Bimbo Foods Bakeries DistributionFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution franchise requires a total initial investment of $14K – $607K, including a $8K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $14K – $607K
- 0th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 6,957
- 99th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Quick-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Franchising since 1996. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
63 legal cases disclosed in the FDD. Read Item 3 before signing.
Large franchise systems benefit from brand recognition, supply chain leverage, and proven operations.
Bottom line
- Total investment $14K – $607K including a $8K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 92/100.
- Bankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution, LLC
- Parent company
- Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc.
- Predecessor
- and Our Affiliates
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 355 Business Center Drive, Horsham, Pennsylvania 19044
- Auditor
- Mancera, S.C. (Ernst & Young Global Limited)
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $3.6B
- Most recent fiscal year
Independent franchisee associations
- National Owners Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- of BBUSA
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Franchisees operate as independent distributors for Bimbo Foods Bakeries, delivering branded baked goods to retail locations, managing inventory, restocking shelves, and handling customer service. Day-to-day operations involve route management, cold-calling retailers, managing accounts receivable, and maintaining product freshness compliance across protected territories.
- CEO
- Tony Gavin
- Headquarters
- PA
- Founded
- 1996
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 48
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 7 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Feenot refundable | $8K | $500K | |
| Additional Funds / Working Capital for General Operationsnot refundable | $2K | $7K | |
| Opening Inventory | $3K | $15K | |
| Vehiclenot refundable | $0 | $80K | |
| Hand-held Computer Ordering Systemnot refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Initial Insurance Coveragenot refundable | $500 | $1K | |
| Incorporation Services | $350 | $2K | |
| Total initial investment | $14K | $607K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $14K – $607K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $2K – $7K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $8K – $500K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- -n/d
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 19.8%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Technology fee | $19 |
| Transfer fee | $2 |
| Total fee load | 19.8% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 6,957
- Opened
- 2,968
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 142
- Turnover rate
- 2.0%
- Company-owned
- 503
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 93%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +1.1%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +4.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 352
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 7 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 3 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 3
- Loan volume
- N/A
- Amount data pending
- Median loan
- N/A
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
This is a high-risk opportunity with a franchisor in potential financial distress, substantial unresolved litigation, undisclosed financial metrics, and stagnant unit growth — avoid unless extensive independent validation is conducted.
Litigation (Item 3)
18 case reference(s): 1 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $452,343
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
Bankruptcy Code; (b) obtained a discharge of its debts under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code; (c) or was a principal officer of a company or general partner in a partnership that either filed as a debtor (or that had filed against it)a petition to start an action under U.S. Bankruptcy Code or that obtained
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Mancera, S.C. (Ernst & Young Global Limited)
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 92 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates the franchisor may have substantial doubt about ability to continue operations
- 02HIGHSignificant litigation involving misclassification, labor law violations, fraud, and deceptive trade practices suggests systemic operational or legal problems
- 03MEDExtreme investment range ($14K-$606K) with no disclosed average revenue or net income makes ROI assessment impossible
- 04MINORRoyalty fee structure unknown — hidden or variable fees could dramatically impact profitability
- 05MINORStagnant unit growth (1.1% YoY on 6,957 units) indicates system is barely expanding and may be declining when accounting for closures
- 06MINORNo Item 19 financial performance disclosure prevents validation of franchisee earnings claims
- 07HIGH$0 franchise fee combined with going concern status suggests franchisor may be desperate to recruit franchisees
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | Geographic Sales Area |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Pennsylvania |
| Litigation count | 63 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
18 case reference(s): 1 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and at franchisor location
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Hand-held computer ordering system
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Hand-held computer ordering system
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
100 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution franchise?
The total investment to open a Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution franchise ranges from $14K – $607K, with an initial franchise fee of $8K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution franchise owners earn?
Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution has 6,957 total units in the United States, including 6,194 franchised units and 503 company-owned units. 2,968 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 92 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Claim this brandOther Quick-Service Restaurants franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Quick-Service Restaurants category
Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.