Great Harvest

Great Harvest is a bakery café franchise known for its whole grain breads, sandwiches, and baked goods, with a particular emphasis on using fresh-milled flour each day. The company began in 1976, when Pete and Laura Ward opened the first bakery in Great Falls, Montana, focusing on high-quality, Montana-grown wheat. Franchising started in the early 1980s, which allowed the brand to steadily expand beyond its Montana roots.

As of November 2025, Great Harvest operates over 200 locations in more than 40 states. The brand has established a strong presence in the Mountain West, Midwest, and Southeast, and continues to grow through franchising. In recent years, the company has focused its expansion on suburban and small-town markets, particularly in the Southeast, Midwest, Mountain West, Texas, and the Carolinas. This growth has included a steady pipeline of new locations and an openness to flexible store formats, such as bakery cafés and express units, to better fit the needs of different communities.

Each Great Harvest bakery is locally owned and operated, which allows for a blend of local character and consistent quality standards. The flagship honey whole wheat bread, made from flour milled daily on-site, remains central to the menu, which has evolved to include a broader selection of sandwiches, soups, and seasonal baked goods.

Over the past five years, Great Harvest has maintained a steady growth posture, actively seeking new franchisees and adapting its formats to meet changing market demands. Its established reputation, flexible concepts, and commitment to community involvement have made it a reliable presence in neighborhood centers, mixed-use developments, and community retail corridors across the country.