Since the writing of this editorial, the business has closed.
A more educated, capable, and healthy society—that’s what Little Kitchen Academy strives for. In part, they accomplish this by sharing over 900 recipes, such as fan favorites like seasonal kolache and pineapple fried forbidden rice.
But at the heart of it all is gaining confidence in the kitchen. With three-hour cooking classes offered to ages three to 18, LKA has patient instructors who challenge or take a step back when needed. This gives each child the ability to achieve their self-defined success.
“Cooking is our vehicle. It’s a beautiful, fun, entertaining, crazy, science and art vehicle,” says Bill Duffy, owner of the Austin Arbor Walk franchise. “But it’s secondary to our purpose. The purpose of what we’re doing is building that childhood independence, curiosity, and food literacy. It’s not just as simple as cooking.”
Everything at LKA points to a residential kitchen, giving students the most accurate picture of washing, chopping, and mixing at home. They gradually strengthen their skills with real equipment, including a five-level progressive knife set that teaches safety and responsibility. On top of creating recipes from scratch to consumption alongside their peers, these kids even clean their personal stations to get the full experience.
“Inside of a class, you watch a child go from hesitant, maybe even a bit scared, to blossoming to the point where they’re just overloaded with happiness and pride. Then, you watch the caregiver walk in and see the same thing. Some have actually teared up,” says Duffy. “We do anything we can to get people in the door just to feel it because once you do, it is so very palpable.”
To learn more and to enroll in Little Kitchen Academy Austin Arbor Walk’s Montessori-inspired classes, go to: littlekitchenacademy.com