Opens in a new tab

FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Broken Yolk Café Franchise

Broken Yolk Café is a breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant franchise that began in 1979, a mile from the sand in San Diego’s Pacific Beach. San Diego restaurant broker John Gelastopoulos and his family bought the original café in 1993 and grew it from a neighborhood favorite into a citywide name. The company remains family-owned and founder-led, with senior management in place since 2009.

The brand built national awareness partly through a feature on the Travel Channel’s “Man vs. Food” and began franchising in 2010. It now operates 42 restaurants across five states, with plans to approach 50 across six. The concept runs on a daytime-only, roughly eight-hour operating day, with no dinner or late-night service.

Positioned around its “Brunch on the Sunnyside” coastal atmosphere, Broken Yolk Café serves an extensive made-to-order menu to families and local regulars in full-service restaurants of about 3,800 to 4,200 square feet. Units operate as end-caps or second-generation conversions, and the system reports a high average unit volume.

Latest Resales

  • There are currently no Broken Yolk Café resales available
Register your interest

Why buy a Broken Yolk Café Franchise?

Buying a Broken Yolk Café franchise gives an owner an established, nearly five-decade-old brand in the breakfast-and-brunch category, a daypart that has stayed resilient and on-trend across economic cycles. The name carries real recognition in its core Southwestern markets, supported by guest loyalty built around fresh, made-to-order food and generous portions.

The daytime-only model is a central draw: an eight-hour operating day with no dinner or late-night shift gives owners a more manageable schedule than most full-service restaurants, while the system reports strong average unit volumes. Franchisees plug into a mature operating playbook, a deep technology stack and national and regional marketing support, including a customer loyalty app that drives repeat visits.

Broken Yolk Café Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1979

    • Franchising Since

      2010

    • New Startup Cost

      $560,050 – $1,637,900

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $20,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $5,000

    • Royalty Fee

      4.50%

      of Gross Sales

    • Marketing Fee

      1.50%

      of Gross Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      41

    • New Units Opened *

      1

    • Units Transferred *

      2

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $2,682,134

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Broken Yolk Café – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Incoming owners and their teams receive structured initial training, 40 to 55 hours of classroom instruction plus 152 to 195 hours of on-the-job training, backed by a detailed operations manual and ongoing field and corporate support. Day-to-day operations run on a named technology stack including Micros Simphony POS, PlayerLync for operations and training, Olo digital ordering, ezCater catering and the Punchh loyalty app, with Sysco sourcing and ReviewTrackers and A Closer Look for guest feedback. Resale buyers should confirm what transfer training and system access the franchisor provides when ownership changes.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Broken Yolk Café suits a hands-on, hospitality-minded operator or a multi-unit investor comfortable leading teams in a busy, fast-paced daytime service environment. Owners should be process-driven and willing to follow established systems to keep food and service consistent across shifts, while staying engaged with guests and building a loyal local following. Prior restaurant experience helps, but the brand's structured training makes the model accessible to disciplined operators from a strong management or business background.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Broken Yolk Café was named Top Breakfast Franchise in America by Franchise Times in 2025, recognition of its standing in the competitive daytime-dining category. National awareness grew earlier through a feature on the Travel Channel's "Man vs. Food," which introduced the concept to millions of viewers, and the brand maintains an Entrepreneur franchise directory profile. Its growth from a single San Diego café to 42 restaurants across five states reflects durable consumer appeal. For resale buyers, brand recognition should be weighed alongside the specific unit's local reviews and reputation.

  4. Industry / Market

    Broken Yolk Café operates in the US breakfast and brunch segment, one of the faster-growing dayparts in American full-service dining. Demand is driven by consumer appetite for social, experiential weekend outings, all-day breakfast and specialty coffee, and the daypart's natural appeal to families and groups. A morning and midday focus lets operators capture strong sales within a compressed, lower-cost daily window. For resale buyers, local breakfast competition and a unit's established traffic patterns are key factors to weigh.

Learn more about
how to own a Broken Yolk Café franchise resale

Please fill out the form below and a Franchise Flippers expert will be in touch with you shortly.

The Franchise Brand Index

This page is part of Franchise Flippers’ independent franchise Index, designed as an educational resource to help potential buyers explore the franchise resale market and compare brands.

Trademark & Affiliation Disclaimer

This website is an independent, informational resource. All trademarks, logos, and brand names displayed are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for identification and educational purposes. Their use does not imply any affiliation with, endorsement by, or sponsorship from the respective trademark holders.