Founded in 1977 on the strength of an old family chocolate chip cookie recipe, Great American Cookies has set the standard for gourmet cookie sales in a fun, celebratory environment. For more than 35 years, we have stayed true to our vision of baking the best cookies ever made and sharing the fun of cookies with customers around the world. By producing proprietary cookie dough exclusively from our plant in Atlanta, we maintain the heritage and integrity of our products, as well as controlling cost of goods for our franchisees.
Ideal Candidate
While our franchisees don't need prior food experience, we are looking for business-savvy candidates with the ability to control the financial back-end of the business and hire a smiling, energetic staff to create a great customer experience. In addition to meeting the minimum financial requirements, ideal candidates are community-oriented with a desire to drive local marketing initiatives within the community, they are engaged in the business, have an entrepreneurial spirit, and are team players who will follow the system and engage with other owners. You don't have to love eating cookies, but you need to be excited about sharing the fun of cookies!
FAQ's
Q: What is the typical size and location of a store?
A: The typical size of a Great American Cookies is between 500 and 900 square feet. We also have a kiosk program to expand your store's reach. Kiosks average 250 square feet. We find that areas such as regional malls, outlet centers, lifestyle centers, and entertainment complexes make excellent locations.
Q: Can I own more than one Great American Cookies location?
A: Definitely! The low start-up costs and simple operation make it easy to own multiple Great American Cookies stores. More than half of our franchisees are multi-unit operators who have taken advantage of the scalability of the brand.
Q: How long will it take to open my store?
A: From the time you contact us with interest in Great American Cookies, expect to spend 30-60 days in our Discovery Process, at the end of which we will award a franchise if the fit is right for both sides. We pride ourselves on getting stores open as quickly as possible after franchise agreement signing. At that point, our average time to secure a location, sign a lease, and get the store open is 181 days.
Q: What is the franchise fee and royalty structure?
A: The first store franchise fee is $30,000, after which we have a tiered structure of lowered fees for existing franchisees. The franchise fee covers use of our trademarks, proprietary recipes and systems, initial training, real estate assistance in selecting and negotiating a site, and construction project management to get your store built and open at the lowest possible cost.
The ongoing royalty is 6% plus 1.5% marketing fund contribution. This covers all ongoing support from a dedicated franchise business consultant, online training and webinars, research and development of new products, marketing materials, media placement, and public relations campaigns.
Q: Do you honor U.S. military veteran's discount?
A: We are proud to participate in the VetFran Program and find that military veterans make excellent franchisees. We invite military veterans to consider becoming a part of our system by offering the Great American Patriot Program – a 25% discount off the first store franchise fee.
Q: How do I take the first steps?
A: Once you fill out the request form to receive more information, you will receive an email that includes a link to our comprehensive Online Brochure. You will also receive a call from the Development Manager for your area, to discuss your business goals and answer any initial questions you have about the business model.
Financial Requirements
Interested candidates should have $100,000 available in order to qualify for this opportunity.
- Liquid Capital Required: $100,000
- Net Worth Required: $250,000
- Total Estimated Investment: $180,000 - $280,000
Take advantage of this sweet opportunity today! Learn more now!