The First Little Kitchen Academy in the Centennial State Will Be Opening This Summer At The Prestigious 9+Co Development
Today, Little Kitchen Academy (LKA), the key ingredient for an independent child and the first-of-its-kind, Montessori-inspired cooking academy for kids ages three through teen, announced it will open its first location in the state of Colorado this summer in Denver at the prestigious 9+CO development. LKA Denver 9+CO will be the first of 20 locations being opened in the state by LKA Colorado Area Developers Scott Payne and Keith Lublin. Payne and Lublin have extensive experience in the franchise world and in teaching practical life skills to the next generation. Together, they are one of Goldfish Swim School’s (GSS) largest and most successful owners, with seven locations open in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Colorado. In addition to partnering with Payne on owning and operating locations for both LKA and GSS, Lublin is the vice president of commercial banking for Level One Bank. LKA currently has 146 locations in development toward its target of 423 globally by 2025.
“We are delighted to bring Little Kitchen Academy to Denver,” said Scott Payne, Colorado area developer for LKA. “We know how important teaching practical life skills to children is and how much of an impact we will have on families in the community. We can’t wait to welcome the first students into our kitchen later this year!”
9+CO is one of Denver’s newest developments, integrating commercial and residential spaces featuring 200,000 sq. ft. of retail space, 65,000 sq. ft. of office space and 4 acres of open space with 2 parks. Located at 4064 E 8th Place, LKA Denver 9+CO will be the company’s first location to open in Colorado.
“I couldn’t imagine a better team to share the gift of Little Kitchen Academy with children in Denver than Scott and Keith,” said Felicity Curin, co-founder/co-CEO and COO of Little Kitchen Academy. “They both are so passionate about teaching children practical life skills and helping them develop confidence and independence. When children enter our kitchen and put on their chef coat, they stand a little bit taller. We see them transform in front of our eyes! It’s so inspiring to watch the overwhelming joy and pride our students feel at the end of class, when their parents or caregivers come to pick them up and they get to show off the meal they made from scratch! I am so excited to see children in Denver experience this feeling for the first time when LKA Denver 9+CO opens.”
This new location comes after the company recently opened its sixth location, LKA Edgemont Village, in North Vancouver, British Columbia, and brings the total number of LKA locations in development to 146 towards the company’s target of 423 globally by the end of 2025. The company currently has six locations open throughout North America with more to come, including LKA Bridgeport Village, the company’s second location in the U.S., which will open in Portland, Oregon this spring.
LKA is currently seeking like-minded multi-unit franchisees and development partners based exclusively in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. In Canada, there are limited opportunities in British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta. Globally, Australia, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, MENA region, Singapore, Spain, and the U.K. are markets available for development.
About Little Kitchen Academy
Little Kitchen Academy is the key ingredient for an independent child. The first-of-its-kind, Montessori-inspired cooking academy for kids ages three through teen is focused on providing a safe, inspiring, and empowering space for children to identify, develop, and refine their senses. Based in Vancouver, Canada, the concept was co-founded by proven global brand and franchise expert and serial entrepreneur Brian Curin, his wife, Montessori-trained, culinary expert, and visionary Felicity Curin, and social impact investor and entrepreneur Praveen Varshney, on the belief that by empowering children with practical life skills and knowledge in a positive and joyful environment, they and their company will effect positive lifestyle changes that result in a healthier world. True to its mission, LKA lives to create a more educated, able, and healthy society through mindful, healthy eating choices, and is committed to changing lives, from scratch to consumption. Part of that mission includes empowering students to learn how they can make the world a better place through How Can I Help by Little Kitchen Academy, LKA’s signature philanthropic program, supporting Crisis Text Line, The Global FoodBanking Network, Kids Help Phone, and One Tree Planted. In addition to charitable partnerships, LKA has forged strategic global brand partnerships with Iron Chef Cat Cora, AeroGarden, BIRKENSTOCK, ChefWorks, Emeco, ChopValue, Welcome Industries, and PRISE Inc. Little Kitchen Academy’s flagship venues are located in Vancouver, B.C., and Los Angeles, Calif.
For a taste of Little Kitchen Academy, visit littlekitchenacademy.com or join its communities on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.