Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLCFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC franchise requires a total initial investment of $100K – $286K, including a $100K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $100K – $286K
- 9th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 162
- 79th 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
Franchised units fell from 161 to 160 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $100K – $286K including a $100K franchise fee.
- Item 19 discloses "net_sales" rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 60/100.
- Item 19 reports "net_sales" instead of annual gross sales. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- FLOWERS BAKING CO. OF NORFOLK, LLC
- Parent company
- Flowers Foods, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- VA
- HQ
- 1209 Corprew Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia 23504
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $5.1B
- vs $5.1B prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate retail bakery storefronts selling Flowers Baking Co. branded bread, pastries, and baked goods. Day-to-day operations include inventory management, point-of-sale transactions, staff supervision, and in-store product displays. Most units appear to be small-format locations with limited production capacity.
- CEO
- Linda Smith
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 2000
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 5
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 7 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50K | $150K | |
| Business Licenses, Incorporation Fees, Other Prepaid Expensesnot refundable | $0 | $2K | |
| Additional Funds / Three Monthsnot refundable | $3K | $4K | |
| Opening Inventorynot refundable | $5K | $30K | |
| Vehicle(s)not refundable | $0 | $100K | |
| Initial Insurance Coveragenot refundable | $40 | $100 | |
| Processing Feenot refundable | $500 | $500 | |
| Total initial investment | $58K | $286K |
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
- $100K – $286K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $3K – $4K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $150K
- Below avg, review vs category
- Royalty
- -n/d
- Ad fund
- -n/d
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee | $25 |
Financial Performance
This brand's FDD disclosed "net_sales" in Item 19 rather than annual gross sales. This metric cannot be directly compared across brands, so we omit it from rankings.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 162
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +0.6%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -0.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 11
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 5 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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
This is a struggling bakery franchise system with severe growth stagnation, undisclosed financials, going concern warnings, and a cost structure that appears misaligned with disclosed revenue potential.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
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: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 60 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHGoing concern warning indicates potential franchise system viability issues
- 02MEDSevere unit decline: 162 units with only 0.6% YoY growth suggests stagnation or contraction
- 03MEDNet income not disclosed combined with low average revenue ($13,276) raises profitability concerns
- 04MEDHigh franchise fee ($100,000) relative to disclosed average revenue creates poor ROI visibility
- 05MINORRoyalty rate unknown — potential hidden costs or unfavorable payment structures
- 06MINORNo Item 19 financial performance data prevents verification of franchisee earning claims
- 07MEDContract term unknown suggests incomplete disclosure or unfavorable terms
- 08MINORFlat unit growth in declining baked goods retail sector indicates competitive weakness
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Territory type | Geographic area |
|---|---|
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 90 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Virginia |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and off-site
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Zebra TC75x and TC 77
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Zebra TC75x and TC 77
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
122 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC franchise?
The total investment to open a Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC franchise ranges from $100K – $286K, with an initial franchise fee of $100K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC franchise owners earn?
Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC 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 Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC (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 Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC has 162 total units in the United States, including 161 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 60 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
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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.