Great Harvest Bread Company
Financial Plan
Liquid capital
The amount you need to secure the necessary loans.
Total investment
Total Investment to launch the business, including initial fees ($35,000)
The Concept
Great Harvest Bread Company is an American bakery café franchise known for freshly baked bread, whole-wheat products, sandwiches, and other bakery items. Founded in 1976 in Great Falls, Montana, the company built its concept around sourcing Montana-grown wheat, milling flour, and baking bread fresh daily. Its menu combines traditional bakery products with café offerings, creating a neighborhood-oriented business model.
Unlike highly standardized bakery chains, Great Harvest emphasizes local ownership and community involvement. Individual bakery cafés can adapt aspects of their product offerings and local marketing while operating within the franchise system. The brand also offers different development formats, including traditional bakery cafés and a Hub & Spoke model, which allows operators to combine a production-focused bakery with smaller café locations.
Great Harvest targets entrepreneurs who want to operate a bakery business with franchisor support in areas such as training, site selection, development, and operating systems. The company particularly encourages multi-unit ownership and seeks candidates with sufficient capital and an entrepreneurial approach to community-based business development. Prospective franchisees should review the current FDD to confirm the investment range, financial performance information, and the obligations associated with their intended format
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Great Harvest bakery café?
Great Harvest’s published startup-cost page lists an investment range of $311,061–$591,860, with an average actual investment of $411,463. The initial franchise fee for the first bakery is $35,000. These figures provide a useful starting point but should be verified against the latest FDD.
The total cost depends on real estate, construction, equipment, signage, opening inventory, training, and working capital. Great Harvest also offers different development formats, including bakery cafés and Hub & Spoke concepts, so the cost of a multi-unit plan may differ significantly from the cost of a single traditional location.
Prospective franchisees should request the latest cost schedule and confirm whether it covers their intended format and territory. They should also budget for unexpected construction expenses, pre-opening costs, and sufficient reserves to support operations during the initial months.
What are the financial requirements for Great Harvest franchisees?
Great Harvest’s franchise research materials specify at least $150,000 in liquid, unencumbered cash and a minimum net worth of $500,000 for multi-unit applicants. The company also states that previous multi-unit franchising and restaurant operations experience are strongly preferred, although not necessarily required.
The company explains that applicants should have enough available capital to fund the opening and the resources or borrowing capacity needed to cover the remaining investment. Its franchise FAQ also advises candidates to retain a cash cushion for the first few months of business.
Great Harvest Bread
These figures should not automatically be interpreted as universal requirements for every ownership arrangement. Applicants considering one bakery, an acquisition of an existing store, or a Hub & Spoke development should confirm the specific financial qualifications applicable to their application.
What are Great Harvest's royalty and marketing fees?
The company’s published FAQ states that a new bakery café pays a monthly royalty of 5% of gross sales and a marketing or brand fee of 3.5% of monthly gross sales. Together, these published charges represent 8.5% of the applicable sales base before other operating expenses.
Fees can differ when purchasing an existing bakery and assuming the seller’s franchise agreement. The franchisor advises candidates in that situation to contact the company for details.
Before signing, prospective owners should review the current FDD and agreement to confirm all recurring charges, their calculation bases, and payment terms. The financial model should also include ingredients, staffing, rent, utilities, insurance, maintenance, and any financing costs.
What annual revenue can a Great Harvest bakery generate?
Great Harvest’s current franchise website lists an average unit volume of $948,105. This is the company’s published revenue benchmark and can be used as an initial reference point when evaluating the concept.
However, average unit volume is not a forecast for a new bakery. Actual results depend on location, customer traffic, product mix, catering, wholesale accounts, local marketing, operating hours, and the maturity of the business.
Revenue also differs from profitability. Owners must deduct the cost of ingredients, labor, occupancy, royalties, marketing contributions, utilities, and other expenses. Candidates should review the current FDD’s financial performance representation, including its reporting period and any differences between store formats.
What makes Great Harvest's franchise model different?
Great Harvest emphasizes fresh-baked-daily bread, Montana-grown wheat, community involvement, and locally owned bakery cafés. Its official franchise website highlights training, real estate assistance, design and build-out support, and opportunities to grow from one bakery to multiple locations.
The company also offers a Hub & Spoke model. In this format, a central bakery produces bread that can be supplied to smaller café locations, allowing an operator to develop a territory with different store footprints and production responsibilities. The suitability of this model depends on local demand, geography, and the economics of operating multiple sites.
The franchisor says new owners should expect to work directly in the business at first, before potentially shifting attention toward additional units, catering, wholesale accounts, or community partnerships as the team develops. Prospective owners should discuss training, territory availability, site selection, and the specific operating model with the franchise team before deciding which format best suits their goals.
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