GoTo Foods’ brands here include bakery, sandwich and ice cream franchises. Each is franchised on its own terms, under its own agreement, so the cost to open, the fees and the record of each brand differ, even where the parent company is the same.
Brands owned by GoTo Foods
| Brand | Cost to open | Franchise fee | Royalty | Locations | 3-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CinnabonBakery | $257K–$704K | $35,500 | 6% | 1,338 | +382 (+40%) |
| Auntie Anne’sBakery | $158K–$836K | $35,500 | 7%–8% | 1,247 | +101 (+9%) |
| JambaSmoothie | $481K–$941K | $35,500 | 6% | 710 | −28 (−4%) |
| McAlister's DeliSandwich | $910K–$1.82M | $35,500 | 5% of net sales | 572 | +48 (+9%) |
| Moe's Southwest GrillMexican food | $644K–$1.97M | $35,500 | 5% | 568 | −69 (−11%) |
| CarvelIce cream | $428K–$1.05M | $35,500 | 6% | 360 | +32 (+10%) |
| Schlotzsky’sSandwich | $675K–$1.46M | $35,500 | 6% of net sales | 294 | −32 (−10%) |
Change is in US locations, franchised and company-owned, over the three latest years in each brand’s filing. A dash means the brand’s counts aren’t usable.
Size and growth
Together these brands have 5,089 US locations, 98% of them run by franchisees. Across the brands, the total grew by 434 locations (+9%), from 2023 to 2025.
Grew the most
- Cinnabon+40%
- Carvel+10%
- McAlister's Deli+9%
- Auntie Anne’s+9%
Shrank the most
- Moe's Southwest Grill−11%
- Schlotzsky’s−10%
- Jamba−4%
Brands that started the three years with at least 10 locations.
Fees and royalties across the brands
Every GoTo Foods brand here charges the same $36K franchise fee. Where the royalty is a single share of sales, it runs from 5% to 6%, typically 6%. At one brand the royalty isn't one rate on all sales: it is tiered, ranged, charged on part of revenue or comes with a minimum. On top of that, the marketing fund ranges from 1% to 7% of sales.
A shared parent can mean shared suppliers, systems and support staff, but it rarely means shared terms: compare the agreements brand by brand, and ask whether owning one brand gets you anything when you buy another.
Sales per location and who runs it
Of these brands, 7 publish yearly sales per location, from $496K at Carvel to $1.87M at McAlister's Deli. None requires the owner to run it day to day; a trained manager can.
| Brand | Sales per location | Marketing fund | Who runs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinnabon | $665K a year | 5% of sales | Owner needn't take part |
| Auntie Anne’s | $792K a year | Other terms | Owner needn't take part |
| Jamba | $675K a year | 7% of sales | Owner needn't take part |
| McAlister's Deli | $1.87M a year | 2% of sales | Owner needn't take part |
| Moe's Southwest Grill | $1.18M a year | 3% of sales | Owner needn't take part |
| Carvel | $496K a year | 1% of sales | Owner needn't take part |
| Schlotzsky’s | $1.16M a year | 4% of sales | A trained manager can run it |
Questions
Who owns GoTo Foods?
Private equity firm Roark Capital, which formed the company as Focus Brands in 2004. Focus Brands renamed itself GoTo Foods in 2024 and is based in Atlanta. Source: Restaurant Dive