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Corner Bakery Cafe
Corner Bakery Cafe is a fast-casual restaurant franchise offering a limited menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner products featuring artisan breads, salads, sandwiches, soups, and baked goods. The business model centers on selling franchise and development agreements to qualified operators for single or multi-unit cafes, with initial investments ranging from $1.09 million to $2.41 million. It targets customers seeking convenient, high-quality cafe-style meals in a quick-service environment.
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Franchise Costs
5% royalty + 1.25% national marketing fund + $587/mo (technology $400 + online ordering $147 + LMS $40)
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
This franchise did not provide Item 19 financial performance data.
Be careful if you are interested in investing. The lack of financial performance representations may indicate limited data or varying results across franchises.
Extracted Item 19 Section
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Unlock financial performance dataCorner Bakery Cafe Franchise Analysis
Picture a Dallas-born fast-casual gem blending artisan breads with quick cafe meals, drawing crowds since the early 2000s—yet franchising since 2006 hasn't delivered steady expansion. SBA loan records and a noted bankruptcy history paint a picture of turbulence beneath the surface, while the absence of Item 19 leaves revenue details in the shadows. Can this corporate-backed brand rebound, or is contraction a warning sign for multi-unit dreams?
Item 7 in the 2025 FDD pegs initial investment at $1,090,000 to $2,335,000, covering build-out for these 2,500 sq ft cafes targeting urban and suburban spots. The $40,000 franchise fee unlocks development rights, but ongoing costs bite: 5% royalty plus 1.25% marketing fund, plus fixed $587 monthly tech fees. With only 32 franchise locations versus 67 corporate-owned, the system shrank from 37 franchised units in 2023 to 32 in 2024—a stark -14% drop signaling potential challenges in franchisee retention amid fast-casual competition from Sweetgreen or Panera.
No Item 19 disclosure means no official AUV or profit figures, forcing buyers to dig elsewhere—crucial in an industry where transparency builds trust. SBA data reveals just 7 loans averaging $1,289,471 but a troubling 14.3% default rate, higher than many peers, alongside confirmed bankruptcy history that underscores past financial strain under parent Best Cafe, LLC. Prospective buyers should probe recent FDD Items 20/21 for terminations/transfers, validate local market demand for premium salads and soups, scrutinize corporate support quality, and connect with existing franchisees on real-world margins before committing seven figures.
Analysis based on the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. All figures should be independently verified before making investment decisions.
How Corner Bakery Cafe Compares
Key Insights
- Higher investment than 93% of Fast Casual franchises
- Lower than average SBA loan default rate in Fast Casual
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Corner Bakery Cafe Current | $1.1M – $2.3M | $40K | 5.0% | 32 |
| Tropical Smoothie Cafe | $276K – $771K | $35K | 6.0% | 1,650 |
| TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ | $300K – $721K | $35K | 6.0% | 1,371 |
| FIREHOUSE SUBS RESTAURANTS (UNIT) | $405K – $1.6M | $20K | 6.0% | 1,249 |
| Zaxby's | $1.4M – $3.8M | $35K | 6.0% | 826 |
| Qdoba | $548K – $1.3M | $40K | 5.0% | 652 |
Fast Casual Average 107 franchises | $529K – $1.2M | $39K | 5.6% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 107 Fast Casual franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
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Unlock location growth dataSBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for Corner Bakery Cafe franchisees (2010 – 2017)
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.
7 SBA loans on record
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Unlock SBA loan historyFranchisee Contacts
32 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
32 Contacts Available
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Unlock contactsDue Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
CBC Restaurant Corp., Corner Bakery Holding Company, and CBC Cardco, Inc. filed Chapter 11 on March 1, 2023. Affiliates including Cici’s Holdings, Inc. et al. filed Chapter 11 on January 25, 2021, emerged March 10, 2021.
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
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Unlock due diligence reportsFrequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a Corner Bakery Cafe franchise ranges from $1,090,000 to $2,335,000. This includes a franchise fee of $40,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 5.0% of gross sales.
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