The French Workshop franchise
2026 filing · June 16, 2026Shares sales figures
The French Workshop at a glance
An artisan French bakery and cafe serving breads, pastries, coffee and light meals. At the end of 2025 there were 5 The French Workshop locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- TFW Franchise LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Bayside, New York
- Typical size
- 3,700–4,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $1.63M–$2.62M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Plus a $12,000 on-site support fee
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of weekly gross sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid weekly; it can rise to 3%
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 5
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 5
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 1
- Most in New York
From TFW Franchise LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
The French Workshop among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | The French Workshop | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $2,126,000 | Costs more than 93% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 5 | Fewer than 71% of franchises |
How much a The French Workshop franchise costs
Opening one The French Workshop costs an estimated $1,631,000 to $2,621,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($850,000 to $1,300,000) and equipment ($450,000 to $650,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30,000 | $40,000 | |
| On-Site Support Fee | $0 | $12,000 | |
| Real Estate/Rent – 3 months | $45,000 | $75,000 | |
| Lease, Utility and Security Deposits | $30,000 | $60,000 | |
| Design & Architectural Fees | $25,000 | $50,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $850,000 | $1,300,000 | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $70,000 | $150,000 | |
| Equipment | $450,000 | $650,000 | |
| Smallwares | $20,000 | $30,000 | |
| Signage | $10,000 | $25,000 | |
| Point-of-Sale System | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Computer System | $8,000 | $12,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Business License and Permits | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Opening Inventory | $25,000 | $45,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $5,000 | ||
| Training Expenses (out-of-pocket costs for 3 people) | $0 | $30,000 | |
| Insurance | $20,000 | $22,000 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $25,000 | $75,000 | |
| Total | $1,631,000 | $2,621,000 | |
Source: TFW Franchise LLC, 2026 filing, page 17
The French Workshop franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000, plus a $12,000 on-site support fee. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: TFW Franchise LLC, 2026 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of weekly gross sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid weekly; it can rise to 3%. |
| Technology Fee | An amount we designate up to $200 per month (currently $200 per month) |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: TFW Franchise LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from page 12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures The French Workshop publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: TFW Franchise LLC, 2026 filing, page 51
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $1.3M–$2.4M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How The French Workshop compares
Of the 112 bakery franchises on this site, The French Workshop is the 111th cheapest to open and the 78th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | The French Workshop | Typical bakery brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $1.63M | $341K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $2.62M | $720K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $40K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 5 | 16 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 74 of 112 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 112 brands in bakery franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 (0) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 (0) | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: coffee franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: TFW Franchise LLC, 2026 filing, page 53
Where The French Workshop locations are
At the end of 2025, The French Workshop had locations in 1 state. The most are in New York.
- New York5
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Source: TFW Franchise LLC, 2026 filing, page 54
Who owns The French Workshop?
The French Workshop franchises are sold by TFW Franchise LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From TFW Franchise LLC’s 2026 filing, page 7.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: TFW Franchise LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
The French Workshop filings
The figures on this page come from TFW Franchise LLC’s 2026 filing, issued June 16, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | June 16, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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The French Workshop is also on these lists: coffee franchises, food franchises.