Great American Cookies

Cookies, cookie cakes, brownies
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2025 Franchise 500 Rank
#246 Ranked #274 last year
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Initial investment
$309K - $485K
Units as of 2024
412 Increase 9.0% over 3 years

Company Overview

Great American Cookies opened its first store in Atlanta's Perimeter Mall in 1977. From one family chocolate cookie recipe, it added a complete line of cookies and brownies and began franchising in 1978. In addition to regular cookies, most stores feature large plate- or pan-sized cookies with personalized messages for parties or special occasions.
Great American Cookies is part of Global Franchise Group, which also franchises Pretzelmaker, Marble Slab Creamery, and MaggieMoo's.

About Great American Cookies

Industry Food
Related Categories Cookies, Baked Goods, Miscellaneous Baked Goods, Desserts
Founded 1977
Parent Company FAT Brands Inc.
Leadership Taylor Wiederhorn, Chief Development Officer
Corporate Address 9720 Wilshire Blvd., #500
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since 1977 (48 years)
# of employees at HQ 335
Where seeking

This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.

This company is offering new franchises worldwide.

# of Units 412 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Great American Cookies franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Information Circle
$25,000
Initial Investment Information Circle
$308,500 - $484,650
Net Worth Requirement Information Circle
$1,500,000
Cash Requirement Information Circle
$500,000
Royalty Fee Information Circle
6%
Ad Royalty Fee Information Circle
4%
Term of Agreement Information Circle
15 years
Is franchise term renewable? Yes
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Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing Great American Cookies has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training 37 hours
Classroom Training 2.5 hours
Ongoing Support
Purchasing Co-ops
Newsletter
Meetings & Conventions
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security & Safety Procedures
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support
Ad Templates
National Media
Regional Advertising
Social Media
Website Development
Email Marketing
Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed? No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Information Circle
No
Can this franchise be run part time? Information Circle
No
Are exclusive territories available? Information Circle
Yes
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Franchise 500 Ranking History

Compare where Great American Cookies landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.

Additional Rankings

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Disclaimer
The information on this page is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any particular franchise or business opportunity by Entrepreneur Media. Our listings and rankings are solely research tools you can use to compare opportunities. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before investing in a franchise or business opportunity. That should include reviewing the company's legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to former and current franchisees/licensees/dealers.
Updated: December 12th, 2022