Black Bear Diner is composed of a close-knit group of franchisees that we consider to be extended parts of our family. Being a franchisee comes with a lot of responsibilities, but the rewards are practically unlimited. 

What are the steps to becoming a Franchisee?

• Get to know Black Bear Diner. Read the website and, when possible, visit a few of our locations.

• Fill out the Franchise Inquiry Form.

• We will contact you and discuss your interest in Black Bear Diner.

• We will send you the FDD and application to fill out, in order to provide (and receive) further information.

• You will be scheduled to meet our founders and leadership team at our support center in Redding, California.

• You will sign either the franchise agreement or development agreement, and pay the initial fees.

• Finally, you’ll build your future! After locating a potential new site, the site will be evaluated for approval, and training will be scheduled.

• Upon completion of construction, you’ll be open for business. Welcome to the team!

Home-style cooking, small-town hospitality, and bear-sized portions are the three legs of the stool at Black Bear Diner. They take some time to learn. Over the past twenty years, we have developed comprehensive pre-opening and ongoing training materials and methods to train your management and staff to operate your Black Bear Diner — the same way Bob and Bruce did twenty years ago.

We are committed to supporting all our franchisees with:

• An eight-week management training program at one of our certified training restaurants.

• A team of certified trainers to ensure a smooth and successful opening.

• A complete operations manual, recipe book, and preparation guide for each of your restaurants.

• Training and trainers guides for each team member job function.

• Organization, sanitation, cleanliness standards, and ongoing communication.

• Suggested opening and closing management procedures.

• Management and operations systems, tools, and processes.

• Aloha and CTUIT training, our comprehensive back-of-the-house accounting system, and POS.

• Ongoing operational and financial-control consultation.

• Regular visits from your Franchise Support Manager.

• Annual Black Bear Diner University training, which focuses on leadership and preserving the Black Bear culture.

Site Selection and Design

We have helped build and select Black Bear Diners all over the country, with more on the way. This experience helps us select quality sites. We look for locations that are supported with good visibility and high traffic counts, like those near major roads and freeways, as well as locations with strong daytime and residential populations. We do not take this part of the process lightly — if you succeed, we succeed.

We build and look for three types of facilities, ideally between 4000 and 6500 SF:

• Exiting restaurant conversions.
• Prominent end-caps.
• Ground-up freestanding buildings.

Product and Distribution

To ensure quality and consistency throughout our brand, we have developed a strong relationship with key suppliers and distributors:

• National purchasing programs with contract pricing.
• Fast and accurate support to quickly address and solve any issues.
• Preferred equipment and service providers.

Product Development and Innovation

Although our menu has stood the test of time, we continue to look for new tastes and items that will feed the appetite of our loyal guests. We are committed to continually improving our menu through the introduction of new items, improving our existing items, and running limited time offers. We support each rollout with a comprehensive training guide to ensure flawless implementation system-wide.

Marketing and Advertising

Along with Black Bear Diner national advertising and marketing programs, we provide our franchise community with guidance and assistance with local programs. We have tried a lot of them, and we are happy to share what we’ve learned over the past twenty years. We know what it takes to earn a dollar — and when it comes to spending it, we’re here to help you spend it wisely. We also help with any printed materials you’ll need, because we know the importance of a consistent and effective brand message.

We offer assistance and support on:

• Site selection.
• Restaurant design and layout.
• Review and analysis of layout, design and construction drawings.
• Specified equipment lists.
• Preferred Black Bear Diner vendors.