House of Bread

Specialty breads, muffins, scones

Background

Founded: 1996 Franchising since: 1998
After spending six years as a lawyer, Sheila McCann decided to do something different with her life. At Harvard Business School, she researched several business ideas before settling on a bread bakery. McCann had fond memories of baking with her grandmother as a child in Montana. Inspired by her grandmother's spirit of independence and endurance, she founded House of Bread in San Luis Obispo in 1996.

The company targets its specialty breads to young professionals, health-conscious consumers and baby boomers looking to increase fiber in their diets. House of Bread lets customers sample its healthful, whole-grain breads and watch the bread being made. All stores feature on-site milling.

858 Higuera St.
San Luis Obispo, California 93401

Phone:
(800)545-5146

Franchisor is a privately-held company with 18 employee(s); 4 employee(s) in franchise department.

Franchise Growth

Year	U.S. Franchises	Canadian Franchises	Foreign Franchises	Company Owned
2008	7	0	0	1
2007	7	0	0	1
2006	8	0	0	1
2005	9	0	0	1

Where Seeking Franchisees
In the U.S. Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North carolina, North dakota, New hampshire, New jersey, New mexico, Nevada, New york, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode island, South carolina, South dakota, Tennessee, Texas, United states, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West virginia, Wyoming

Exclusive territories available.
Territory size: 100,000 population

Costs and Fees

Total investment: $157K-347K
Franchise fee: $32K

Ongoing royalty fee: 6%
Term of agreement: 10 years, renewable

Type of Financing Available

	In-House	Third Party
Franchise Fee	No	No
Startup Costs	No	No
Equipment	No	No
Inventory	No	No
Accounts Receivable	No	No
Payroll	No	No

Qualifications
Net worth requirement: $300K
Cash liquidity requirement: $100K
Business Experience:

General business experience

Operations

25% of all franchisees own more than one unit
Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 8
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)