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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Auntie Anne's vs Great American Cookies

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Auntie Anne's2026 FDDGreat American Cookies2024 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Auntie Anne's

    $115,225 – $1,811,400

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Great American Cookies

    $205,800 – $484,650

    2024 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Auntie Anne's

    $4,800

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29

    Great American Cookies

    $0.00

    2024 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 23

    Royalty · Item 6

    Auntie Anne's

    7%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 30

    Great American Cookies

    6%

    2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24

    Before you compare

    • Auntie Anne's figures come from its 2026 FDD and Great American Cookies figures from its 2024 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Auntie Anne's and Great American Cookies disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Auntie Anne's: 7, Great American Cookies: 7). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Auntie Anne's

    $115,225 – $1,811,400
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Great American Cookies

    $205,800 – $484,650
    2024 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Auntie Anne's

    $4,800
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29

    Great American Cookies

    $0.00
    2024 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 23
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Auntie Anne's

    7%
    Royalty fee — standard Shops current percentage
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 30

    Great American Cookies

    6%
    Royalty percentage of total net sales
    2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Auntie Anne's

    2%
    Advertising contribution — Co-Branded Shops, Auntie Anne’s share — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    Great American Cookies

    4%
    National Advertising Fund contribution maximum — 4%
    2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 25

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Auntie Anne's

    1,236
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 95

    Great American Cookies

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Auntie Anne's

    +80
    Calculated: 1,156 at end of 2023 → 1,236 at end of 2025

    Great American Cookies

    Not available
    Only one year reported
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Auntie Anne's

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Great American Cookies

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Auntie Anne's

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Great American Cookies

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Auntie Anne's

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Great American Cookies

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Auntie Anne's
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Enclosed Mall Franchises
    $638,196
    other Enclosed Mall franchises
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 91
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Cinnabon Co-Branded Franchises
    $977,242
    other Cinnabon Co-Branded franchises
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 93
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Outlet Center Franchises
    $1,005,518
    other Outlet Center franchises
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 92
    +4 more groups in the full report
    Great American Cookies
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Great American Cookies-only and Great American Cookies restaurants co-branded w…
    157 units
    other all restaurants
    2024 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 90
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Great American Cookies-only U.S. franchised restaurants; full calendar year 2023
    1,853,981 $
    other standalone
    2024 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 93
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — U.S. franchised restaurants with Marble Slab Creamery co-branded operations; co…
    65,000 $
    other Marble Slab co-branded
    2024 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 90
    +4 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Auntie Anne's vs Great American Cookies: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Auntie Anne's or Great American Cookies?
    Auntie Anne's: $115,225 – $1,811,400 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Great American Cookies: $205,800 – $484,650 (2024 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Auntie Anne's. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Auntie Anne's and Great American Cookies royalties compare?
    Auntie Anne's: 7% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 30); Great American Cookies: 6% (2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Auntie Anne's and Great American Cookies disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Auntie Anne's has reviewed Item 19 figures for 7 location groups; Great American Cookies has reviewed Item 19 figures for 7 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Auntie Anne's report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Great American Cookies report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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