Today we’d like to introduce you to Bhavna Gupta.
Hi Bhavna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I come from a business background, and doing something of my own was always on my mind. My initial upbringing was in the southern city of Chennai in India where I grew up with TEN other siblings! So, I knew from the get-go that doing something which relates to children was what I wanted to get into. As a fresher in the US in my late ’20s, I was challenged by many legalities, but the thirst of knowledge kept me dreaming as well as moving towards achieving that dream. As time went by I did my Small Business Management certification and equipped myself with firsthand knowledge about the many facets of managing a business. When the time was finally right, I took the plunge, and the rest, as they say, is History 🙂
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
As with all Small businesses, the road is never smooth in the beginning. I too faced a lot of challenges – from city permits, build-out issues as well as finding the right people who could stand by me in my journey. Some were minor and were sorted out sooner and some are yet to be so. Of course, the pandemic didn’t help! Each challenge taught me resilience, patience, and I managed to move on with the help & support of my amazing family as well as friends! I would not have made it this far without the unbiased support of my husband and also my two wonderful daughters. I am a true believer of the saying that life is not a bed of roses and that one needs to work hard to get a good night’s sleep!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a curriculum-based culinary academy that teaches children ages 4-16 the joy & value of cooking. Cooking is a basic life skill that’s always required & will never fade away. Whatever phase of life you are in, whichever career path you choose, you gotta eat! Young Chefs Academy nourishes those values and gives kids an innovative environment to learn and thrive. We believe that kitchen is the heart of a home, and many memories are made here. Our curriculum does not focus on the recipe but everything that goes to make that recipe. Our students learn the skills & techniques in a safe & fun environment. Our classes are hands-on, lead by instructors whose love for cooking imparts to the students and where the students does the cooking. We teach them things like kitchen safety, how to hold a knife properly, how to crack an egg the YCA way, ingredient substitution, scaling recipes, food presentation, food storage temperatures, and the all-important how to clean up. We are an afterschool enrichment program and have weekly classes where our members are part of our MasterChef program. Every 2 months they are quizzed on what they learnt and earn Patches to add to their Chef Uniforms as they climb up the ladder. We also host all-inclusive birthday parties, 3-hour culinary camps whenever schools on a break, fieldtrips, workshops, adult team-building culinary activities, and more.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
With the evolution of food network and other culinary competitions all around people have started to become more aware of not just the types of cuisines but also the ingredients and how food is made across the globe. They are moving towards more sustainability as well as plant-based products. The love for fusion cooking is increasing day-by-day as more and more people are crossing borders. We equip our Young Chefs with not just the skills & techniques required to navigate these waters but also to shine on their own! The food industry will never fade away.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://friscotx.youngchefsacademy.com/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/yca_friscotx
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/youngchefsfrisco
