Nothing Bundt Cakes Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $667K – $907K
- Disclosed sales
- $1.5M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- on 283 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Nothing Bundt Cakes is a specialty-bakery franchise selling handcrafted bundt cakes in sizes from bite-size to tiered, plus seasonal flavors. Franchisees run bakeries handling cake production, decorating, and walk-in, gifting, and catering orders.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise requires a total initial investment of $667K – $907K, including a $45K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.5M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 283 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored8 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $667K – $907K
- 85th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $1.5M
- Net sales28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 48th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 660
- 90th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants median · 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 $667K – $907K including a $45K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.5M/year (median $1.4M), with an estimated 22% cash-on-cash return (based on 4-Wall EBITDA).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 98/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 283 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHPositive: net +101 franchised outlets in the latest year (101 opened, 0 closed); 87 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 40.1% CAGR over 3 years with 660 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- NBC Franchisor LLC
- Parent company
- NBC Holdings, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- NBC Holdings, LLC (owned by Roark Capital Management LLC private equity funds)
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2025 FDD
- Predecessor
- Nothing Bundt Franchising LLC (began franchising 2006)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Dolf A. Berle
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 5005 Lyndon B. Johnson Pkwy, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75244
- Auditor
- KPMG LLP (Dallas, Texas)
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $52.3M
- vs $39.0M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Affiliated brands
- is Nothing Bundt Franchising
- NBC Bakery Holder
- GiftingU
- NBC Distribution Holder
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 9
Portfolio: Roark Capital (private-equity sponsor)
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Dolf A. Berle
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 43
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 62% above the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $45K | $45K | |
| Rent and Security Deposit (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $0 | $13K | |
| Bakery Improvements (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $275K | $350K | |
| Architect - Design (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $11K | $13K | |
| Fixtures and Equipment - Front and Back of Bakery (≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $200K | $275K | |
| Exterior Signage (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $8K | $15K | |
| Initial Inventory (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $25K | $25K | |
| Point of Sale System (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $8K | $13K | |
| Insurance (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $3K | $6K | |
| Business License and Permits (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $2K | $10K | |
| Professional Fees (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $3K | $8K | |
| Opening Advertising Program (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $10K | $15K | |
| Training Expenses (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $4K | $10K | |
| Delivery Vehicle - Monthly lease or loan payment (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $500 | $35K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months (Bakery ≤1,800 sq. ft.)not refundable | $75K | $75K | |
| Total initial investment | $667K | $907K |
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
- $667K – $907K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $75K – $75K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 5.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 11.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 4.5 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of net sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 5.0% of net sales |
| Technology fee | $100 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $23K |
| Inventory (initial) | $25K – $25K |
| Total fee load | 11.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 52% above the quick-service restaurants norm.
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Nothing Bundt Cakes until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$862K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
FDD-reported earnings
The FDD reports $317K as 4-Wall EBITDA. This is a disclosed figure, not our estimate — we publish no modelled profit for Nothing Bundt Cakes.
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Nothing Bundt Cakes unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
- Avg gross sales
- $1.5M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.4M
- Avg 4-wall ebitda
- $317K
- Reported as 4-Wall EBITDA in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 22.1%
- Based on 4-Wall EBITDA / investment midpoint
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- net sales
- Sample size
- 459 outlets
- vs category median 19 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $502K→$3.7MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 72 of the 2025 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $985K→$2.1M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 10 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 781 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.5M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.9x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 11.0% — above the Quick-Service Restaurants median of 7.5%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 10/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 40.1% CAGR over 3 years across 660 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 medians
How Nothing Bundt Cakes Compares
Category median of published Quick-Service Restaurants brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 660
- Opened
- 101
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- N/A
- Company-owned
- 17
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +40.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +40.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 46
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 87
- 0.13 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 123
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 9.7%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
- Ceased ops
- 3.4%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 43 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- South Dakota
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
656 current owners across 43 states.
- TX 103
- CA 79
- FL 46
- IL 30
- NC 30
- GA 24
- VA 24
- OH 23
- OK 18
- PA 18
- TN 17
- CO 15
- +31 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 283
- Loan volume
- $138.5M
- Median loan
- $433K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- on 283 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 72
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 6.8%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 10.0%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 6,044
- 4.4 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 30%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 84% went to startups / new businesses, 16% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in retail bakeries, franchised businesses charge off at 10.0% vs 17.6% for independents — franchising is associated with 43% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Nothing Bundt Cakes charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Nothing Bundt Cakes franchisees
Showing 3 of 72 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Nothing Bundt Cakes from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 75%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.84%
- Lender concentration
- 29.7%
- Job velocity
- 4.4 per $100K
- Startup risk premium
- 0.0pp
- NAICS benchmark
- 1.2%
- NAICS 311811
- Jobs supported
- 6,044
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 30% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meadows Bank | 84 | $35.7M | 0.0% |
| 2 | Stearns Bank National Association | 22 | $7.9M | 0.0% |
| 3 | The Huntington National Bank | 21 | $7.1M | 0.0% |
| 4 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 13 | $4.5M | 0.0% |
| 5 | SouthState Bank, National Association | 9 | $4.3M | 0.0% |
| 6 | KeyBank National Association | 8 | $3.0M | 0.0% |
| 7 | United Community Bank | 8 | $5.6M | 0.0% |
| 8 | PNC Bank, National Association | 7 | $4.5M | 0.0% |
| 9 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 7 | $3.1M | 0.0% |
| 10 | Potomac Bank | 7 | $4.2M | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXTexas | 35 | 0 | 0.0% |
| CACalifornia | 29 | 0 | 0.0% |
| PAPennsylvania | 19 | 0 | 0.0% |
| OHOhio | 17 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FLFlorida | 16 | 0 | 0.0% |
| VAVirginia | 16 | 0 | 0.0% |
| ILIllinois | 14 | 0 | 0.0% |
| GAGeorgia | 13 | 0 | 0.0% |
| INIndiana | 12 | 0 | 0.0% |
| COColorado | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 283 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 0.0% — 100% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Nothing Bundt Cakes shows moderate-to-cautious risk: strong unit growth and profitability claims are offset by regulatory settlements, unverified financial disclosures, and parent company litigation history suggesting operational and compliance gaps.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
NBC predecessor Nothing Bundt Franchising LLC entered consent order with Maryland Securities Commissioner (2021) for selling franchise without registration. Three affiliate actions (Arby's no-poach settlement, Dunkin no-poach settlement, Dunkin NY data breach settlement) also disclosed but do not involve the franchisor directly.
Largest disclosed settlement, in a case that does not name the franchisor: $650,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · KPMG LLP (Dallas, Texas)
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Total revenues for fiscal year ended December 29, 2024 consist of a single line item, "Royalty, franchise fee, and other revenue" of $52,274 thousand (FY2023: $39,014 thousand). Statements presented in thousands; audited by KPMG LLP (NBC Franchisor LLC).
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
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 98 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDMaryland Securities Commissioner consent order (2021) indicates regulatory compliance failure in franchise sales disclosure
- 02HIGHParent company litigation pattern across multiple brands (Arby's, Dunkin') suggests systemic governance issues with no-poaching and data security
- 03MINORRapid unit growth (18.6% YoY) to 660 units may signal recruitment-driven expansion rather than mature, profitable unit sustainability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
Litigation case detail4 matters · Item 3
Litigation cases
The franchisor
Concluded (1)
In the Matter of Nothing Bundt Franchising, LLC, Securities Commissioner of Maryland
concludedGovernment or regulatory action · Securities Commissioner of Maryland · 2021-0013
“In the Matter of Nothing Bundt Franchising, LLC, Securities Commissioner of Maryland; Case No. 2021-0013. On March 4, 2021, NBC entered into a consent order with the Maryland Securities Commissioner on account of an October 2020 franchise sale in Maryland when NBC was not effectively registered to sell franchises.”Page 21 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome:“In resolving the matter, NBC agreed to offer the franchisee the right to rescind its franchise agreement and to immediately and permanently cease and desist from the offer or sale of franchises in violation of the Maryland Franchise law.”
Parent, affiliates and predecessor
Concluded (3)
New York v. Dunkin' Brands, Inc.
concludedGovernment or regulatory action · Dunkin Brands, Inc. ("DBI"), named in the filing as "our affiliate" · filed 2019-09-26 · N.Y. Supreme Court for New York County · 451787/2019
“New York v. Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. (N.Y. Supreme Court for New York County, Case No. 451787/2019, filed September 26, 2019). In this matter, the N.Y. Attorney General (“NYAG”) filed a lawsuit against our affiliate, DBI, related to credential-stuffing cyberattacks during 2015 and 2018.”Page 22 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome:“Under the consent order, DBI agreed to pay $650,000 in penalties and costs, issue certain notices and other types of communications to New York customers, and maintain a comprehensive information security program through September 2026, including precautions and response measures for credential-stuffing attacks.”
The People of the State of California v. Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc.
settledGovernment or regulatory action · Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. ("ARG"), named in the filing as "our affiliate" · filed 2019-03-19 · California Superior Court, Los Angeles County · 19STCV09397
“The People of the State of California v. Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, Case No. 19STCV09397, filed March 19, 2019). On March 11, 2019, our affiliate, Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (“ARG”), entered into a settlement agreement with the states of California”Page 21 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome:“Under the settlement agreement, ARG paid no money but agreed (a) to remove the disputed provision from its franchise agreements (which it had already done); (b) not to enforce the disputed provision in existing agreements”
The People of the State of California v. Dunkin' Brands, Inc.
settledGovernment or regulatory action · Dunkin Brands, Inc. ("DBI"), named in the filing as "our affiliate" · filed 2019-03-19 · California Superior Court, Los Angeles County · 19STCV09597
“The People of the State of California v. Dunkin’ Brands, Inc., (California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, Case No. 19STCV09597, filed on March 19, 2019.) On March 14, 2019, our affiliate, Dunkin Brands, Inc. (“DBI”), entered into a settlement agreement with the Attorneys General of 13 states”Page 21 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome:“The Attorney General of the State of California filed the above-reference lawsuit in order to place the settlement agreement in the public record, and the action was closed after the court approved the parties’ stipulation of judgment.” (page 22)
Item 3 lists the litigation the franchisor must disclose; a matter against a parent, an affiliate or a named officer is not a matter against the franchisor, and pending claims are allegations, not findings.
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 11.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Dallas, Texas (within 10 miles of franchisor's principal business address) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | TX |
| Litigation count | 4 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
NBC predecessor Nothing Bundt Franchising LLC entered consent order with Maryland Securities Commissioner (2021) for selling franchise without registration. Three affiliate actions (Arby's no-poach settlement, Dunkin no-poach settlement, Dunkin NY data breach settlement) also disclosed but do not involve the franchisor directly.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 120 hrs
- Training location
- Dallas, Texas (company/affiliate bakeries)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 5 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisor approval required; franchisee must work with designated commercial real estate broker
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Proprietary POS system (3 terminals)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Proprietary POS system (3 terminals)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
656 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise?
The total investment to open a Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise ranges from $667K – $907K, with an initial franchise fee of $45K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Nothing Bundt Cakes FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.5M. The median is $1.4M. Important context: Reported as net sales, not gross sales. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Nothing Bundt Cakes?
Nothing Bundt Cakes is franchised by NBC Franchisor LLC. Its parent company is NBC Holdings, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is NBC Holdings, LLC (owned by Roark Capital Management LLC private equity funds). Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Nothing Bundt Cakes 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 Nothing Bundt Cakes FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Nothing Bundt Cakes's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Nothing Bundt Cakes has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 283 loans, meaning 0.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Nothing Bundt Cakes has 660 total units in the United States, including 643 franchised units and 17 company-owned units. 101 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Nothing Bundt Cakes a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Nothing Bundt Cakes as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 98 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.
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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.