House of Bread franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a House of Bread franchise takes $90,000 – $148,000 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $5,000 – $10,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 2%. To qualify, House of Bread asks for $150,000 in liquid cash and a $500,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
House of Bread franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $5,000 | $10,000 | $5,000 to $10,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $90,000 | $148,000 | $90,000 to $148,000 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $150,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $90,000 | $148,000 | $90,000 to $148,000 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 2% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full House of Bread cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How House of Bread's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where House of Bread's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $90,000 — about 68% below the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $5,000 — about 86% below the Food & Beverage median of $35,000.
Category medians are computed from the Food & Beverage brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Food & Beverage franchises
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How House of Bread's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2016: began the window at 6 units; 3 units opened, 2 closed, ending at 7 units.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for House of Bread or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask House of Bread for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether House of Bread is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether House of Bread grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only House of Bread can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the House of Bread franchise
House of Bread is a food & beverage franchisor with 7 units at the end of 2016 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2016, it began the window at 6 units; its filings record 3 unit openings and 2 closures, ending at 7 units. Its parent company is House of Bread Franchising, Inc. The filings indicate financing options are available; terms come from the franchisor, not from us.
No franchise-related lawsuits reported in the disclosure data we hold (FDD Item 3, as of 2026-05) — an absence in our sources, not a guarantee; confirm against the brand's current FDD.
From the franchisor's materials
HOB franchises or authorizes you to use the trademarks of and to operate a House of Bread Bakery Cafe A House of Bread Bakery Cafe franchise provides specialty bread products and sandwiches through a uniform system consisting of high standards for service, use of quality ingredients, and under the business format created and developed by HOB A House ofBread Bakery Cafe caters not only to the health conscious consumer but also to people who are most concerned with flavorful baked goods and sandwiches The House ofBread junior concept is a smaller location where only the cinnamon rolls are baked on the premises The bread that is sold at the junior store is baked at the senior House ofBread location The Brew House concept within a House ofBread, is small pub area, with a few beers on tap, and shared seating with House ofBread The Brew House also has high end micro-brews sold to go The idea is to create a synergy of sales between the Brew House and House ofBread, people having a sandwich and will want a high end beer and vice versa You will have to compete with other franchised operations, national chains and independently owned companies offering freshly baked bread and sandwiches
House of Bread franchise: quick answers
- How much does a House of Bread franchise cost?
- $90,000 – $148,000 all-in to open, per House of Bread's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many House of Bread units are there?
- 7 units at the end of 2016 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have House of Bread's units held up?
- 87.5% of units at risk between 2014 and 2016 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).