Start a Great Harvest Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $168K - $984K

Units as of 2024: 159 11% over 3 years

Company Overview

Pete Wakeman had been baking bread most of his life. As a child, he would help his aunt. In high school, he baked for his friends. During summer vacations, he sold bread from the roadside. In 1976, when Wakeman heard about a bakery in Great Falls, Montana, that was going under, he bought it. With the help of his wife, Laura, Wakeman established the Great Harvest Bread Co. and set about baking loaves for people in the Great Falls community. Soon, people from neighboring communities started asking about setting up their own Great Harvest locations. The first franchise opened in Kalispell, Montana. In 1983, the Wakemans converted their Great Falls bakery into a franchise and moved company headquarters to Dillon, Montana, so they could concentrate on the franchising end of their business. Great Harvest bakeries serve a variety of breads each day including honey whole wheat, white cheddar garlic, sunflower and cranberry orange.

About Great Harvest

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Bakery Cafes, Baked Goods, Miscellaneous Baked Goods, Desserts
Founded	1976
Parent Company	Great Harvest Franchising Inc.
Leadership	Mike Ferretti, CEO
Corporate Address	28 S. Montana St. Dillon, MT 59725
Social	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1978 (46 years)
# of employees at HQ	30
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Australia/New Zealand, Middle East, Europe (Eastern), Europe (Western), Canada, South America
# of Units	159 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Great Harvest franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$35,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$168,262 - $984,154
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$150,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	15% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2.5%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Great Harvest has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	200 hours
Classroom Training	93 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes

Take our quick quiz to find your ideal franchise

Franchise 500 Ranking History

Compare where Great Harvest landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.

Additional Rankings

Curious to know where Great Harvest ranked on other franchise lists? Find out below.

Ranked #2 in Bakery Cafes in 2022

Top Food Franchises

Stay up to date on the latest news and trends affecting the franchise industry.

Related Franchises

Are you eager to see what else is out there? Browse franchises that are similar to Great Harvest.

Doner Shack

description: Mediterranean food

Request Info

Auntie Anne's

description: Soft pretzels

Learn More

Acai Express Superfood Bowls

description: Acai bowls, smoothies, juices, toast

Learn More

Pure Fitness

description: Fitness clubs

Request Info

Related Franchise Content

Catch up on the latest franchise news, trends, and more.

Franchise

These Are the Top New and Emerging Franchises of 2024 — And You Can Start One for Less Than $5,000

We evaluated new and emerging brands based on the same rigorous criteria used in the Franchise 500 process, analyzing more than 150 data points.

By Carl Stoffers

Franchise

Discover the Low-Risk, High Reward of Owning this Property Restoration Franchise

PuroClean offers multiple revenue streams with services related to water, fire, smoke, mold and biohazard damage.

By Matthew Goldstein

Franchise

McDonald's Announces the Return of the Snack Wrap in 2025 — Here's What to Expect From Its Comeback

The decision comes after years of persistent customer demand for the portable snack, which debuted nearly two decades ago.

By Carl Stoffers

Franchise

Ready to Own a Business? Check Out These 15 Franchises You Can Start For Under $25K

Looking for an inexpensive franchise to open? Explore the best franchises under $25k, according to the 2024 Franchise 500 Ranking.

By Clarissa Buch Zilberman

Franchise

Why Opening a Second Location Requires a Fresh Strategy (Even If Your First Was a Hit)

Here are some key points to consider before adding another location to your burgeoning multi-unit brand.

By Derrick Ableman, CFE

Franchise

Jeff's Bagel Run Offers a Dynamic, Rapidly Expanding Franchise Concept!

Jeff's Bagel Run franchisees provide their customers with a unique and high-quality product offering that includes bagels made from scratch and custom coffee programs.

By Matthew Goldstein

See more franchise content

Disclaimer

The information on this page is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any particular franchise or business opportunity by Entrepreneur Media. Our listings and rankings are solely research tools you can use to compare opportunities. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before investing in a franchise or business opportunity. That should include reviewing the company's legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to former and current franchisees/licensees/dealers.

Updated: December 12th, 2022

For reprints and licensing questions, click here.

Update Your Listing | Submit New Listing

Great Harvest

Company Overview

About Great Harvest

Business Overview

Information for Franchisees

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Financing Options

Training & Support Offered

Operations

Franchise 500 Ranking History

Additional Rankings

Sign Up for Our Franchise Newsletter

Related Franchises

Related Franchise Content