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The real numbers on owning a Great Harvest Bread Co. franchise
Great Harvest Bread Co. · FDD 2026 · from public state filings
CDisclosure honesty
This franchisor discloses earnings (Item 19) — but read how.
★★★☆☆FranchiseValidate transparency rating: 3/5
Investment
$591,742–$871,077
Total fees
7.5% of sales
Outlets
155
Closure signals
6 ceased, 0 terminated
Lawsuits
2
Is Great Harvest Bread Co. worth it? How it compares to 312 similar franchises
Ongoing fees
7.5% of sales
lower than most (median 8%)
Startup cost
from $591,742
pricier than 84% of peers
Disclosure honesty
Grade C
typical for the category
Closure rate
3.9% of outlets
worse than 68% of peers
Disclosed lawsuits
2
more litigious than 67% of peers
Benchmarked against every other franchises franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Gross sales data for 95 Bakery Cafes operating full 2025 calendar year. High: $2.93M, Average: $965,873, Median: $866,756, Low: $360,033. Historical data; no net income disclosed.
Failure & turnover reality (Item 20)
6 outlets ceased operations 2025; declining from 160 outlets (2023) to 155 (2025). Net decline 5 units over 2 years.
Legal history (Item 3)
2 matters disclosed.
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The franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. We do — reconstructed from their own FDD.
Franchisor's framing: Gross sales data for 95 Bakery Cafes operating full 2025 calendar year. High: $2.93M, Average: …
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Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI on your investment
Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
Decoded real failure / closure rate
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Great Harvest Bread Co. franchise — frequently asked
How much does a Great Harvest Bread Co. franchise cost?
The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $591,742–$871,077, including a $40,000 initial franchise fee.
How much do Great Harvest Bread Co. franchise owners make?
Gross sales data for 95 Bakery Cafes operating full 2025 calendar year. High: $2.93M, Average: $965,873, Median: $866,756, Low: $360,033. Historical data; no net income disclosed. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
What is the Great Harvest Bread Co. franchise failure rate?
6 outlets ceased operations 2025; declining from 160 outlets (2023) to 155 (2025). Net decline 5 units over 2 years.
Is a Great Harvest Bread Co. franchise worth it?
It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Great Harvest Bread Co. scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 7.5% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 2 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare Great Harvest Bread Co. to similar franchises
Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Great Harvest Bread Co. or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.