Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Flowers Baking Co. franchises independent distributor routes delivering Flowers-brand breads and snack cakes, such as Nature's Own and Wonder, to retailers. Franchisees own a protected delivery route, restocking store shelves and managing accounts rather than a storefront.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC franchise requires a total initial investment of $58K – $286K, including a $50K – $150K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $58K – $286K
- 3rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 162
- 82nd pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $58K – $286K including a $50K franchise fee.
- RETURNSItem 21 attaches only the audited consolidated financial statements of Flowers Foods, Inc. (ultimate parent) and its subsidiaries (FYs ended 12/28/2024, 12/30/2023, 12/31/2022, plus unaudited 4/19/2025). The franchisor (Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC) provides no separate financials; the actual statement figures and auditor are not present in this disclosure text (Exhibit L not included).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 75/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports average weekly net sales rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC
- Parent company
- Flowers Bakeries, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Flowers Foods, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Hampton Roads Baking Company, LLC (formerly Tidewater Baking Company, LLC)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President
- Linda Smith
- 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
- CEO
- Linda Smith
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 2000
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 5
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 74% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown7 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
- $58K – $286K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $3K – $4K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $150K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- No royalty fee; franchisees purchase products from franch…
- Ad fund
- No advertising fund; franchisor provides advertising mate…
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee | $25 |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $30K |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
56%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 21 attaches only the audited consolidated financial statements of Flowers Foods, Inc. (ultimate parent) and its subsidiaries (FYs ended 12/28/2024, 12/30/2023, 12/31/2022, plus unaudited 4/19/2025). The franchisor (Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC) provides no separate financials; the actual statement figures and auditor are not present in this disclosure text (Exhibit L not included).
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports average weekly net sales rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (-0.6% 3-year CAGR) with 162 units.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
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 (3-yr)
- +0.6%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -0.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 11
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 5 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
5
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
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.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 75 / 100 verdict
- 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
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Territory type | protected |
|---|---|
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 90 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | VA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and off-site
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Site selection
- Franchisor
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Zebra TC75x / TC 77 touch computer with iPLAN web-based ordering system
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Zebra TC75x / TC 77 touch computer with iPLAN web-based ordering system
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
123 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 $58K – $286K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. 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 Item 19 in the Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
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 160 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 A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 75 out of 100 (higher is better), 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 Flowers Baking Co. of Norfolk, LLC, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.