Great Harvest

Great Harvest Franchise FDD, Costs & Fees (2025)

Great Harvest is a bakery franchise that specializes in freshly baked bread, using whole grains and high-quality ingredients, offering a wide selection of artisanal bread and baked goods, providing wholesome and flavorful options for bread lovers.

Since its inception in 1978, Great Harvest Bread Company has distinguished itself in the bakery café franchise world. The journey began with the opening of the second Great Harvest bakery in Kalispell, Montana, and the franchise quickly expanded beyond its Montana roots.

Today, it stands as the nation's first family of independently owned and operated whole grain bread bakeries and cafes.

Headquartered in Dillon, Montana, Great Harvest remains true to its core values of authenticity, camaraderie, and individuality. These principles resonate with people across the country.

The company’s franchising model is unique, promoting local ownership and community integration rather than a standardized approach. Franchisees are encouraged to adopt the company’s successful systems while adding their local touch to the business.

Initial investment

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.

Type of Expenditure Amount
Initial Franchise Fee $35,000
Your Training Expenses $2,049 - $10,300
Premises Deposits $4,500 - $7,000
Leasehold Improvements $102,377 - $474,762
Signage $4,059 - $15,321
Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment $84,785 - $315,000
Computer Systems $9,000 - $15,000
Initial Inventory $10,000 - $26,586
Grand Opening Marketing $15,000
Professional Fees $2,250 - $10,000
Licenses and Permits $500 - $2,500
Insurance $3,000 - $5,000
Additional Funds – 3 months $25,625 - $48,170
TOTAL (excluding tenant improvement allowance) $298,145 - $979,639
TOTAL PROJECT COST* $298,145 - $854,639

Franchise Disclosure Document

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Competitors

Below are some of

Great Harvest

key competitors in the

Baked Goods

sector.

Started franchising
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Franchise fee

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Royalty fee

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Investment

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Revenue (AUV)

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Gross Profit

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EBITDA

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Home-based

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Passive investment

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FDD
Great Harvest
1978
159
+
-6%
-6%
$35,000
5.00%

$298,000

-

$980,000

n.a.

$823,000

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

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16.1%

n.a.

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No
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No
No
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No
2006
154
+
-7%
-7%
$30,000
n.a.

$37,000

-

$186,000

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n.a.

$0

n.a.

n.a.

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n.a.

n.a.

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1998
24
+
-14%
-14%
$25,000
6.00%

$122,000

-

$339,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$0

n.a.

n.a.

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n.a.

n.a.

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2004
146
+
-3%
-3%
$35,000
6.00%

$135,000

-

$407,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$471,000

74.0%

n.a.

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n.a.

n.a.

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No
Upgrade
No
Yes
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Yes
2023
0
+
n.a.
n.a.
$55,000
6.00%

$235,000

-

$712,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$579,000

76.0%

n.a.

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n.a.

n.a.

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No
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No
No
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No
2021
1
+
n.a.
n.a.
$40,000
6.00%

$660,000

-

$1,021,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$3,145,000

63.3%

n.a.

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n.a.

n.a.

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No
Upgrade
No
No
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No
2006
32
+
-18%
-18%
$40,000
5.00%

$1,090,000

-

$2,335,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
Upgrade
Upgrade

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Total investment

?

Revenue (AUV)

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Revenue growth (last 3 years)

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Profit margin

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Franchise Disclosure Documents
Advanced filtering and sorting
Watchlist

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Priority support

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A comprehensive and transparent look at franchising finances. The inclusion of profit margins and disclosure documents offers insights you can’t find elsewhere. Essential for anyone considering a franchise investment.

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Franchisee

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Training 

Great Harvest offers a comprehensive training program to franchisees, ensuring they are well-equipped to manage their bakery cafes in line with the company's high standards and procedures.

Initial Training Program Franchisees receive two training slots as part of the initial program. This includes completing the self-directed, self-paced Great Harvest University (GHU) online coursework, which provides foundational knowledge for running a successful bakery cafe.

Baking Fundamentals School A key component of the training is the "Baking Fundamentals School," a five-day intensive production training held in Dillon, Montana. This program covers all aspects of bread making and cafe item production, ensuring franchisees master the techniques and principles essential to Great Harvest products.

On-Site Training Franchisees also benefit from hands-on training at their bakery cafe locations. This practical training is conducted by seasoned franchisees, experienced bakery cafe employees, and corporate staff. It encompasses daily operations, customer service, marketing strategies, and employee management, providing franchisees with real-world experience and personalized guidance.

Territory Protection

Great Harvest provides franchisees with exclusive territorial rights, ensuring that each Great Harvest store maintains a healthy distance from others. Once a franchisee secures a suitable location for their Bakery Cafe within their Exclusive Search Territory and completes a lease or building purchase, Great Harvest establishes an Exclusive Franchise Territory around that site.

The Exclusive Franchise Territory is intentionally smaller than the Exclusive Search Territory, which primarily serves as a broader area for franchisees to identify potential sites for their Bakery Cafe.

Great Harvest guarantees not to establish or franchise another Great Harvest store within the physical location of a franchisee's Exclusive Franchise Territory. However, it is important to note that this commitment does not extend to restricting all business activities of Great Harvest and its affiliates.

Number of units

2025
Franchised units

169

160

159

Company-owned units

1

1

0

Total units

170

161

159

Competitors

Aunt Millies Bakeries

Franchisees

?

154
+
-7%
-7%
Investment

?

$37,000 - $186,000

The Pretzel Twister

Franchisees

?

24
+
-14%
-14%
Investment

?

$122,000 - $339,000

Philly Pretzel Factory

Franchisees

?

146
+
-3%
-3%
Investment

?

$135,000 - $407,000

Bang Cookies

Franchisees

?

0
+
n.a.
n.a.
Investment

?

$235,000 - $712,000

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