Once we receive your application we will contact you within five business days. We will run a credit check and do some preliminary demographic research on your area of interest.

If your application meets our minimum criteria we will send you our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and will contact you about setting up a first phone interview (qualified applicants may choose to receive a paper copy of the FDD or download a pdf version – you’ll need Internet access and Adobe Acrobat in order to read the pdf file). The FDD will provide more in-depth information on Great Harvest. We are proud to say that the section on our bakeries' historical financial performance is one the most detailed of any franchisor, so this will hopefully help answer a lot of your financial questions. We, the franchisor, cannot provide any additional financial information outside of what is presented in the FDD.

The first phone interview is an opportunity for us to get to know each other. This is a great time for you to get your questions answered and a good way for both of us to discover if the fit is right. During this interview we will ask you about your reasons for wanting to start a Great Harvest bakery franchise, your town, your plans for financing the initial costs, and your financial expectations. Everyone that will be involved in the day-to-day operations of the bakery should participate in the call.

As we get further into the application process, we will ask you to visit a few of our bakeries. This is a great way to learn what it is like to live in the life of a Great Harvest bakery owner. We will call and make introductions for you at any of the bakeries you would like to visit. We'll let the bakery owners know who you are, so they'll be more willing to spend time helping you investigate the business. After your visits we will do another phone interview and discuss a potential Discovery Day to the franchise office in Dillon, Montana!