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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Black Bear Diner Franchise

Black Bear Diner is a family dining franchise founded in 1995 in Mount Shasta, California. The brand began as a single bear-themed diner focused on home-style comfort food with generous portions, and franchising started in 2002. Today the network includes close to 170 locations across 14 states, with continued expansion and more than half of recent unit growth coming from franchisee-led development.

Restaurants are full-service, sit-down diners with a rustic cabin interior and bear-themed branding throughout. The menu spans all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner, generating revenue across three dayparts. Additional revenue channels include curbside pickup, third-party delivery, catering, private and event dining, and an in-diner retail section offering branded merchandise, coffee, and apparel.

The brand differentiates on generous portion sizes and a community-centered atmosphere that positions each location as a local gathering place rather than a generic chain. Private equity investment has supported the brand’s national growth strategy. Active, hands-on franchisee involvement is required; absentee ownership is not permitted.

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Why buy a Black Bear Diner Franchise?

Black Bear Diner’s three-daypart model gives franchisees revenue spread that single-meal concepts lack; all-day breakfast carries favorable margins alongside lunch and dinner. A retail component featuring branded coffee, apparel, and merchandise adds a secondary revenue layer, and multiple fulfillment channels including curbside pickup, third-party delivery, and catering extend each location’s earning capacity beyond the dining room.

The brand’s bear-themed identity and rustic in-diner experience have built a loyal multi-generational customer base that visits for regular meals and life events. That customer depth supports consistent traffic in established locations, making resale units particularly attractive for buyers who step into an existing customer relationship and local market presence from day one.

Black Bear Diner Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1995

    • Franchising Since

      2002

    • New Startup Cost

      $1,495,700 – $2,238,600

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $24,000 – $55,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $10,000

    • Royalty Fee

      4.50%

      of Gross Sales

    • Marketing Fee

      1%

      of Gross Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      169

    • New Units Opened *

      7

    • Units Transferred *

      3

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $2,820,694

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Black Bear Diner – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Black Bear Diner provides initial training covering six weeks for General and Assistant Managers and four weeks for Kitchen Managers. Ongoing support includes dedicated Franchise Business Consultants, the "Bears in the Know" learning management portal, and an annual franchise convention. Technology includes Aloha POS with a 24-hour help desk, Kitchen Display Systems, and the PlayerLync digital recipe app. Marketing support covers local and national programs, social media monitoring, and the E-Club/Passport guest loyalty program. Buyers should confirm what training and system access transfers when ownership changes.

  2. Ideal Owner

    The ideal Black Bear Diner franchisee has previous restaurant ownership or operating partner experience; the franchisor requires this and does not permit absentee or part-time ownership. The role is operations-led, with responsibility for managing a team of around 65 employees, maintaining kitchen and service standards, and building relationships within the local community. Buyers with a background in restaurant management who are comfortable running a full-service kitchen and leading front-of-house staff are well suited to this model. Community engagement is an important part of the brand culture.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Black Bear Diner has appeared on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 for five consecutive years, most recently ranked #297 in 2026. The brand was also ranked #97 on Entrepreneur's Top Food Franchises list in 2025. Nation's Restaurant News has recognized Black Bear Diner as a disruptor in the family dining segment. The brand's annual Make-A-Wish fundraiser has raised over $2.2 million, contributing to its community-focused reputation. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the local reviews and reputation of the specific unit.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US full-service restaurant segment generates hundreds of billions in annual sales, with family dining sustained by consistent cross-generational demand. Comfort food and generous portions have proved durable traffic drivers across economic conditions. The three-daypart model covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner gives operators revenue spread that single-daypart concepts lack. For resale buyers, local competitive position, traffic patterns, and location-level performance are as informative as national category data.

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