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For people with a passion for baking, the ultimate dream is owning a bakery. Immersing in the incredible aromas of freshly baked bread, cookies, pies, and other baked goods all day is delectable. However, developing a bakery brand can be tricky. Because of this, passionate bakers often look for bakery franchises for sale to take advantage of that sweet, sweet brand recognition.
It’s the best of both worlds: bakers get to bake fabulous recipes and are assured their bakery will get noticed. What are the best bakery franchises for sale? Let’s look at the top 5 bakery franchises for sale, and you can decide if they’re the investment for you!
Perkins® Restaurant & Bakery
The first bakery franchise for sale on our list is Perkins® Restaurant & Bakery. This legacy brand has been in business since 1958 and knows its stuff. What makes this bakery one of the best franchises—aside from its incredible track record, with nearly 300 locations across the U.S.—is that Perkins® is one of the few stand-alone bakeries for sale. The franchise model is incredibly flexible with non-traditional locations, embracing venues that may be a lower investment up front.
To purchase a Perkins® Restaurant & Bakery franchise for sale, investors can expect:
- Initial investment range between $1,183,715 and $3,290,465
- Franchise fee of $40,000 (included in the investment range estimate)
- A standard term agreement of 20 years
Nothing Bundt Cakes
This bakery franchise for sale originated in Las Vegas in 1997, selling miniature bundt cakes for a modern spin on a bakery classic. Since then, Nothing Bundt Cakes has grown to over 500 locations across the U.S. and Canada.
Nothing Bundt Cakes prefers franchise owners with business management experience, particularly in the restaurant industry. While this isn’t a steep ask, when combined with their financial requirements, it does weed out quite a few investors looking for more affordable investments.
To join the Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise brand, entrepreneurs can anticipate:
- An initial investment estimate is between $483,600 and $699,700
- A franchise fee of $35,000 (which is included in the investment estimate)
- Financial qualification requirements of $250,000 liquid capital and a minimum net worth of $750,00
Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
Auntie Anne’s Pretzels was founded in 1988 with a small vendor’s stall at a Pennsylvania farmer’s market, selling hand-rolled pretzels and lemonade. It was a way for the eponymous Anne to supplement her husband’s dream of providing free family counseling to their community.
Auntie Anne’s has come a long way as a global brand known for fresh, soft pretzels. The franchise model is popular in malls as either kiosk or in-line venues, and they often can be paired with other brands similarly owned by their parent company, Focus Brands.
Only two states in the U.S., Wyoming and Maine, are without any Auntie Anne’s bakery franchises for sale.
To open an Auntie Anne’s Pretzel franchise, an investor can expect:
- An investment estimate to range between $148,575 and $572,100
- A franchise fee, which is included in the initial investment total, is $35,000
- A variable franchise term, depending on which type of franchise-style chosen
- Qualified investors must have a minimum net worth of $300,000 and liquid capital available of $120,000
Cinnabon
Cinnabon burst on the bakery scene in 1985 with a cinnamon roll the father-and-son founders spent months and hundreds of attempts perfecting. Satisfied they had the perfect cinnamon confection, they opened in SeaTac Mall in Seattle, and customers immediately fell in love.
The menu and number of locations have expanded, and Cinnabon bakery franchises are for sale to interested entrepreneurs. To date, the numbers are:
- Initial investment ranges between $$232,400 and $621,400 for a traditional build-out
- A franchise fee, which is included in the initial investment estimate, of $30,000
- Qualified investors must have a minimum net worth of $300,000 and liquid capital of $120,000
Cinnabon is also owned by Focus Brands, the same parent company that oversees Auntie Anne’s and several other franchises. Cinnabon franchises come in the same franchise styles as Auntie Anne’s—kiosks, in-line mall venues, combo locations, and full bakeries.
Crumbl Cookies
When two cousins set out to find the perfect milk chocolate chip cookie, it turned out, they had to create it. As far as bakery franchises for sale go, Crumbl Cookies is a brand new one, having only been founded in 2017. However, it’s exploded onto the restaurant scene with over 800 new locations in the U.S. and Canada in just a few years.
If you’re interested in opening a Crumbl Cookies in the U.S., it doesn’t look promising. Their website has every state blocked out as unavailable. However, they’re still advertising that they’re looking for owners who are ready to put the apron on and get their hands deep in the cookie batter.
So how do you know if you’re Crumbl Cookie material? If you like these numbers:
- The investment range is between $367,666 and $1,404,333
- The franchise fee, which is included in the estimated initial investment, is $50,000
- To qualify, you must have a minimum of $150,000 in liquid capital and a minimum net worth of $300,000
Investing in One of the Best Bakery Franchises for Sale
When considering the bakery franchises for sale to choose one for investment, consider the following factors to determine if it’s the right bakery franchise for you:
- Does the company have a good reputation and track record?
- Does the brand’s culture match the energy of the bakery business you’d like to open?
- Are the numbers speaking to the investment savvy you’ve developed as a business person and entrepreneur?
- Do the products align with the type of bakery you’d like to open? Is the menu limited to one item when you’d hoped to serve many kinds of baked goods, and if so, is that going to make you happy?
- Does the brand have the opportunity for you to grow with your investment and potentially become a multi-unit owner, or make new investments with them in the future?
If the answer to these questions points you toward the Perkins® Restaurant & Bakery franchise for sale, where we’re “Serving Kindness Daily,” contact us to learn how you can become the next Perkins® franchise owner today!