to me. Am I being naive?




• 

  Look B4 U Leap said,

  Many people have lost money in this venture, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In all fainess, some were just not good business owners. Some were sold a bad bag of goods by the previous franchise broker. Many however have been previous franchise owners (i.e. Curves for example) or have been successful business people. However, they have had to shut their doors because there is virtually no “program” to sell.

  It takes time for anything to grow, but there are some obstacles in this franchise that must be addressed before the potential of what we all bought into can be realized. One, the competence of the current leadership. While nice people, they have no experience in managing/growing a franchise. The founders need to step aside and let someone with the right expertise manage things - even if they stayed around to provide creative input (which they might be good at). Two, being burned by the previous broker, the founders are now very mistrustful and defensive - even with their own franchisees. They spend more time stifling growth than inspiring it. Three, they have no understanding of the market. They struggle to understand what the customers want/need or even define what a successful program should look like (i.e., no business plan). Four, according to them you would NOT be a business owner. You have been granted a license to run THEIR business. This attitude permeates a “Big Brother” sort of mentality and level of paranoia that I can only call juvenile. They continuously act without input from franchisees and make unilateral decisions that directly (and negatively) affect viablity of the business without forewarning or an invitation to discuss.

  If you are expecting the franchise fee to buy you the general concept and the marketing concept, you will likely be disappointed. The only thing your franchise fee gives you is access to use the logo and some recipes. Although the curriculum has greatly improved over the past year, which is good.

  I am also personally concerned about their ability to deliver more than just promises - and they are full of promises. Last summer, they told the owners in Georgia that they had oversold the market and would not sell any more franchises in the state. At the conference last fall, they repeatedly referenced how they needed to address the saturation issues in Georgia. Yet now, they are marketing Georgia territories to be sold. Also, they rolled out a program a year ago with all these promises about what the children would receive if they enrolled in the program and stayed in it for a year. After that year there was nothing. None of what they had promised as part of the program was available and we had nothing to offer the children who had believed the promises made.

  YCI will promise you the world, they just rarely deliver on anything.

  You talk about a number of industry “ratings”. You should examine the criteria for these lists and when these ratings were assigned. Also, remember that the sell of these franchises started out with a bang. It just turned into a fizzle shortly thereafter because there was nothing of substance to sustain it. I would not consider a franchise that is consistently losing franchises each month to be successful even if it is a novel and creative idea.

  Have you asked them how many have gone out of business? It may not be in the UFOC yet unless they have updated it. Since these founders have taken over, more than 30 locations have gone out of business. Have you looked at the financials of the franchisor? Have you asked how many who had initially purchased multiple territories tried to sell back the others once they opened their first operation? Have you searched on the Internet to see how many are trying to sale their Young Chefs, even for ridiculously low prices? Have you called to speak to franchisees (not just the ones they give you)?

  The decision to buy also seemed like a no-brainer to me. It has been a great disappoointment. Not the struggles, every new business must go through that in order to establish itself. I was not expecting easy money and those who went into this with that mindset were in error. However, I did expect a franchisor who understood the market, had a vision for the brand, a desire to make this franchise #1, and the knowledge to realize the mission. That is unfortunately just not in place.




• 

  Karen said,

  Thanks for the heads up. It sounds as though I may be better off saving the $30,000 and doing this on my own since it soinds like I’d be on my own anyway. I appreciate your honesty and wish you luck.




• 

  Look B4 U Leap said,

  Hi Karen, Don’t make that decision based on my feedback alone. You said you had already started looking into this; that is my best advice. Look very carefully before decidng to buy this so you won’t have any regrets. In hindsight, I would have gone with my own business over this. I personally have not found one thing they have provided that I could not have done on my own - probably better and cheaper. Being “on your own” is one of the top complaints I have heard from other franchisees here; you just begin to wonder what you are paying for. Yet, I am in this and only continue because I am hoping things get better and I don’t want to lose everything I have put into this. In the meantime, we will continue to run the best store we can and try to minimize the distractions caused by corporate.

  Maybe one day they will understand that being a franchisor is more about successful business management than controlling their business “partners”. Maybe one day they will begin to treat franchisees more like partners than indentured servents. Maybe one day they will start to use the advertsing fees we pay each month to actually advertise and promote the brand. Maybe one day they will realize that pretending there are no problems will not stop the fiscal bleeding and will ultimately hurt all of us as more and more businesses simply close their doors. For some, that day didn’t come soon enough. I hope that it does come soon.




• 

  Added Perspective said,

  There have been a few improvements.

  Curriculum - Has been consistently ready at least 1 month out which is really good so we are not scrambling at the last minute.

  Ads - While they don’t provide many targeted ads, the camp ads were available much earlier this year. Much better timing than last year. Quality of recent ads (over the past 7 months or so) have also improved.

  New Program - No they didn’t deliver on all of their promises, but they eventually provided one of the products we were supposed to have. Better late than never I say.

  Communication - They did start having conference calls with franchisees and formed a franchisee council. Some communication is better than nothing. Not sure of the effectiveness of the council which seem to be hand-picked people who do not cause waves, bt we will have to wait and see.

  I am not sugar-coating and yes there are major issues still. If I had to do it over again, I would not have purchased this, but that is not the situation we are in. We have to make the best of what we have.

  For those who are owners, unless yo want to close your doors or sell it for nothing (and still wind up losing thosands), then we have to focus on what is needed to make this better. My partner and I are just focusing on trying to be profitable. We don’t get much from YCI but we know not to expect much either.

  If you get into this with any expectation from YCI other than some recipes, then you will be disappointed. Just focus on and grow yor business as best you can.





• Quizno’s Class Action Lawsuit said,

  [...] some of the comments about Young Chefs Academy on this site, a look at other franchisee problems needed at least a look.  Here is one suit that [...]





• Kid Focused Careers | A Boston Technical Recruiters Blog said,

  [...] Author Byline:  Franchise Information & Discussion at Franchisespeak.com Author Website: http://www.franchisespeak.com/young-chefs-academy-discussion [...]




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  Karen,

  Young Chefs is rated #22 by Entrepreneur Magazine probably based on number of franchises sold. Harold hits the nail EXACTLY on the head. The concept is great, the support is horrible and the smiles on the faces of the kids make it all worth it. Oh, profits are non-existent.

  Someone asked what the specific issues with corporate are. Communication is number 1. There really isn’t any to speak of. Of course if you ask corporate they will tell you they send out weekly emails that act as their communication. The 2nd biggest issue is the lack of ability to develop a brand. Again, corporate will tell you they are doing just that. If your idea of brand awareness is hitching your wagon to someone else’s brand then yes, corporate is doing just fine. Hooking up with Disney, Rachel Ray’s Yum-O and others. In reality there may be kickbacks to corporate but nothing financially beneficial to franchisees. 3rd, corporate restricts the ability of franchisees to customize programs for their local market. If you don’t follow their very restrictive guidelines then you quickly become blacklisted. The founders have not displayed any forward thinking in terms of ideas, strategy or development. I could go on but I think you get the idea.

  Yes, there is bad blood between me and corporate. I am one of those who has been blacklisted because I am not afraid to tell corporate (read founders) how I feel. They have no business acumen to speak of and they know it. They pretend to be family oriented and friendly. They win you over with their personalities and laissez faire, easy go lucky personalities. Truth is they only care about themselves and family members. They only really care about selling franchises and not supporting them. Their business philosophy is to sell franchises, let them close/go out of business and then sell the territory again.

  I too am trying to sell my territory. I would like to get some money out of it but unfortunately no one has expressed an interest. I figure the only thing that will stop corporate is a class-action lawsuit. Franchisees need to group together and pony up more money (most don’t have) to go against corporate. Even if 10 franchisees would band together we could make progress.




• 

  rene said,

  Not a Fan,
  We are not fans either and had to close our YCA last year. We also BEGGED for help and got zip. It broke my heart to close it, but after losing over $160k I had no choice. Good luck trying to sell your territory. It seems that once a franchise goes up for sale it’s closed within six months.
  As far as ‘hitching their wagons’ you’re right. They take the credit for things they had no hand in. If I remember correctly Disney contacted them about Ratatouille (how can we forget the thousands of postcards they sent us with ‘invitation’ spelled wrong) and a FRANCHISEE was resposible for YCA being in the Chicken Soup for the Soul cookbook. A photographer from the company that produces the books contacted her and she let them use her kitchens and supplies to do several photo shoots for free. All of the YCA pictures in the book were taken in her shop. Well, she has closed and they have taken ALL the credit. What a shock right? If you’re serious about the class action I am sure you could find 10 to join in with you, I certainly would. I would get out that trusty manual they give you and see which franchisees are missing, look them up and give them a call. I have talked to several who would be willing to participate and it’s time somebody hold their feet to the fire.
  As for people who are looking at this and considering a franchise, think carefully. What do we have to gain from sharing this info? Nothing. What do they have to gain by calling us liars? Lots of money.




• 

  Pam said,

  What a tremendous dissapointment my venture into YCA became. I bought a franchise with my sister in 2006, we closed at the end of 2007. We lost our entire investment ($180,000) when we closed, but since we were continually losing money every month, there didn’t seem to be much choice. I understand Karen’s comments about the responsibility falling on the shoulders of the individual owners and I agree, however most of us signed on because the association with the Findley Group. We heard only raving reviews about the support from the room full of Curves owners who were at our training sessions who had also bought into YCA because of the shared relationship with Gary Findley. It was Curves success that prompted us to look at YCA (we had actually looked at a local Curves franchise but opted for the child-geared business instead). What we ended up with was two women who had a pretty good idea, yet no experience in how to pass it on and help it grow. We were very surprised at the paranoid attitude of the home office. No sharing, NO NEGATIVE COMMENTS even for the purpose of bettering the business. E-mails sent from one franchise to another would suddenly be qouted on the chat page by the home office. They were even reading the emails that went the server. The franchisee chat was monitored and edited daily, even individual websites would be altered from one day to the next by someone other than the franchisee. A number of franchisees were “blackballed” because they wrote something negative on the chat page. I have another type of franchise that originated in my local area and we learn so much from each other by just complaining and problem-solving with each other. I expected to be able to do the same with the other YCA franchisees, but it was impossible to do so with all the editing and deleting from YCI. It is hard to function when you get lesson plans and recipes at the last minute. It was almost impossible to talk to anyone in the home office. We asked for help, suggestions, anything that we might be missing that would allow us to remain open from Suze and Julie. We did not even get a call back. Typical.




• 

  LC said,

  I am a shopping center owner and developer in Northern California, and do have YSA as a tenant. I’ve been reading these remarks for some time, and have had growing concern.

  Yesterday I met with my tenant. She has been open less than a year and is very, very close to profitability; she’ll probably hit it by the full year’s term. I asked her if she had concerns or disappointments with the franchisors, and she shook her head fiercely and said “NO! They have been great and incredibly helpful.”

  She did say that the company had been sold I think, or that someone had taken it back, I was unclear, and that prior to that there were some problems but currently the support is great.

  It is my guess that some of the complainers either 1) have or had a poor location, or 2) were not in sync with the operation requirements and simply did not work the concept well. This is appears to be a solid concept, does not have direct competition locally, and her enrollment charts look terrific with a strong upward slope.

  I hope those that have failed have the ability to take at least some responsibility for their failures, rather than put 100% of it on others. I know it’s a tough loss, and though this concept is not for everyone, the model appears to work.




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  LC

  While I respect your comments, one instance of a successful operator does not mean the model works. I have been a SUCCESSFUL business owner in the past, and while this concept is solid, the management is not. Those who have been successful have either not followed the so called ‘plan’ or they have followed it enough to get past corporate and still colored outside the lines.

  The MOMENT you say anything negative, corporate does blacklist you and you can forget about any chance of recovering. The co-founders spend so much time worrying about what franchisees are doing wrong they have no time to focus on running the business. They are closed-minded, egotistical wannabe corporate executives who have not clue what running a successful business is about. Communication, support, open-mindedness and a community spirit are non-existent. And don’t even think about trying to collaborate with fellow franchisees. I could go on but what is the use. Until enough people get together (franchise owners) to file a lawsuit things will not change.




• 

  LC said,

  My tenant talks to franchisees statewide. Matter of fact, one was having some problems with the agencies and we were able to help her some from afar. I think franchisors will sometimes “blacklist” franchisees that 1) feel they have a better model, in which case they probably should have gone independent, or 2) are indeed a simple PITA.




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  You forgot the franchisors who are selling recipes from the internet repackaged as a “concept”.




• 

  rene said,

  LC,
  I was not one of the ‘blacklisted’ and it was my experience that they were very helpful as long as my questions/problems were fairly benign. It was when I called and said ‘I am on a sinking ship, what am I doing wrong and can you please help me figure it out’ that I got dropped like a hot potato. We were in a great location with tons of drive by traffic. I did as much advertising as I could afford and contacted tons of schools and daycares to try to get our name out there. I did everything I could think to do. We followed the information they provided. The problem was that there was no back up plan for those who weren’t doing well. They franchised very quickly (not entirely on their own) and I think we just ran into problems that they had not encountered in their market. Also, as another poster mentioned above, their original shop where the franchise was born is no longer in business.

  I know that some of what is written here sounds like sour grapes, I think many of us are hurt and not only financially. We bought a franchise and paid for that franchise so we would have that franchise support and when we needed it because we were struggling it just wasn’t there. Did we think they were going to come in and run our shops for us? Absolutely not. We believed in this concept and many of us still do just as much as the founders do. We poured our hearts and our money into these businesses and believed not only in the concept, but in Julie and Suzy. I don’t think they are ‘bad’ people, I think that they got in over their heads and they are trying to find their way out. I hope for them and everyone else still in business that they can.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I would join in on any class action lawsuit. Not sure it would work because of so many documents signed at the time of purchase. They never visited or called. I was blackballed by them early in my ownership. I was very naive and thought Julie and Suzy were friends. Of course we would have to include Findley in our lawsuit since they owned the franchise at that time. I can;t believe that people think that things would get better since they owned it themselves. Now they don’t have deep pockets backing them up and experience. How many have closed? Shame on them. Scamming people and not even caring when we were in trouble. I’ve gone through my retirement funds, savings and now I may have to file bankruptcy.




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  burned by YCI, contact me at youngchefs@fuse.net. Leave a phone number for me to call you.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  A lawsuit is unlikely since those of us that owned a franchise signed our rights away. The one thing we can do is tell the truth. Our experiences speak for themselves. We have to tell the world. Sour grapes. You bet. But I wasn’t this way before I owned a YCA. At the time I didn’t even think about the nepotism and the expensive web page, merchandise, etc.. This is not normal business practices. Very unetchical. Suzy and Julie use their charm and make you trust them. Boy, was I wrong about their character. They are living well while we as former and even current owners are suffering. I was wrong on a previous post. One of them came by to see my while they were on there way to a vacation destination. Very quick trip. No help. No advice. I wonder how many have closed. I’ve noticed that Waco is closed. I also noticed that they are not on this site anymore saying that our statements are false. The truth hurts doesn;t it.




• 

  Lisa Bredahl said,

  I am a small business coach and am currently working with a YCA business owner who also feels lost in her business. With my help we are working on strategies to improve her sales, promote her business, and develop programs that work in her market. I see her frustrations and struggles she is going through, but I see these same frustrations with all the clients that I coach, from franchise owners of other companies, to family owned businesses. The struggles are the same, no matter what your business is…. BUT a business coach can help you get and stay on track!




• 

  Deja Vu? said,

  This sounds eerily familiar!!!

  http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/ColdStoneFranchiseesFeelChill.aspx

  YCI certainly can be sued. A contract requires obligations on both parties. If YCI defaulted on its contractual obligations or misled franchisees, it may be worth looking into.





• What is the Moral of the Story? said,

  [...] Young Chefs Academy: http://www.franchisespeak.com/young-chefs-academy-discussion [...]




• 

  A Parent said,

  From a parent’s side, one problem with Young Chefs Academy is that there really is not a program. It is fun for a one-time visit like birthday parties, but there is not much to it after that.

  My child came as a member for a few months. It got to be very boring. There was no real progression of the classes. A lot of the recipes had the same things done each week - different recipes, but the same techniques, i.e. cutting, stirring, mixing, cracking eggs… This might be good for pre-schoolers, but older kids need more.

  It just did not seem to be a very well thought out program. They even started testing the students and offering rewards like patches and chefs jackets. But even that seemed just thrown together, no real substance.

  After about 3 months, my child just was no longer interested in doing this. Plus, the price is so costly, that you can really do the same at home for much less.

  This may be a very good alternative to something like Chuck E. Cheese. But I wouldn’t recommend any long-term commitment.




• 

  No Change said,

  Seems like there is no change and this is still a sinking ship. Even seems like the location the landlord raved about above is closed.

  Stores continue to close each month. Looks like more than 60 have closed since 2007. This started having trouble long before the economic downturn. Unless leadership changes are made at the franchisor, accelerated closings will still be the reality.




• 

  not a fan said,

  I can only hope the entire concept collapses. Not to begrudge the franchisees but rather the bill-headed, incompetent, dolts who befriend naïve would-be owners. There is a law against stealing yet these folks have no problem being theives.




• 

  Too late said,

  From what I understand they are claiming to have ‘taken’ quite a few feanchises due to ‘non-compliance’ whatever that means. I know they didn’t take mine, but I’m curious to hear what they would say!




• 

  Steve Pipps said,

  DO NOT BUY A FRANCHISE - like marriage, they are difficult to get into and difficult and expensive to get out of!! It will cost you both your arms and legs, your dignity, self esteem and mental wellbeing. The only winners are the Franchisors or B******ds, a much better term for them. Their “International buying power” is no better than my “Personal buying power” (that’s because they take a rake-off) If anyone is interested in my case and the case of hundreds of others - PERSONALLY known to me, feel free to get in touch. This is just MLMing under another guise and should be outlawed.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I go to their website every now and then and count franchises. Looks like they have just barely over 100. They used to have about 115 or so a few months ago. I’ve heard that over 60 have shut down. I would like to know how many have closed, how many have opened overall, etc.. I remember in our training that all of the others that were there do not have franchises. Only one of those stores is still open but it changed hands. I wonder if the people that went with YCA instead of Findley are regretting their decision. Is that true Shelly?




• 

  FJ said,

  Sources have quoted 155 franchises were opened, some say 160. Either way there are only about 116 left. If you Google Young Chefs Academy closings, you can find links to asset sales, blogs, and other items that talk about closing. There is damning evidence against the parent corp in the form of closing stores. I have seen some successful ones but I think it takes an experienced business person to bring about success. Unfortunately the parent corp should have franchised a little slower only taking on franchisees with experience and plenty of financial backing. Most other franchises expect much more in the way of personal assets to own a store. I am sure it was started with good intentions and expectations, but like most business owners, they expected a quick return whereas it takes years to build a successful brand. My heart goes out to all those that lost money and may lose their businesses in the coming years. Hopefully someone will come along and buy out the current owners of the parent corp and help turn this around.




• 

  LTN said,

  There is a lot of smoke and mirrors with this company. Unfortunately, you don’t get to see the true picture until it is too late and you have bought in.

  Business savvy of individual owners is not the main issue here. It is incompetence and lies of the franchisor. There is a lot of misrepresentation to get you in the door, but it falls apart pretty quickly once you open for business and can see what is really going on (which is nothing).

  Many of the initial YCA franchises who have now closed were successful business owners in other areas, fast food restaurants, Curves businesses, etc. Even the one location referenced by the “LC” Landlord above as doing well has since closed.

  I disagree with one of the posters above. I don’t hope this tanks. While I can understand being frustrated after having lost hundreds of thousands of daollars, I wish only the best for those franchisors who remain. I hope that the current owners (can’t even bring myself to call that leadership) of Julie & Suzy finally realize that they are running this into the ground.

  This could have been a successful endeavor, had the right management been in place. Now it seems like a slow death as many individial owners even now waver between closing and losing all versus trying to sell or hang in there hoping for change. So many continuously complain about the crippling problems with a lack of program and direction leading to lack of profits.

  Running out of money is a tremendous issue with this franchise because the franchisor puts very little thought into the cost of ingredients compared to profitability of programs that work. There is no market research to see what sells and no concern for whether the curriculun they send out is cost effective.

  The number of closed businesses is even worse than it appears, because they have sold a handful or so in the past year. Closings are likely closer to 70 since the current owners took over. They have been in plcae for almost 2 years and there is still a financial bleeding and continuous store closures. Plus, they still list purchased franchises from owners who they are in contention with to take those territories back. They know the current owners have no intention of developing those territories, but still list them as future locations. Some of these future locations have been undeveloped for over 3 years.

  It is a sad situation. All I can say is that I wish the best for the owners and caution anyone considering purchasing this to run for the hills.




• 

  Not A Fan said,

  Anyone else notice there is no UFOC now the FDD on file with the state of California for 2008? This document is the only true list of franchisees open, closed etc. Seems that it has not been filed in 2008 for the year 2007. Not that much would be disclosed for 2007. This year, 2008, will be much different.

  The egomaniacs that own the company probably feel exempt from having to file their FDD. Same old song from them - nothing will ever change. Egomaniacs are like that.

  If you look at everything the company does, or rather claims to do, it is all centered around their egos. They could care less about costs to franchisees, there is no branding (they don’t have the budget for it), and no real business plan. Egomaniacs see it differently. Their plan is the best, will never fail if followed and if someone does fail it is not because the concept is a failure it is because the owner doesn’t know how to run a business. No liability ever to egomaniacs.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Thanks for your insight LTN. I was wondering how many have closed. Doesn’t look like there aren’t going to be many more opening. I was always told of the success of the Atlanta franchises. Several have closed and I know personally that one Atlanta area one has an owner with plenty of money and isn’t very profitable. Sure I’m bitter but I don’t want any owners to lose their shirts like I did. Me and Not a Fan are mad about the way the owners treated us and I was upset that they had no sympathy. It will take me years to recover. We had to have a car repo’d, financed the business through retirement funds and credit cards. I’m older and don’t have as many years to recoup my losses. I’m going to post on this forum every now and then just to get the word out. If there are other forums I’ll post on those. The truth needs to be heard. I resent that they are living well, while former and current owners are struggling. I’ve never had bad credit before. I can’t even borrow a lousy 4 grand for a cheap car.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I’m going to start counting franchises on this forum. There are currently 101 operating on this date. I’m not counting the ones that say opening soon since LTN said these would probably never open. I don’t want anyone else to make the same mistake we did.




• 

  Too late said,

  That’s down from what? The franchises sold were in the 170″s at one time right?




• 

  LC said,

  As a landlord for a YCA, I’ve made some positive comments here in the past. My tenant’s operation was doing well, until recently. They were short on capital, and had to close after a few bad months.

  My suggestion was to give the store away to avoid further rent payments. They were amenable, and soon found a good prospect. YCA responded that as she had closed the store (2 weeks), any subsequent franchisee would have to pay the full fee, train, etc.

  I was dismayed, as this is their only store in the region, and I assumed that they would work with someone to keep their presence in this market of about 3M people. Apparently YCA did not feel the same way.

  I still can’t put forth negative comments on the operation as this one did well until recently. My regard for the franchisor has dropped, however.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I had heard 160 LC. You are probably right on the 170 number. Anyway that’s a downturn for an operation that was supposed to be the next “CURVES”. Anyhow, I’m going to count franchises and post them on this board. Again I’m not hoping for failure, but the truth. I don’t want anyone to go through what we did.




• 

  FJ said,

  Does anyone know if the owners would be willing to sell? I can see a lot of potential in the operation (even in this economy) if it is managed correctly. Usually kids are the one area parents feel guilty about cutting back and there should be plenty of people still willing and able to send their kids to a YCA if the experience is worth it.
  Is there a place one can go to find a list of specific shortcomings with the franchisor? I know the general ones (lack of support, no real plan for growth and stability, rampent nepotism) but am interested in the details. Closing franchises mean the franchisor will be losing too, and if they haven’t turned their thinking to saving the franchises, then its pretty much a sign that the franchisors have decided to milk it for all its worth then leave the franchisees hanging (with no support, curriculum, and evidently no product since they are the sole suppliers).




• 

  Too late said,

  FJ,
  In my opinion the franchisor is doing the latter, with the appearance that they aren’t of course. I want to thank whoever started this site. It’s important to get the word out!




• 

  LTN said,

  LC - Landlord,

  I am sorry to hear that, but that is THE MAIN problem with the YCA leadership. They do not seem to understand that it is in their best interest to have successful franchisees. They are so concerned about self-preservation, that they have no insight into making the business viable. And because they don’t know what it takes to make a successful franchisee, they are like a deer caught in headlights (while all the time taking in the franchisee, website, and advertising fees each month).

  Knowing how many stores they have lost, WHY would they willingly force a store to shut down when there were other alternatives? Again, an illustration of short-sighted, self-preservation. They saw an opportunity to get more money via additional franchise fees, training fees, etc. and that was more important to them than supporting the overall health of the business. Money in their pocket is more important to YCA than having a visible, successful presence in the market. Sad and really outrageous! The decisions they make and the things the continuously fail seem to all point to the fact that they are NOT investing in the health of the company, but trying to plunder as much as they can from a sinking ship.

  It is NOT YCA’s responsibility to maintain the individual franchise. It IS their responsibility to make sure they are putting out a PROVEN methodology for operations (they never have done this). Further, it is in their best interest to facilitate the creation of a support network for franchisees (AFTER a proven method is established). One thing you will hear from about 99% of the franchisees: They are on their own and receive virtually nothing from YCA that contributes to profitablity.

  I can understand you having no negative comments about operations, but if you don’t mind me saying so, you were likely not in a position (as Landlord) to evaluate YCA operations. If history is any indicator, the success (even momentary) of that franchisee was likely due mostly to her own strengths and had nothing to do with YCA.

  Is the idea of a kids cooking school great? You bet it is! But it takes more than an idea to make a business.

  What you saw in their (mis)handling of the franchisee closure is only representative of the poor leadership, lack of foresight, and self-interest that permeates every aspect of this company. A short-term recipe for disaster.




• 

  Not A Fan said,

  FJ - Since YCA is a privately held company there is no way to get financial information other than the still-missing 2007 UFOC. Even the UFOC will not tell you everything. I seriously doubt the ego-maniac owners would sell - quite honestly I think they are too stupid and would rather believe that this business will take off and make them millions in the future - hahahahahaha!

  The real issue with the concept is very, very simple. There is, has not been and probably never will be any REAL marketing. One of the owner’s (I refuse to use their name out of dis-respect for them) openly admitted they “did not have any money [put aside] for advertising.” WHAT!? Seriously! No advertising. You see, management thinks it is the responsibility of the individual franchisees to advertise. Can you imagine how successful Subway would be without national advertisements? Not very. Pick any startup and over 50% of their budget better be put into advertising. What good is a good product if no one knows about it?

  Until ownership gets their heads out of their asses (they never will) this franchise is D-E-A-D. It will continue to work in some areas. In those that don’t the franchise license will be re-sold. Hopefully the potential buyer(s) will find web sites like this and realize they need to turn and run as fast as they can away from this. My mission is to keep YCA from selling any new licenses. I hope all the current owner’s realize they need to leave the franchise after their initial 5 year contract is up and go it on their own. They will likely be better facilities and (more) profitable - that is assuming YCA is still around in 2 years.




• 

  Marie Walsh said,

  This morning on TV, I saw the 1st promo piece RE Youth Chef’s Academy, on Channel 5 in St. Louis. The Academy highlighted was a new franchise started in Illinois, recently. I was so impressed I “Googled” YCA and hit the blog link. I was shocked at the high numbers of unhappy owners or former owners. I love to cook, have a lg family and lots of grandchildren, so this appealed to me. I will watch & investigate further before jumping into the pan. One suggestion: To start a class action lawsuit, it only takes a min. of 3 parties. An attorney who specializes in class action, is the only way to go & most attorneys are licensed to represent more than one state. The cost is usually minimal on fees, to initiate the filing & most times, the majority of fees are picked up when case is settled or goes to court. If 50K to 80K is the minimum initial investment lost & more, I would sure find an attorney!! Good luck to all of you. This has been such a bad year for any business, its a wonder any YCA are still functioning!! If you are wondering, I am not an attorney, but years ago, I was involved in a class action suit. You just need patience! Good Luck! Watching From STL!




• 

  Hindsight 20/20 said,

  Marie,

  I think most franchisees will tell you that a cooking school for kids is a great idea, but that they could have done it better AND cheaper on their own. You just said it yourself. You just saw your first promo for YCA? We have been around for over 3 years. And yes, the economy is down right now, but this franchise has been on a downward spiral for the past 2 years.

  There is no marketing and no real “brand” to speak of. Further, they say they don’t have the money to market, yet they have been collecting Advertising fees each month from every franchisee. We have tried unsuccessfully to find out where these monies are going.

  One thing they DO seem to have money for is ads trying to get new prospective buyers to buy franchises.

  Thanks for your suggestion. I think it makes a lot of sense and will really give this thought. Perhaps it is time, because things just haven’t changed in all this time.




• 

  whooped said,

  The unfortunate thing about YCA is that yes, the owners did/do not have the experience to run a successful franchise organization BUT, the real blame needs to be placed on Gary Findley who got hem into this mess in the first place. Gary was very fortunate to have been on the rocketship of Curves; though he takes the credit for it’s success, he had nothing to do with it.

  Findley has left so many people in dire situations. Fortunately, the Findley Group is all but extinct, he is no longer in business; forced to go to work for another franchise. The once self proclaimed expert has sold the building and left town.

  When Gary started the Findley Group, his intent was to use his “expertise” and build more franchise concepts. Luck very rarely happens twice. He was lucky with Curves and could not duplicate it. They have tried many concepts; not a single one has succeeded.

  So many lawsuits have been filed against Findley that he recently (quietly) exited the Findley Group and now Chris Sadler is the President. Findley has been forced to move to Minnesota where he is just a rank and file sales guy for Snap Fitness. Though he is listed as a VP of Sales, all he is doing is calling people, trying to con them into another franchise.

  Call Snap Fitness and ask them if they realize what a liability they took on. When the industry finds out about what Findley has done, he’ll be back in Waco looking for a job.




• 

  Still Waiting said,

  That may be true about Findley, and I am glad to see he is getting his just desserts!

  They were even trying to sue Findley at one point for misleading franchisees and themselves in this poor investment.

  Still doesn’t do much for the YCA franchisees who are left under the the “leadership” of two women who really have no idea what they are doing. As the current owners, they have the ability to bring in marketing/management who could really turn this around.

  Instead, a combination of fear, arrogance, and desire for control is causing them to run this into the ground.

  Even though I wouldn’t want to hurt my own business, I couldn’t in good conscience recommend this financial nightmare to anybody.




• 

  Michelle said,

  Please….Please…DO NOT BUY THIS beautifull disaster of a business! We have been here 2 years and are negative to the tune of $3-4,000. a month. Run!




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Hey Michelle,
  How are you able to stay open? I had to close when I wasn’t getting paid(for almost a year) and the telephone was cut off.




• 

  Kellie said,

  I hope it turns around for you Michelle. I have very negative feeling towards YCA, which is very sad because it didn’t have to be that way. I hate to see that people are still struggling, but I hope they are more helpful to you than they were to many of us.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I counted 90 franchises on this date.




• 

  Not A Fan said,

  The sinking ship continues…I wish all franchisees well - I hope the franchisors ROT in hell!




• 

  FJ said,

  Wow, that’s almost 20 less than the last time I counted. The franchisor can’t last much longer, there has to be a limit to how many franchises can go under without affecting the corporate offices. The primary vendor may go under soon, this would be terrible for a short time but maybe better in the long run.




• 

  Not A Fan said,

  Even at 90 that is over $35,000 a month in royalties. They were able to survive with far fewer than that in the beginning therefore I think it will be some time before they close up shop. In any event if I was still a franchisee I would be downloading all the recipes to hard copy…




• 

  Not A Fan said,

  Looks like the list was cut by another 4. Down to 86 and counting…backwards…to ZERO.

  Hey Juls and Suz - how are you feeling now!?!?!?!? Looks to be about a 50% decline in stores. Better start selling off your expensive homes and cars.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  WOW! I just confirmed the count of 86. I’m not sure which locations closed but it looks like the home state of Texas has lost some. Even the Waco location is gone which has already been discussed. I’m drawing a steady paycheck in the private sector now. It will be years before I recover my losses. I could deal with that a lot easier if I were younger.




• 

  Not A Fan said,

  Not sure why you would need to confirm the count. I wouldn’t report an inaccurate number just for the sake of reporting.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Sorry, not doubting you just keeping the discussion going.




• 

  Beth Laudadio said,

  Closed my franchise in October - only opened about a year. I was really “duped” - I invested $250,000 - lost it all. Any chance of a class action suit? I’ll join…




• 

  Not A Fan said,

  Beth,

  I think all of us who were “duped” feel the same way about a class action suit. Thing is you need to have a basis for your lawsuit. According to my attorney the franchise agreement is air-tight. You have to have a cause or an action for a lawsuit. While I think we all agree Juls and Suz have NO CLUE what the hell they are doing (except taking our money) their inability to run a business does not justify a lawsuit. Also, what would you win? Your franchise fee back? I doubt Juls and Suz can afford to pay anyone back let alone the close to 100 franchisees that have closed. Lastly, lawsuits are costly. After having already lost a quarter of a million dollars do you really want to throw good money after bad?
  I hear what you are saying…if there were any way to turn the tables I would be the first in line. About all we can do as former franchisees is spread the word on forums like this one. The message needs to be loud and clear - STAY AWAY FROM YOUNG CHEFS ACADEMY!!!




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I counted 82 on this date. Double check my total. I’m tired of looking at a computer screen. Wish I knew which ones are closing. Doesn’t look like there are any new ones around.




• 

  too late for me too said,

  You would think that YCI would be suffering at this point right? They did function with fewer in the beginning, but they also had Findley back then.




• 

  FJ said,

  The one nearest my home just closed, not sure exactly when or what happened but they are gone. They were nice people too, sunk probably something like $150K to $200k into it. I’m sure YCI has to be feeling it now, to go from $60K+ a month in fees to less than 1/2 that has to be making a dent in the cash flow, but what I don’t understand is why aren’t they doing everything they can to preserve the stores they have. Take a bit of the cash and hire some folks that can help fix the problems. Stop nickle and diming the franchisees for a while to improve cash flow. They expect the franchisees to run the business with low cash flow (assuming they don’t really care when the franchisees are having problems getting enough business), they should try it for a while. I hate to say it for all the franchisees that are left, but its pretty much over. I hope they can fend for themselves, at least the franchise fees will be over and they will have free reign to do what they want. Although you don’t buy a franchise to have to do that but I can’t see it as being worse than they have now.

  I know I’m rambling at this point, but I am just shocked to see these people lose so much in such a bad time to lose it.




• 

  Not A Fan said,

  FJ,

  You are assuming Juls and Suz actually CARE about the franchisees. If they were unwilling to spend on employees and programs to help struggling franchises when they were flush with cash what makes you think they would spend their money now??? These people have no business acumen, none whatsoever. They think running a business is hiring a bunch of friends and family and watching the money come in. To actually have to produce a product is beyond their capability and means.

  Oh, and one other important point…you assume that Juls and Suz recognize and admit their are problems. In their one-track, all-knowing minds everything is peachy. ‘Keep on cookin’ even if it means beans and rice!!!




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I probably wouldn’t be so bitter if I had been treated differently when we went out of business. I tried to call and they wouldn’t return my calls. I wasn’t mad at the time I just wanted to tell them personally that my business was failing and I regretted having to close. I only got a email response from Suzy. Suzy was the nicer of the two. Julie was a snob.




• 

  too late for me too said,

  I totally agree with you! Julie was very rude on the phone and I believe recorded our conversation, I never heard from Suzy.





• Young Chefs Academy Franchise | everyfranchise.com said,

  [...] I was curious about Young Chefs as I remember seeing references to it from time-to-time over the past few years, but it has always seemed a bit low profile. I decided to investigate further. Well, Young Chefs Academy certainly has a history! They obviously got off to a rocky start. You can read more about the early years at this interesting line of blog posts: http://www.franchisespeak.com/young-chefs-academy-discussion [...]




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I counted 81 on this site on this date of 4/11/09. Another one has closed recently. Don’t know which one. I’ve noticed they are pushing for international franchises on their sight. They can’t expand in this country so they have to look for business elsewhere.




• 

  too late for me too said,

  Greenville, SC is the one that closed recently.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Thanks. When I was open the hot franchises were the Atlanta ones and one that opened in NJ. Atlanta fizzled fast.




• 

  FJ said,

  One in FL just went off the website too, they closed a couple weeks ago. I actually was in the facility they were in and it looks like they had a fire sale. The sinks were gone, most of the appliances and there were a bunch of signs hung up with pricing on the shelves and counter tops. I think if they were lucky they may have gotten out with a fraction of what that equipment cost. I was thinking of taking pictures and sending them off to corporate, but to be honest they probably don’t care, except for the money in lost in royalties and jacked up sales from hodgepodge.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Do they have the conventions anymore? I was unable to go when I had mine but I heard I didn’t miss much.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I counted 80 on this date of May 2, 2009. Another one closed recently and the number of franchises is way down from the 150 at their peak. I just hope the former and current owners didn’t lose their shirt like I did.




• 

  Happy in the Kitchen said,

  Wow, I just came across this website. My first instinct was to just close the window because it is obviously a bunch of garbage and is administered by a disgruntled former YCA owner - not by an “unbiased” party. But, as an owner who enjoys success with Young Chefs, I have to say something. This is a good company that is offering great programs that are enriching lives of children. YCA owners, who came into the business for the right reasons, are finding success. Because of the obvious nature of this website, I encourage anyone reading postings on this site to take it for what it really is, a site developed to be a slamfest by a disgruntled former owner of a YCA, who failed and wants to put the blame somewhere else besides himself.




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  Dear Happy…,

  Good for you. You are the needle in a haystack. As a former owner I consider myself to be a “biased” party with inside information to the workings of the franchise. I experienced firsthand the lack of leadership, programs, direction, cirruculum, marketing, support, flexibility and a host of other inadequacies.

  As far as I am concerned this site was setup to WARN other potential buyers of this franchise that while the idea behind the program is great, the execution is not even on the map. The site has years of information, thousands upon hundreds of thousands of dollars of information and ‘biased’ information from countless owners who followed the “system” right into failure. And why is that? Because the system is the problem, not former franchisees. Other successful business owners including myself could not make the system work. Attorneys, restaurant owners, chefs, Curves owners - none of them were successful. Why? Not because of their own inabilities but because of the inabilities of the corporate office. And more importantly we all failed because of the founders egos.

  I, just like most of the other former franchisees, burden some of the responsibility for failure. Give me a broken system with no voice, no ability to offer input, no flexibility and I will take credit for about 25% of the responsibility. The rest goes to your two friends at the top…




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Dittos to what he said. I hate the implication that We as former owners didn’t come into this business for the right reasons. This site was not developed to slam the franchise owners. This is about truth. Startup Princess, Richard, Julie, Suzy got off this site when they heard criticism. All they wanted to hear was positive, glowing comments about their business. Yeah , I’m negative on this site but I’ve stated my reasons. There are very few successful owners that have been on this site talking about success. Let’s see, there were over 150 and now just 80 and shrinking. Wow, Knoxville, TN closed. Anyone know the story? Maybe they opened their business for the wrong reasons.




• 

  Kel said,

  Happy in the kitchen,
  While I am glad that you have been one of the fortunate franchisees, I think it is awfully bold of you to assume that those of us who have closed went into this business for the wrong reasons. I went into this business probably for reasons similar to you. I believed in this concept and when my business began to fail there was no back-up, no suggestions, and NO support. My business closed or as you put it failed, but I disagree. For one year my business taught children how to cook, to try new things, and that cooking is fun. In my opinion that doesn’t me or my business a failure. People are putting their financial lives at risk when they invest in a business and need to be aware of the positives as well as the negatives which is my reason for posting on this site. I know many of the people who have closed and am aware of the financial hardships closing has caused them. I hope you continue to have success, but perhaps you need to take a step back and remember that many of us, the failures you speak of, are people just like you that started their businesses for the right reasons.
  And burned by YCI I used to keep in touch with Knoxville and know they were trying to keep their heads above water. They were great gals and I wish them the best.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I did a google and in a publication called knoxmoms, they announced the closing of YCA. Closed because of finances. I met the couple(man and wife) that originally opened it and I believe it changed hands. Correct me if I’m wrong.




• 

  Kel said,

  I believe there was another location in Knoxville that closed before I did (although I heard they had some financial ‘assistance’) that was owned by a couple, but this one was owned by 3 sisters. They were at training with us.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Thanks for setting the record straight.




• 

  FJ said,

  I was checking out the franchise information and came across two damning peices of information. They claim over 100 franchisees (there are 80 as of last count) and two of the three franchisee testimonials are out of business.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Good catch. There are articles that are several years old and franchises that are closed. That’s just plain lazy. They could at least update the site. I mean Julie’s brother has made a mint on the $85 a month fee for the website.




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  Welcome to fuzzy math by Juls and Suz! Gives you an indication of the world they live in.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Anyone know what happened to Harlingen, TX site? I googled but no luck. They are down to 79 on this date of August 1, 2009.




• 

  FDHT said,

  We too are a struggling franchisee and we may need to close soon if we can’t sell. Can anyone who has had to close or is about to close provide info or comment on whether they had to go through a bankruptcy in order to not lose their homes, cars, etc., or were you just able to close and “merely” be saddled with huge debt for the rest of your lives? What happened with your leases? Were you able to get out of them? We have a few years left on our lease and don’t know yet if we can be released from it or not. Am wondering if we have to go through a bankruptcy as the only way to avoid being on the hook for the lease. Yet in this economy I can’t imagine landlords are holding failed businesses to multi-year leases, but I just don’t know. Does anyone know if any franchises have ever been sold, or have they either survived so far with the original owners or closed? Thanks for any info.




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  I did not go through bankruptcy when I closed. I am NOT an attorney or accountant and am not giving you advice, only an opinion . I would not go through a BK. Your landlord may let you buyout your lease for some amount prepaid or may let you off scott free. Depending on how you setup your company if the company has no assets and you did not sign a personal guarantee then you may not have as much to worry about. This is a time when although an attorney sounds expensive it may be worthwhile for you to hire one.

  Oh and not to miss an opportunity to get in a dig - don’t expect any support or help from corporate. You are now just a step below useless as you will no longer be funding the Juls and Suz show…




• 

  too late for me too said,

  I was honest with my landlord. I told them I had run out of money and resources and that YCI was basically ignoring me. Therefore, closing was my only option and I would be out by the end of the month. I had signed a 5 year lease with a personal guarantee and was truly blessed because they let me go and wished me luck. Another shop in my center could not longer afford their rent and had been paying 1/2 for a few months. The landlord told them they would have to begin paying the whole amount or they would have to terminate their lease. So, they liquidated their assets, paid what they owed in back rent and the landlord terminated their lease. That may be an idea.
  I am so sorry for you. I also agree with the previous poster about YCI….they will not help you at all. They knew I was closing and never called me. I used my final newsletter to let them know how I felt about that. Good luck to you, I hope things turn around.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I signed the customary 5 year lease. I had done 2 years and had to close. I was upfront with them. settled for a third of the remaining cost of the lease. Sorry to hear about your closing. You’ll feel better when the bleeding stops. Staying open longer will just make things worse. Cancel your internet and pay no more franchise fees. Julie’s brother took his money since it was set up on a draft and I got screwed out of $85 for a month I didn’t use.




• 

  YCApurchase said,

  Hi,
  I represent a group that is looking at purchasing YCA International (the corporate office). We are attempting to valuate the company and need input from current and former owners if anyone is interested in providing this information. They have a plan to turn the company around and provide much needed business support for the franchisees. However, if you are about to close (as someone posted earlier), please don’t assume that we can provide any help in the short term. We don’t have any kind of offer for the owners yet and no guaranty that they will accept it. Considering the comments made about the owners, I have advised the investors that it may not be possible to acquire the company for what it is worth, but most likely the owners will ask for several times that amount. The investors are not looking to purchase individual franchises at this time but only the corporate offices. I am very sorry that we cannot do anything for those of you that are about to close and our prayers are with you. If anyone wants to contact us please email us ycapurchase@live.com. The investment group that is considering this purchase is staying anonymous at this point. Thank you.




• 

  FDHT said,

  Thank you for the comments from the posters about how you handled your lease situations. It is all very helpful. I have a question for YCAPurchase — I don’t understand your comment that given all the comments here you/your client won’t be able to get YCI for what it is worth and the owners will ask for several times that amount — what does that mean? Because of all the negative comments they will think they are entitled to MORE than the company is worth? That seems opposite of what it should be. Am I missing something? Also, how do we know you are legit? I don’t mean to offend at all, but it is concerning to give information to an anonymous company. All we have is an email address and anyone can get an email address these days. Can you tell us who you are at least if not the name of the client you represent? Can you tell us what the timing is for your client to take over if it happens? On another note, does anyone on this post know if any original franchise owner has ever been able to sell its business, other than the founders selling their Waco location? Thank you!




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  FDHT you should probably contact the poster directly to have the conversation you suggest. If I was trying to be an anonymous buyer I would not reveal the information on this site. Casting dispersions without actually contacting the poster (who obviously has left an email address) is a bit forward. I am not defending anyone here, just offering a suggestion to help get your questions answered without making a public spectacle.

  As for your question regarding anyone being able to sell a franchise other than Waco (which is now closed) I believe there have been 2 locations that I know of that sold, one in Louisiana and another in the Northeast somewhere I can’t remember right now. There may have been a third as well. If you are asking that b/c you are trying to get a feel for whether it makes sense to try and sell your location, I would say you would be lucky to sell it for the cost of a new franchise, probably less. There is so much negativity posted about YCA/YCI there is a huge image problem. Truthfully, since the current ownership turns a blind eye to it and will not acknowledge the negativity is even out there, it will never be addressed or corrected.




• 

  FDHT said,

  Not a fan, thank you for your comments. I was not casting aspersions at all and have no intention of making a public spectacle, believe me. I greatly appreciate the investor’s representative making a post on this site. This person said it is representing an anonymous investor, not that he/she is anonymous necessarily (though I know we all are on this site), so my only concern is if any of us contacts this person directly, we give up our own anonymity and would want to have assurances before we do that. Also, I was only asking for him/her to clarify for all of our benefit the comment made on this post about maybe not being able to buy YCI for what it is worth and to let us know any additional information available about timing, again for the benefit of all who are reading these posts. I think it is OK to respond to a comment made here with posting a question here. Anyway . . . thank you also for the information about who might have sold their franchises. Wish it were all better news . . .




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  We were willing to give away the franchise if the buyer would have taken over the lease. Good luck FDHT. You seem to be feeling better about things.




• 

  YCApurchase said,

  FDHT, I can certainly understand your caution and I am not sure how to assure that this will not negatively affect you in any way. I am happy to reveal my name in any private emails, but to be honest I don’t think it would make a difference. I’m not the one that needs to remain anonymous, I am the just the one doing the information gathering.

  As for the comment I made about the worth of the company, let me explain. Judging from the comments I’ve seen on this website and a former owner I’ve already spoken to, the current owners (Suzy and Julie) have very large egos and very little understanding of business processes. So when I finish my analysis, I will recommend a price that the investors will actually offer to the owners. The offer will be based on the value of the company as best as we can determine by the information I am gathering. I don’t think that any number that accurately represents the value of the company will be enough for the current owners. They will automatically assume that the company is worth more and refuse the offer. Its my opinion that they will ask for several times the actual value of the company.

  Anyhow, I have a series of questions that I will put to anyone interested in talking to me that reveals nothing personal, I don’t need your name, or even where you live or where your store is/was. We don’t need any kind of operations information except for very general questions. For instance, I ask if you purchase your raw ingredients wholesale or retail. There doesn’t seem to be a program in place for the franchisees to purchase the food at wholesale pricing to increase profit margins. Some do, some don’t. This is one of the problems we’ve identified. The main problem with putting a value on the company is I can’t call the owners and ask how much they want for the company, and the company is not public so the only way to get information is to talk to insiders and former insiders, that would be the franchisees and former franchisees.

  I hope this has helped you understand where we are coming from. This is a fantasic business concept and has incredible potential, its also been done wrong several times (Batter up Kids which is no longer teaching classes or hosting parties). We think we know how to do it right and one of the options is to purchase YCI with 79 stores already open, many with owners that are in need of help and would be willing to implement changes since the status quo is not working.

  The alternative is to open our own concept and start from scratch, which has its own problems plus we would rather help the current franchisees instead of compete with them.

  Not a Fan, thanks for defending my position, I think we are in agreement regarding the current owners.




• 

  YCApurchase said,

  FDHT,
  Sorry I never answered the question about timeing. We are currently doing research to put a value on the company, which is essentially the beginning part of the deal. Once we have a number, we contact the present buyers with an offer. Most likely they will refuse and the deal will be done. However in the unlikely event they think it over or are willing to negotiate, then we work until a deal is struck. Then we haul in the lawyers to put together a preliminary contract. Then the accountants go to work to verify the value of the company looking at every asset and liability. Once that is done, we bring the lawyers in again to tidy up the final contracts, agree to a closing date and that’s it. It sounds easy, but the process can take months, 60-90 days would be great, but I would think more like 120+. And that is if it all goes well with nothing major standing in the way. I’ll reiterate, I love the concept and think that buying them out is the easiest, most profitable, and most ethical way to go, but I don’t think there is snowballs chance that the current owners will consider a realistic number. It would be wonderful if I am wrong.




• 

  FDHT said,

  Thank you very much YCAPurchase for your comments and clarification. I understand it all better now and what you say makes sense. I hope it works out!




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  I counted 77 on this site 8/15/09. Canada stuck out since this was the only international location. New Bern, NC isn’t on the list anymore. Anyone have the story? I did a google but no luck. Hope these owners got out before they lost everything. Still don’t know what happened to the Harligen, Tx site. Hey YCApurchase, you might be able to get the franchise for a fire sale price if this keeps up. Hopefully another owner can turn these franchises around. Not happening with Julie and Suzy.




• 

  FJ said,

  Did you count the ones that are kind of grayed out? I think I just got 74 without the grayed out ones. Did they lose 3 stores in 45 days?




• 

  FJ said,

  I just noticed that the Canada one is now gone too.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Looks like there have been several closings recently. I haven’t been counting the gray areas. Canada has been gone for a couple of months or so. I lost everything on my computer and can’t compare sites anymore. Doesn’t look like things are getting better.




• 

  Cody said,

  I know the team they have on board for the international sales and they are top notch. In addition to selling internationally, they have sound guidance for franchise systems in the domestic market also.

  The owners of YCA are finally getting good advice, following it and the entire system in the USA and abroad will be vastly improved as time goes on.

  Congratulations YCA!




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  Time will tell, but I doubt it!!! Not even a professional bucket brigade could save that sinking ship.




• 

  Cody said,

  I understand, but I have seen these guys literally save two other franchise systems in distress, it is not just sales, but system wide improvement. They know if the system does not work their sales efforts will not be long term.

  Good luck




• 

  Judith said,

  Can anyone tell me what happened to the YCA in Waco. Why did it close? I need to compare numbers, demographics, ratios, margins, etc.
  Thanks




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  Waco ‘closed’ when the witches went into franchising from what I can remember. Then they sold the store to an unsuspecting couple who, like many of the rest of us, had no chance in hell to make it work. That was back in 2007 I think. The store then closed not too many months later. Why did Waco close? Same reason all the rest have…the two people at the top who know nothing about running a franchise, but think they do.




• 

  Burned by YCI said,

  What’s the news about the new consultants? Someone mentioned it but There were not details. It will take an outsider to turn this around. Suzy and Julie can’t do it.




• 

  Burned by YCI said,

  That’s bad when the charter store closes. That should send a signal to potential buyers. More effort should have been made to keep it open. I counted 73 stores on this site on 10/30/09. Several closed recently but not sure which ones. Computer crashed so I don’t have the old list. The # of franchises is shrinking. At their peak there were 160. Hopefully for the owners(franchise) things have bottomed out. Someone posted on how expensive the website and merchandise is. Hopefully the consultants can do something about the nepotism. I now see that a website shouldn’t be $85 a month. That’s way out of line. Merchandise, I don’t really know what the markup is on the wholesale side but I guess the husbands must be doing well with it since they gave up their careers to do this. I have no idea what they did, never met them but it makes you wonder.




• 

  Burned by YCI said,

  Did I count wrong on the site last night? I counted again and it’s now 71 on 11/01/09. This is bad. Several have closed recently. Hope the consultants can enact their plan of action soon. Hopefully Julie and Suzy will get out of their way and let them do their job. I doubt that happens. They wouldn’t do creative things like skip monthly franchise fees or overpriced website payments. These girls are making a new class of bankrupt people. Good, hardworking people that tried to better themselves. Anyone know which ones have closed. I’ve copied the current franchises on web based emails. This way if the computer crashes again, then I’ll have them.




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  Oh I suspect the conceded sociopaths at the top will let the consultants do their job. Thing is, it is probably too late. Anyone knows when their back is against the wall it is time to turn over the reins to someone who can try and save them. In my opinion it is too late. Hopefully anyone considering a franchise finds this site and realizes what a total disaster it is. There are some successful operators who will hopefully get smart and not renew their contract given we are getting close to the beginning of the 1st round of 5 years…




• 

  Judith said,

  I wrote a week ago. What? No comments? Doesn’t anyone have any data. What happened to the Shaws in Waco. I would like to locate them and talk with them about the demografics in Waco, not necessarily the relationship with corporate matters. Does anyone have any info or leads?
  Thanks. I didn’t want to scare anyone off.




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  Judith,

  Pull up the UFOC from the state of CA and you should get contact info for them there. Use 2007 or 2008…




• 

  blame game said,

  it is “conceited” not ” conceded”

  one of the downfalls of spell check !




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  Sorry. The conceited sociopath owners!




• 

  blame game said,

  combine spell check with auto complete and you can have some problems.

  I dashed off a quick email to my Pastor and meant to say:

  ” Hello Father Bruce, That is a great idea, count me in”

  What I sent was:

  ” Hell Father Bruce, That is a great idea, count me in”

  pretty funny




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Down to 70 now. Looks like Colleyville, TX closed. Anyone know the story? Is this the bottom or will more close until the turnaround specialists can work their magic? Anyone know anything about these specialist? The owners need to give up control and let them do their work. Stores are closing, revenues to all their family are drying up.




• 

  burned by YCI said,

  Ok, just did another count and it’s at 65. I’ll try to find out which locations closed. This is not good. Thought things had bottomed out but apparantly there is still some bleeding going on. Are the turnaround specialists running the company now?




• 

  FJ said,

  Am I wrong or are they down to 63 now? The turnaround specialists better hurry, they are running out of locations. Of course maybe their job is to sell franchises not save the existing ones.




• 

  burned by yci said,

  WOW! I haven’t been on here in a while and they are down to 63. That’s bad. I hoped that things have bottomed out but it just gets worse. Is there still family involved in selling merchandise and websites? Are the owners supporting the current franchises?




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  Who cares. People, it is time to move on. Unless you still own a franchise why bother. Let them go down in flames.




• 

  FJ said,

  Are you kidding? How can you take your eyes off this train wreck. This is a great lesson in how not to do business. As someone once considering purchasing a franchise (which I avoided thanks to this and other websites), I am dying to see what happens next. The very fact that these franchises are going under one after another so quickly is proof that the folks here are not exaggerating or have sour grapes. They are the real deal, the issues with this business is mostly due to the inexperience and egos of the corporate owners.
  Of course that begs the question, is this a bad business concept or is the model and how it has been run bad? Meaning if I opened FJ’s Little Cookery or something, can I make it work or is there just not enough demand for this type of business?




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  FJ -

  You as a non-owner may still want to follow this train wreck, as you call it. For those of us who were owners I’m saying don’t you think after anywhere between 18 - 24 months plus it is time to move on?

  If I still wanted to live in the world of YCA I would not have closed.

  If one person did not purchase a franchise due to this website and the comments from previous franchisees then this was a success. Hopefully many more people did better due diligence, reconsidered their options and seriously considered if they wanted to become part of this train wreck than just one.

  This is both a weak business concept and a poorly run operation. Think of it this way: if teaching cooking is the whole pie, why only go after the slice that appeals to just kids? It is a very small piece of the entire picture. While it is nice to have a niche, and you could/should focus on that aspect of the business, how much additional revenue could be derived from having adult classes or corporate events or 20 million other ideas? Add to that bull-headed dorks who think they are god’s gift to cooking, franchising and have the patent on kids cooking, and you have a disaster played out as YCA.




• 

  burned by yci said,

  I get on this site every now and then just to check out the latest comments. I used to keep up with each particular franchise that closed but I can’t get any real answers. I want julie and suzy to fail. I don’t want any of the franchises to go through what I went through. In other words I have mixed emotions. If they sold the franchise, I would be wishing these franchises well. I post on here every now and then just to keep the discussion going. If potential customers see this site and decide not to buy into this concept then we have helped save someone from heartache. I wish we had more recent owners that posted on this site. I would like to know what kind of support( or lack of it) they got. I’m curious to know if the nepotism is still rampant in the company. Julie’s brother in law is lazy. I’m not the most computer literate guy, but there are newspaper articles that are several years old from franchises that are closed. Embarassing! Are Richard and Julie’s husband still running Hodge Podge? Is Shelly still with YCI? Are they ever going to have a Waco store? All the owners I knew are out of this business.




• 

  too late for me too said,

  Burned,
  I used to keep up with a franchisee who recently closed and the last time we spoke (within the year) everything was exactly the same. She was getting quite a bit of heat for refusing to go to the annual thing, she couldn’t afford to go. I think they later cancelled it to ‘ease the financial burden on their franchisees’ which tells me that she wasn’t the only one refusing to go. It’s a sad state of affairs and I really don’t understand how some kind of franchise regualtion organization hasn’t stepped in to investigate. The failure rate is SO high….I just don’t get it. It’ sad to me that people continue to have to go through what we did. Closing a business is very hard and I really hoped for the remaining franchisees that they would turn it around…doesn’t look like it though.




• 

  Not a Fan said,

  The remaining franchisees can’t turn this business around. Only the two aforementioned egotistical women could accomplish that and they are not capable. Having said that, the franchises that are open are either in a highly congested area or have flown under the radar and done their own thing(s) to survive. ‘Own thing(s)’ being unsanctioned events they only publicize outside of their official ‘web page’.




• 

  burned by yci said,

  Down to 60! I check every now and then. I used to keep up with which franchises closed. Now I just look in and see what;s going on and it isn’t pretty. The turnaround specilist aren’t doing their job. I thouhgt that maybe this would bottom out but that isn’t happening. Apparantly Julie and Suzy are still running things and it shows. I wish a franchise owner current or past would give some insight.




• 

  FJ said,

  I am not sure if this is correct (but I did count twice), but I counted 61. Is this the big turn around? If it is, it must be the first new franchise in about a year.




• 

  burned by yci said,

  Wow, I haven’t checked lately. Wonder which one is the new one? You’d think it would published be on the website. Wonder if it has bottomed out?




• 

  burned by yci said,

  Ok, I counted 60. Like I said I just don’t keep up with who shut down and so on. Thought maybe a turnaround was happening but guess not. It has been holding steady at this number for a few months. For a while there were several closing at a fast pace.

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