A New Era of Kids Culinary Education Begins With First Pilot Location Opening in Clark, New Jersey, Spring 2026
CLARK, NJ / ACCESS Newswire / November 13, 2025 / CLARK, NJ – Little Kitchen Academy (LKA), the premier Montessori-inspired cooking academy for children and teens ages 3 to 18, announces a transformative multi-store licensing agreement with Whole Foods Market, the leading natural and organic foods retailer. LKA’s first East Coast location, Little Kitchen Academy Clark NJ, will launch inside Whole Foods Market located at the Clark Commons Shopping Center in Clark, New Jersey-one of the best places to live in NJ-opening Spring 2026, with plans for additional locations across North America.
At the heart of Little Kitchen Academy is a mission to empower children and teens with confidence, independence, and healthy habits that ripple out to families, schools, and entire communities. Little Kitchen Academy is creating a movement to bring meaningful, lasting change to the places it serves.
“Changing a child’s life can transform families, schools, and communities. Through our collaboration with Whole Foods Market, we’re expanding our Montessori-inspired culinary programs to more areas. We’re excited to open our first East Coast location in Clark and look forward to LKA’s positive impact on children, parents, educators, and neighbors. Together, we’re building a healthier, more confident future.” – Brian Curin, CEO/CMO & Co-Founder of Little Kitchen Academy
WHAT’S COMING TO CLARK, NJ AND THE GREATER REGION
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First East Coast pilot location, Little Kitchen Academy Clark NJ, opens Spring 2026.
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Signature 3-hour Montessori-inspired cooking classes and camps for ages 3-18 with caring instructors, small class sizes, and individual workstations, every child receives the time, tools, and attention they need to thrive.
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Healthy Habits for Life: From understanding where food comes from to making balanced meals.
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Toddler’s First Taste: cooking classes for 2-3-year-olds and their caregivers.
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Recipes inspired by Whole Foods Market ingredients.
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Appearances by Celebrity Chef Cat Cora.
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Community events and charitable initiatives supporting LKA’s Changing Lives From Scratch Fund and more.
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Plans for additional locations in Whole Foods Market stores across North America.
“Seeing Little Kitchen Academy reach the East Coast is a dream realized-a testament to the vision I had when we opened our very first LKA. From day one, I wanted to create a place where children could discover confidence, independence, and healthy habits that would ripple through their families, schools, and communities. Partnering with Whole Foods Market allows us to bring our Montessori-inspired programs to even more neighborhoods, empowering children, parents, educators, and neighbors to thrive together. This milestone isn’t just about expansion-it’s about fulfilling a promise to help every child build a healthier and more confident future, one delicious moment at a time.” – Felicity Curin, Founder/President & Chief Learning and Curriculum Officer.
WHY IT MATTERS
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A Revolution in Children’s Food and Culinary Education: Little Kitchen Academy has a vision for healthier, more empowered communities. With this expansion, we’re making it possible for every child and teen to discover the joy of cooking with fresh, wholesome ingredients-right in the heart of their neighborhood.
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Confidence, Independence, and Real-Life Skills: LKA’s hands-on programs don’t just teach recipes-they nurture independence, build confidence, and inspire lifelong healthy habits. Students leave each class proud, capable, and eager to share their new skills with family and friends.
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Together, we’ll celebrate local flavors, seasonal ingredients, and the power of coming together around food.
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Supporting Local Schools and Families: LKA is making transformative children’s culinary and food education more accessible to the entire community. We’re excited to collaborate with local schools, host community events, and create opportunities for every child to thrive.
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A Movement You Can Taste: This is more than an opening-it’s the start of a movement. The energy, excitement, and anticipation in Clark, NJ, and the greater NJ/NYC area are palpable. Families are ready. Schools are ready. The community is ready. We can’t wait to open our doors and change lives from scratch-one delicious moment at a time.
Stay Connected & Be First to Know!
Follow Little Kitchen Academy on social media and sign up for our newsletter at https://littlekitchenacademy.com/ to get exclusive behind-the-scenes updates, VIP event invitations, and the latest news on opening plans for LKA Clark NJ and future locations.
Be part of the movement-join us as we change lives from scratch for the whole community!
ABOUT LITTLE KITCHEN ACADEMY
Little Kitchen Academy is the premier Montessori-inspired cooking academy for children and teens, dedicated to changing lives from scratch. At LKA, students develop independence, confidence, and healthy eating habits that empower them to make informed choices and positively impact their communities. More than a cooking school, LKA is a movement to create a better world through responsible food education. LKA is proud to partner with leading brands including, BIRKENSTOCK, ChefWorks, ChopValue, Click & Grow, Emeco, IKEA, Küssi, PRISE Inc., Scrub Daddy, and Welcome Industries. The academy is guided by an esteemed group of special advisors: Celebrity Chef Cat Cora, Hollywood Legend Supermensch Shep Gordon, NBA Icon Russell Westbrook, and Hollywood Changemaker Oliver Trevena. In alignment with its mission to serve a brighter future, LKA supports impactful charitable organizations such as Changing Lives From Scratch Fund, Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation, Crisis Text Line, Kids Help Phone, and One Tree Planted.For a taste of LKA, visit littlekitchenacademy.com or join the LKA community on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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SOURCE: Little Kitchen Academy
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