T.J. Cinnamons vs Great Harvest Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of T.J. Cinnamons vs Great Harvest including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
T.J. Cinnamons Franchise
Great Harvest Franchise
Investment $22,100 - $39,200$69,613 - $704,873
Franchise Fee $5,000$35,000
Royalty Fee Varies5%
Advertising Fee -2.5%
Year Founded 19851976
Year Franchised 19851978
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Renewal Fee Then-current franchise fee-


Business Experience Requirements
 
T.J. Cinnamons Franchise
Great Harvest Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills

  • General business experience
    		•

    Financing Options
     
    T.J. Cinnamons Franchise
    Great Harvest Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/NoNo/Yes
    Start-up Costs No/NoNo/Yes
    Equipment No/NoNo/Yes
    Inventory No/NoNo/No
    Receivables No/NoNo/No
    Payroll No/NoNo/No

    Training & Support
     
    T.J. Cinnamons Franchise
    Great Harvest Franchise
    Training Training program provided through manualOn-The-Job Training: 120 hours Classroom Training: 120 hours Additional Training: When necessary
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesMeetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform
    Marketing Ad slicksAd Templates Regional Advertising Social media Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
    Operations

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed.

    		 10% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 5 - 7

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    Expansion Plans
     
    T.J. Cinnamons Franchise
    Great Harvest Franchise
    US Expansion -Yes
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion NoYes

    Company Overviews

    About T.J. Cinnamons

    When Ted and Joyce Rice first started selling cinnamon rolls at state fairs and rodeos, they were just looking to make some extra money and add to their retirement fund. Yet the demand for their sticky product was so great they were forced to turn their parttime venture into a fulltime T.J. Cinnamons bakery in Kansas City. The company began franchising and grew to nearly 250 locations in the late 1980s. But by the mid-'90s a declining economy, lower traffic, and inexperienced operators left only 47 bakeries operating. Arby's parent company acquired the business in 1996 and has since revived the bakery concept to be an add-on business that can be combined with any existing restaurant.

    About Great Harvest

    Pete Wakeman had been baking bread most of his life. As a child, he would help his aunt. In high school, he baked for his friends. During summer vacations, he sold bread from the roadside. In 1976, when Wakeman heard about a bakery in Great Falls, Montana, that was going under, he bought it. With the help of his wife, Laura, Wakeman established the Great Harvest Bread Co. and set about baking loaves for people in the Great Falls community. Soon, people from neighboring communities starting asking about setting up their own Great Harvest locations. The first franchise opened in Kalispell, Montana. In 1983, the Wakemans converted their Great Falls bakery into a franchise and moved company headquarters to Dillon, Montana, so they could concentrate on the franchising end of their business. Great Harvest bakeries serve a variety of breads each day including honey whole wheat, white cheddar garlic, sunflower and cranberry orange.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Great Harvest bakery cafe franchise in a “Hub” location is $144,100 to $704,873. This includes $35,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.
    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Great Harvest bakery cafe franchise in a “Spoke” location is $69,613 to $447,536. This includes $15,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.
    If you want development rights, you must pay the franchisor a development fee equal to the full initial franchise fee for the first bakery cafe ($35,000) plus a deposit of $7,500 (of the $15,000 initial franchise fee) for each additional bakery cafe you agree to develop. The total investment necessary to begin operation if you acquire development rights is $151,600 to $712,373. This includes $42,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.
    Veteran Incentives  15% off franchise fee
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