

Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant is a quick-service franchise specializing in authentic Jamaican and Caribbean cuisine. The brand was founded in 1989 by the Hawthorne family in the Bronx, New York, where it opened its first bakery and restaurant.
Golden Krust is still headquartered in the Bronx and began franchising in 1996. The company has since grown into the largest Caribbean restaurant franchise in North America.
The franchise is known for its signature Jamaican patties, jerk chicken, curries, pastries, and traditional Caribbean meals. Golden Krust also operates its own manufacturing facility, producing millions of patties each week for its restaurants and retail partners. This vertical integration helps maintain product consistency and quality across all locations.
Golden Krust differentiates itself by offering a unique niche within the fast-casual and quick-service sector. The menu blends authentic island flavors with efficient, modern service, giving franchisees a strong positioning in markets seeking bold, diverse food options.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
Golden Krust provides a multi-phase training program for franchisees to ensure operational readiness and adherence to brand standards.
Golden Krust does not provide franchisees with an exclusive territory. Franchisees may face competition from other Golden Krust locations, company-owned outlets, or even other channels of distribution under the franchisor’s control within the same area.
The franchise is granted for a specific, franchisor-approved location only. The franchisor reserves broad rights, including selling through institutional or alternative channels such as schools, gas stations, and grocery stores, even inside a franchisee’s area. Franchisees are not compensated for sales made through these channels.
Additionally, while franchisees may accept orders from anywhere, using other distribution methods like the internet outside the assigned territory requires prior approval.
Below are some of
Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant
key competitors in the
Baked Goods
sector.

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Al Manakeesh is a Middle Eastern bakery-restaurant brand offering manakeesh flatbreads, shawarma, and Lebanese specialties, serving neighborhood diners and families, and known for freshly baked dough, traditional flavors, and casual, counter-service settings that highlight Levantine comfort food.
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