Great Harvest

Bakery cafes

2023 Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Ranked #331 last year

See the Full List

Initial investment: $177K - $725K

Units as of 2022: 173 5% over 3 years

Jump to Franchising Overview

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
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 (45 years)
# of employees at HQ	30
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchisees throughout the US. This company is offering new franchisees in the following international regions: Australia/New Zealand, Middle East, Europe (Eastern), Canada
# of Units	173 (as of 2022)

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.	$176,678 - $725,431
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

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

Interested in ownership opportunities like Great Harvest? Request a free consultation with a Franchise Advisor now.

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.

CarePatrol

description: Senior living placement, referral, and consulting

Request Info

Barry Bagels Franchise Holdings

description: Bagels, soups, salads, sandwiches

Learn More

Hurts Donut Company

description: Doughnuts and coffee

Learn More

Stride

description: Indoor running studios

Request Info

Unlocking Growth — The Power of KPIs in Driving Franchise Brand Success

Why it's critical to track your franchise goals and objectives.

By Stephen Galligan

Franchise

Free Webinar | November 8: Unlocking Financial Freedom: The Side-Hustle Franchise Path

Your aspirations to have an additional source of income can become a reality as a side-hustle business owner — and this free webinar will show you exactly how to do it. Register now →

By Entrepreneur Staff

Franchise

The 8 Things Franchise Investors Want to See in Your Business

If you're looking for investors, these are the 8 things they are looking for in your franchise business.

By Kenny Rose

Business News

This Founder Walked-On to a Top College Basketball Team in the '90s. Today, He and Drew Brees Are Bringing the 'Walk-On Mentality' to Franchising.

Brandon Landry was so determined to play college basketball that he walked-on — tried out with no scholarship and made the team — at a major program. He's brought that same determination to the franchise business with Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux.

By Carl Stoffers

Franchise

Franchise Legalese Defined — A Deep Dive Into Franchising Definitions

Before you can decide if you should franchise, find out exactly what you're getting yourself into.

By Mark Siebert

Business News

Opening a New McDonald's Franchise Will Be More Expensive in 2024

Starting January 1, franchise royalty fees will rise from 4% to 5% for new locations in the U.S. and Canada.

By Madeline Garfinkle

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