Quick Verdict · who it fits
Black Bear Diner fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$1.5M - $2.2M
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$55K
Royalty (Item 6)
4.5% + 1% ad
Item 19 median rev
$2.7M population not disclosed in this filing
System size (Item 20)
97 +7
Years in business
25+ yrs
Model Black Bear Diner's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 4.5% + ad fund 1% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$2,700,000
$100k$4.9M
Royalty (4.5%)
—
Ad fund (1%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
169
Total units open
7 net
Units opened last year
5 franchised, 2 company-owned
2 franchised ceased operations
Units closed last year
7 units in fiscal year 2025
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
4
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How Black Bear Diner ranks against 751 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
94th pct · of 751 peers
Franchise fee
94th pct · of 751 peers
System size
73rd pct · of 751 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$589K - $1.4M
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
261
Franchises analyzed
751
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bear Diner | Disclosed | $55K | $1.5M - $2.2M | 4.5% | 97 |
| La MadeleineSimilar price | Disclosed | $40K | $1.2M - $2.3M | 5% | 59 |
| Doctor's AssociatesBiggest system | None | $15K | $227K - $630K | 8% | 18,773 |
| Vintage Hospitality GroupTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $50K | $3.5M - $6.4M | 5.5% | 33 |
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Brand Analysis
Chipotle reported 4,186 company-operated restaurants and 15 international licensed restaurants as of June 30, 2026. None are franchised, there is no FDD, and there is nothing to apply for. Qdoba is the franchised version of the same order line, and its 12/25 FDD puts a traditional restaurant at $548,100 to $1,294,000.
Brand Analysis
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. reported 656 company-operated stores in 43 states as of January 30, 2026, and the brand has never sold a franchise. Huddle House and Another Broken Egg cover the same daypart with filed FDDs, at $555,375 to $1,715,275 and $792,500 to $1,804,000.
Brand Analysis
The Häagen-Dazs Shoppe Company franchises the ice cream shops on a $30,000 fee and a 4% royalty, with a 2026 Item 7 range of $213,329 to $591,579. The trademark belongs to a different company, and the ice cream you are required to buy comes from a third.
Black Bear Diner requires a $55,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $1,495,700–$2,238,600, per the most recent FDD on file.
Black Bear Diner is franchised by BBDI LLC, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
Yes. Black Bear Diner discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $2,697,884. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 4.5% of Gross Sales and an advertising fund contribution of 1% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Black Bear Diner has 97 total locations, with 7 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt