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BLACK BEAR DINER

BLACK BEAR DINER

Black Bear Diner franchises operate casual, family-style restaurants offering huge portions of signature entrees at affordable prices with a high perceived value, typically in free-standing buildings or remodeled spaces featuring a rustic black bear theme and a small gift shop selling themed merchandise. The business model grants single-unit franchises or area development agreements for multiple locations, requiring adherence to specific operating standards, trade dress, and quality control programs. They target families and value-conscious diners in competitive restaurant markets affected by economic conditions, population density, and seasonal factors.

97
Locations
$1496K–$2239K
Investment
Since 2002
Franchising
Download FDD
Food & BeverageRedding, CAwww.blackbeardiner.comDisclaimer

Franchise Costs

Franchise Fee
$55,000
Item 5 of FDD
Initial Investment Range
$1,495,700 – $2,238,600
Low: $1,495,700High: $2,238,600
Item 7 of FDD
Royalty Rate
4.50%
of gross sales
Brand Fund
1.00%
Item 6 of FDD
Fixed Monthly Fees
$450 – $2,735
Item 6 of FDD

4.5% royalty + 1% marketing fund (up to 3%) + $450-$2,735/mo software/tech fees (merchant processing, waitlist, Olo, software licenses)

Financial Performance

Item 19 Financial Performance

Average Gross Revenue
$0
Median Gross Revenue
$0
EBITDA Margin
0%
Top Quartile Revenue
$0
Bottom Quartile Revenue
$0
Average Gross Profit
$0
Average EBITDA
$0

Data Based On: 88 franchised restaurants open and operating during the full 2025 fiscal year, categorized into Top 3rd, Middle 3rd, and Bottom 3rd segments.

* Average gross revenue for franchised units was calculated as a weighted average: (29 units * $3,723,198 + 30 units * $2,702,799 + 29 units * $2,040,150) / 88 total units = $2,820,693.89. Median gross revenue is directly from the 'All' row. Top and bottom quartile revenues are from the 'Top 3rd' and 'Bottom 3rd' average sales respectively. Average gross profit was estimated by applying the company-affiliated average COGS percentage (28.1% from page 4) to the franchised average gross revenue. Average EBITDA was estimated by starting with the company-affiliated average 4-Wall EBITDA percentage (12.0% from page 4) and subtracting the average franchisee-specific expenses (Royalties 4.5%, Marketing Fund 1.0%, Local Advertising 1.0% for a total of 6.5% from page 5), resulting in an estimated franchisee EBITDA margin of 5.5%. This percentage was applied to the franchised average gross revenue. The best guess profit range (low and high) was derived by adjusting the company-affiliated highest (22.7%) and lowest (-7.1%) 4-Wall EBITDA percentages (page 4) by the fixed franchisee-specific expenses (6.5%) and applying these adjusted percentages to the franchised average gross revenue.

Extracted Item 19 Section

How BLACK BEAR DINER Compares

Key Insights

  • Top 10 largest franchise system in Casual Dining
  • Higher than average SBA loan default rate in Casual Dining
FranchiseInvestmentFeeRoyaltyLocations
BLACK BEAR DINER
Current
$1.5M – $2.2M$55K4.5%97
IHOP & INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES$1.8M – $4.5M$69KN/A1,703
BUFFALO WILD WINGS$2.5M – $4.9M$25K5.0%549
GOLDEN CORRAL STEAKS, BUFFET & BAKERY$2.1M – $8.5M$50K4.0%352
GOLDEN CORRAL$2.2M – $8.7M$50K4.0%348
ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE (THE)$483K – $1.7M$60K2.0%146
Casual Dining Average
44 franchises
$1.5M – $3.5M$43K4.6%–

* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 44 Casual Dining franchises by location count.

Locations & Growth

Outlet Growth Over Time

Total outlets at end of each year

Geographic Distribution (2025)

Outlets by state across the United States

Top States
1CA
54
2OR
11
3WA
6
4CO
6
5UT
5
6TX
5
7NV
4
8AZ
3
9KS
1
10IL
1
11ID
1
12MT
0

SBA Loan History

Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for BLACK BEAR DINER franchisees (2013 – 2024)

Total Loans
24
Average Loan
$1,220,033
Total Volume
$29.3M
Default Rate
0.0%

Loans by Year

SBA 7(a) loan activity over time

* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.

Franchisee Contacts

104 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.

NameSBA Loan
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active

104 Contacts Available

Unlock all BLACK BEAR DINER franchisee contacts with verified contact information

Due Diligence

Litigation (Item 3)

Franchisee Cases0
No litigation involving franchisees reported

Bankruptcy (Item 4)

Bankruptcy HistoryNo
No bankruptcy history reported

System Health (Item 20)

Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year

Terminations
0
Non-Renewals
0
Reacquired
0
Ceased Ops
2
Transfers
N/A
Sold to Franchisees
0
Projected New
5

Frequently Asked Questions

The total initial investment to open a BLACK BEAR DINER franchise ranges from $1,495,700 to $2,238,600. This includes a franchise fee of $55,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 4.5% of gross sales.

Download BLACK BEAR DINER FDD

Complete Franchise Disclosure Document — 2026 filing.

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