Franopolis
    vsGH

    Franchise opportunities compared

    Great American Cookies vs Great Harvest

    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.

    Great American Cookies2024 FDDGHGreat Harvest2025 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Great American Cookies

    $205,800 – $484,650

    2024 FDD · Item 7

    Great Harvest

    $298,145 – $979,639

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Great American Cookies

    $0.00

    2024 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 23

    Great Harvest

    $35,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10

    Royalty · Item 6

    Great American Cookies

    6%

    2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24

    Great Harvest

    5%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11

    Before you compare

    • Great American Cookies figures come from its 2024 FDD and Great Harvest figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Great American Cookies and Great Harvest 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 (Great American Cookies: 7, Great Harvest: 11). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Great American Cookies

    $205,800 – $484,650
    2024 FDD · Item 7

    Great Harvest

    $298,145 – $979,639
    2025 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Great American Cookies

    $0.00
    2024 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 23

    Great Harvest

    $35,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Great American Cookies

    6%
    Royalty percentage of total net sales
    2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24

    Great Harvest

    5%
    Royalty fee: 5% of Gross Sales
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Great American Cookies

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

    Great Harvest

    $24
    Liquidated damages for default and termination: up to 24 months of Royalty Fees and Brand Fund Contributions
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Great American Cookies

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts

    Great Harvest

    214
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Great American Cookies

    Not available
    Only one year reported

    Great Harvest

    −8
    Calculated: 222 at end of 2022 → 214 at end of 2024
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Great American Cookies

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Great Harvest

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

    Great American Cookies

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Great Harvest

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

    Great American Cookies

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Great Harvest

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    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
    GHGreat Harvest
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Great Harvest Bakery Cafe franchised outlets, Hub and Spoke Operation, calendar…
    100 percent
    other Chart 3 hub-and-spoke average gross sales as percent of gross sales
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 41
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Great Harvest Bakery Cafe franchised Hubs, calendar year 2024
    $1,224,945
    other Chart 2 hub average gross sales
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 41
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Great Harvest Bakery Cafe franchised outlets, Single Site Operation, calendar y…
    100 percent
    other Chart 3 single-site median gross sales as percent of gross sales
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 41
    +8 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.

    Great American Cookies vs Great Harvest: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Great American Cookies or Great Harvest?
    Great American Cookies: $205,800 – $484,650 (2024 FDD · Item 7); Great Harvest: $298,145 – $979,639 (2025 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Great American Cookies. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Great American Cookies and Great Harvest royalties compare?
    Great American Cookies: 6% (2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24); Great Harvest: 5% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Great American Cookies and Great Harvest disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Great American Cookies has reviewed Item 19 figures for 7 location groups; Great Harvest has reviewed Item 19 figures for 11 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 Great American Cookies report

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

    GH

    Full Great Harvest report

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

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