JMB Franchising, LLC Barry Bagels Restaurant

Barry Bagels began in 1972 in Sylvania, Ohio, when 21 year old Barry Greenblatt and bagel maker Peter Johnson opened the business. The concept operated for more than four decades in one market before JMB Franchising, LLC was organized on July 3, 2013, as an Ohio limited liability company headquartered at 3715 King Road, Toledo, Ohio 43617. Barry Greenblatt retired in 2008 and died in 2014, the same year Barry Bagels began franchising. His son, Mark Greenblatt, became President of Barry Bagels Franchise Holdings. Current CEO and Owner James Nusbaum leads a 10 person corporate headquarters team. As of November 2025, the brand had 20 open Midwest units, more than 60 locations in active development, and 104 stores in various development stages across multiple states. The system combines a 53 year operating history with a hub and spoke model and a growing multi state pipeline, making careful franchise review appropriate for prospective buyers.

Barry Bagels operates in the full service restaurant industry, estimated at USD 15.38 billion globally in 2025 and projected to reach approximately USD 23.22 billion by 2035, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.21% from 2026 through 2035. North America holds the largest share at 31%. Population growth and urbanization in Columbus, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Dayton support the brand's focus on neighborhood locations. Consumer interest in gourmet, artisan, and ethnic foods has also increased interest in handcrafted, preservative free bagels baked in small batches. Delivery platforms and online ordering create additional sales channels for deli restaurants. Casual dining has the largest share within the full service category, while family dining formats are expected to grow through the forecast period. Independent restaurants may lack the supply chain, training, and marketing resources available to franchise systems. These conditions give Barry Bagels access to a category with projected growth, established North American demand, and expanding delivery use.

The initial franchise fee is $25,000 for each of the first two restaurants under an Area Development Agreement and $20,000 for every later restaurant developed under that agreement. A separate development fee applies to multi unit development and equals the initial franchise fee for the first restaurant plus half the initial franchise fee for each additional restaurant covered by the agreement. Estimated investment for one unit ranges from $99,000 to $514,000, excluding real estate purchases. A hub requires approximately $400,000 and provides the full bagel baking operation in a space of 1,600 to 3,500 square feet. A spoke receives fresh bagels from a hub each day and does not require a full kitchen, HVAC system, walk in cooler, or walk in freezer. Its estimated investment ranges from $35,000 to $75,000. The ongoing royalty is 6.0% of revenue. Required liquid capital is $65,000, and the minimum net worth is $100,000.

Operations differ by format, but both models call for an involved owner operator. Hub locations produce preservative free bagels that are boiled and baked in small batches throughout the day. The menu includes 16 bagel varieties, homemade salads, in house sliced pastrami and turkey, fresh soups, and house baked cookies. Spoke locations generally occupy 876 to 1,200 square feet or up to 1,500 square feet. They receive daily deliveries from a nearby hub and emphasize customer service, local marketing, catering, wholesale, and third party delivery. Training includes hands on preparation at an operating Barry Bagels location, onsite grand opening assistance, a confidential operations manual, and access to approved suppliers and distributors for products such as bagels and cream cheese. Continuing assistance includes field visits, refresher training, business reviews, advertising and social media guidance, real time location reporting, and supply chain support. Express formats are available for hospitals, schools, food courts, and other institutional settings. Franchisees receive exclusive territorial rights, and the development model favors clusters of connected hub and spoke units. The expected owner is present, community oriented, and focused on repeat customer relationships rather than absentee ownership.

Total investment ranges from $99,000 at the spoke end to $514,000 at the hub end, while spoke locations may require $35,000 to $75,000. Using the 2020 sales figure as a planning proxy, a 6% royalty equals $25,289 and a 2% marketing fee is approximately $8,430. Buyers must also model food, labor, occupancy, and other operating costs. Standard full service casual restaurant assumptions place combined cost of goods sold and labor at approximately 55% to 65% of revenue, which may create more pressure at the hub level than at lower cost spoke locations. Barry Bagels offers several revenue channels, including dine in, carry out, third party delivery, event catering with deli trays, and wholesale sales to schools, universities, hospitals, office complexes, and local coffee shops. The brand estimates these additional channels can increase earnings by 20% to 30% above base dine in revenue. Online ordering and merchandise sales provide additional sources of revenue.

Barry Bagels grew from approximately 16 locations in November 2023, mainly in Michigan and Ohio, to 20 open units by November 2025. During that period, it also developed a pipeline of more than 60 locations and reached 104 stores in various stages of development across multiple states. A Westlake, Ohio location opened in Fall 2024. A Lakewood, Ohio baking hub opened in July 2025, and an Ohio City location was scheduled for November 2025. Downtown Louisville, Kentucky opened in September or October 2025, while Suburban Dayton, Ohio was set for November 2025 and Hilliard, Ohio opened in October 2025. Clawson, Michigan and Prospect, Kentucky were also in the pipeline. A 30 store Texas development deal, including a 20 unit agreement for the Dallas Fort Worth metro area, represents the largest move beyond the Midwest. A separate 20 unit agreement covers Iowa. The plan targets 50 locations by 2028, with 80% of expansion coming from clusters around Dayton, Indianapolis, Louisville, Columbus, and Cleveland and 20% directed toward Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Tennessee. The system also relies on a proprietary dough manufacturing facility, exclusive territorial rights, and technology that reports location performance in real time.

The intended buyer is an active owner operator with an interest in community involvement and, preferably, experience in food service or retail. Prior experience is not required because of the training program, but buyers must meet the $65,000 liquid capital and $100,000 net worth requirements. The Area Development Agreement suits investors prepared to build clusters, with the per unit fee falling to $20,000 for the third and later units. A hub can support spoke locations requiring $35,000 to $75,000 each, with possible efficiencies in labor, delivery, and marketing. Target markets include Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Tennessee. The Midwest receives 80% of strategic development resources, while Texas and Florida are major newer market priorities. Barry Bagels also encourages school fundraisers and community shelter donations. Buyers should expect a meaningful time commitment, particularly at the start, and should evaluate territories with a hub first plan that can support two to three smaller spoke locations.

The Barry Bagels opportunity combines a 53 year brand history, spoke investment of $35,000 to $75,000, a reported 104 store development total, and a market projected to grow at a 4.21% compound annual rate through 2035. Its hub and spoke structure may reduce the capital required for multi unit growth and create operating connections between locations. At the same time, the open unit count remains modest relative to the development ambitions, so buyers are assessing both the existing system and its ability to execute the planned expansion. The Loan Activity Score is 58, categorized as Moderate by independent analysis. PeerSense helps franchise buyers review considerations such as SBA lending history, Loan Activity Score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and comparisons with other full service restaurant concepts. PeerSense is a commercial capital advisory firm that introduces qualified franchise buyers to SBA and conventional lenders; it is not a lender and does not approve or provide loans.