---
title: "After Opening 14 Locations in 2020, Great American Cookies is Poised to Cross the 300-Unit Mark by 2022"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/3cd0e3f6-8a41-4427-aeb9-2e0de9a2fd06
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/after-opening-14-locations-in-2020-great-american-cookies-is-poised-to-cross-the-300-unit-mark-by-2022-2715963
category: "Snacks & dessert"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Snacks & dessert"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2021-06-09T03:22:28.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T01:39:29.110Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/9a4f3bf6e0f510c378adc51245f7e1358072.jpg
---

# After Opening 14 Locations in 2020, Great American Cookies is Poised to Cross the 300-Unit Mark by 2022

**TL;DR:** Great American Cookies is poised to cross the 300-unit mark by 2022, despite increased competition in the gourmet cookie space. The brand remains the largest cookie concept in the US, with a strong customer recognition and a flexible business model.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2021-06-09. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/after-opening-14-locations-in-2020-great-american-cookies-is-poised-to-cross-the-300-unit-mark-by-2022-2715963).*

## Story

Despite increased competition in the gourmet cookie space, Great American Cookies remains the largest cookie concept in the US. “Nearing its 50th anniversary, the brand is a powerhouse in the industry because consumers recognize and trust the name, and they equate Great American Cookies with celebratory moments in their lives.”

In addition to benefiting from the brand’s strong customer recognition, franchisees have the added bonus of a 37,000-square-foot production facility in Georgia to help support the production of cookie dough that is then shipped directly to franchisees. Without the need to create dough on-site, the brand has the ability to operate out of relatively small, inexpensive footprints in high-traffic areas.

- The Great American Cookies model has proven to be not only flexible but extremely resilient.
- It’s a concept that thrives in a variety of build-outs and locations across the country, and this adaptability has been the key to its continued growth and success.

It’s a model that also pairs perfectly with other concepts within the FAT Brands brand portfolio. Co-branding Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery has become the largest growth vehicle for both brands. “It is the first time in restaurant franchise history that there’s been an integrated co-brand experience where the two businesses truly complement each other, not only leveraging their audiences but also combining their menus to create something new and special.”

As prime retail space made vacant by the closure of other brands continues to sit untouched, the surplus in affordable real estate offers key opportunities for the brand to expand its reach in new, high-value markets across the country.

The company is currently targeting expansion in markets across the country. Startup costs range from $301,400 to $469,150.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- unit expansion (topic)
- Fat Brands (company)
- Great American Cookies (company)
- Marble Slab Creamery (company)
- co branding (topic)
- gourmet cookie space (topic)
- retail space expansion (topic)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/after-opening-14-locations-in-2020-great-american-cookies-is-poised-to-cross-the-300-unit-mark-by-2022-2715963). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/3cd0e3f6-8a41-4427-aeb9-2e0de9a2fd06).