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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy an Elmers Restaurant Franchise

Elmer’s Breakfast Lunch Dinner is a family dining restaurant franchise founded in 1960 in Portland, Oregon. Built on made-from-scratch cooking and an original buttermilk pancake recipe, the brand serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner to families and multi-generational diners in a warm, community-oriented atmosphere. The franchise also operates Egg N’ Joe, a smaller-format breakfast and lunch concept launched in 2016.

Both concepts are full-service, brick-and-mortar restaurants focused on quality ingredients, seasonally fresh dishes, and made-from-scratch comfort food. Elmer’s full-service units serve all three dayparts in locations of 5,000 square feet or more; Egg N’ Joe operates in smaller in-line spaces with dedicated patio seating, open for breakfast and lunch only.

Franchises are offered through We Are Crackin’, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elmer’s Restaurants, Inc. The network is concentrated in Oregon and the western United States, with single-restaurant and multi-unit development opportunities available nationally. Franchisees have collectively raised over $1.1 million for local charitable causes since 2011, reflecting the brand’s community-first operating ethos.

Latest Resales

  • There are currently no Elmers Restaurant resales available
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Why buy an Elmers Restaurant Franchise?

Those choosing to buy an Elmer’s Restaurant franchise acquire a brand with six decades of equity and a loyal customer base concentrated in the Northwest. The dual-concept model, covering both the full-service Elmer’s format and the smaller Egg N’ Joe breakfast-and-lunch format, gives operators flexibility in market and format selection. The brand’s community involvement and local marketing focus support grassroots loyalty in core territories.

Ongoing field visits from Field Consultants and the brand’s Head Chef keep units aligned with standards, while marketing tools including ad templates, regional advertising, social media, and email marketing support local customer retention. The brand’s commitment to made-from-scratch cooking and seasonal menus offers a point of difference in a category where casual chains often rely on standardized supply chains.

Elmers Restaurant Franchise Costs & Information

  • Minimum Qualifications

    • Initial Franchise Fee

      $40,000

    • Initial Investment

      $1,106,450 - $4,295,425

  • Royalty

    • Royalty Fee

      4%

  • Training & Support

    • 201 hours on the job training

    • 43 hours classroom training

    • Ongoing support

    • Marketing support

Elmers Restaurant – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Franchisees receive 201 hours of on-the-job and 43 hours of classroom training, with completion required for the general manager and kitchen manager. Ongoing support includes visits from Field Consultants and the brand's Head Chef to maintain menu and operational standards. Franchisees access proprietary software and a franchisee intranet platform, with guidance through newsletters, an annual conference, and business meetings. Marketing support covers ad templates, regional advertising, social media, and email marketing. Resale buyers should confirm what transfer training applies to incoming ownership.

  2. Ideal Owner

    The ideal Elmer's franchisee is an active, hands-on operator with prior restaurant management experience. The general manager and kitchen manager must each have relevant restaurant experience, and completion of the manager training program is required for key operating staff. Absentee ownership is not permitted; the role calls for strong leadership, time management, and organizational skills. Operators should be comfortable managing a staffing-intensive business and committed to community relationships and consistent guest experience.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Elmer's holds a ranking of #114 among Top Food Franchises in Entrepreneur's 2025 franchise directory, and was named to FSR Magazine's Future 50 list of emerging chains based on system-wide sales growth. Locally, Elmer's units have earned numerous Best Breakfast awards, with consistently strong reviews on Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google. The brand has also received national recognition in the Family Restaurants category for taste, value, service, and atmosphere. For resale buyers, local review strength and community visibility are meaningful factors alongside brand-level recognition.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US breakfast restaurants and diners category generated an estimated $15.6 billion in revenue in 2025, per IBISWorld, with industry revenue growing at a compound annual rate of 7.5% over the prior five years. Consumer demand for sit-down family dining, aided by delivery platforms expanding off-premises reach, has supported steady traffic. Breakfast has shown resilience across economic cycles, with consumers prioritizing the morning meal regardless of broader spending conditions. For resale buyers, local population density, residential proximity, and competitive positioning within the trade area are key drivers of unit performance.

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