Great American Cookies franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.37 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$25,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

6% · 6% of total net sales, paid weekly (2nd Tuesday after each weekly accounting period ending Sunday)

Marketing contribution

2% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

Brand Technology System Support Services: $840-$1,500 per year mandatory, plus up to $3,250 per year optional; paid quarterly or on invoice

Other fees

Additional training reimbursement up to $1,500/week per person; Cookie Equipment Lease est. $360/year (if leased); minimum 24 cases of Cookie Ingredients per year ($15/case shortfall charge)

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Additional Funds (3 Months): $8,000 - $12,000 for Traditional Restaurant (employees, suppliers, utilities, etc.)

Fees sourceFDD p.25 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.37 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average and median net sales (plus food cost % and labor cost % of net sales) for open-12-months franchised U.S. restaurants; all Great American Cookies restaurants (standalone and co-branded)

Reporting period

January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024

Sample

256 of 395 restaurants (all GAC incl. co-branded); also 117 standalone, 120 Marble Slab co-brands, 19 Pretzelmaker co-brands

Reported average

$539,902

Reported median

$509,530

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.88 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2024

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

400

Year-end outlets

395

Net change

-5

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

18

Terminations

0

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

23

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

91

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.95 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

26 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$453,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

17 loans

Historical charge-off share

0.00%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

0 / 37

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Great American Cookies franchise cost?

Traditional Restaurant: $340,500 to $462,650; Non-Traditional Restaurant: $205,800 to $359,150; Satellite Restaurant: $166,850 to $263,811; Standard Co-Brand (Great American Cookies-Marble Slab Creamery) Restaurant: $496,185 to $654,635; Multi-Unit Restaurant Agreement (development fee + first franchise fee, etc.): $50,000 to $65,000 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $25,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.37 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Great American Cookies owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average and median net sales (plus food cost % and labor cost % of net sales) for open-12-months franchised U.S. restaurants; all Great American Cookies restaurants (standalone and co-branded). Sample: 256 of 395 restaurants (all GAC incl. co-branded); also 117 standalone, 120 Marble Slab co-brands, 19 Pretzelmaker co-brands. Period: January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.88 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Great American Cookies?

0.00%; numerator / denominator: 0 / 37. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $453,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 17 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗