GOTO Foods

What GOTO Foods does

GoTo Foods is a privately held, Atlanta-based multi-brand restaurant franchise platform company that develops, owns, and franchises seven iconic foodservice brands: Auntie Anne's (hand-rolled soft pretzels), Carvel (ice cream and cakes), Cinnabon (cinnamon rolls), Jamba (smoothies and bowls), McAlister's Deli (sandwiches), Moe's Southwest Grill (Mexican fast-casual), and Schlotzsky's (toasted sandwiches), plus Seattle's Best Coffee on certain military and international bases. Originally established in 2001 as Focus Brands, the company was built through a sequenced acquisition strategy and rebranded to GoTo Foods in 2024 after completing a two-year enterprise transformation unifying the portfolio under shared marketing, digital, supply chain, and franchise development services. As of late 2025 the platform spans approximately 7,100–7,200 franchised locations across all 50 U.S. states and 70+ countries, generating roughly $4.1 billion in system-wide sales.

GoTo Foods monetizes primarily through franchise royalties and initial franchise fees (recurring subscription-like revenue from ~7,200 franchisees), a brand licensing division rated #4 globally in Food & Beverage licensing with more than 100 products and over $1B in annual retail CPG sales, gift card sales across 3,700+ U.S. locations via the CashStar/Blackhawk platform, and supply chain / advertising fund contributions. The technology stack is centered on a unified-commerce architecture being built under new CEO Omer Gajial (appointed December 2025), linking front-end digital ordering, loyalty (4M+ members added in 2025), and gift card systems with back-end inventory and staffing, alongside pilots of AI-driven tools. Distribution is omnichannel: traditional franchised restaurants, non-traditional venues (malls, airports, c-stores via the US Market partnership), third-party delivery (Favor/H-E-B, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub), and licensed retail CPG.

The primary customer segments are franchisee entrepreneurs and multi-unit developers seeking established brand equity with shared enterprise services, plus retail consumers purchasing both in-restaurant and licensed grocery/CPG products. Forward momentum is supported by 1,400+ new unit commitments in 2025, the India market entry (45 locations by 2033), next-generation restaurant prototypes (e.g., Schlotzsky's, achieving a 20–25% reduction in operating costs), and recent partnerships (Favor, DailyPay, Sytes). The company is privately held with no public listing; financing includes a KBRA-rated whole-business securitization (Series 2026-1) at the GoTo Foods Funding LLC and Jamba Juice Funding LLC level.

Name

GOTO Foods

Legal name

GoTo Foods LLC

Website

https://gotofoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

GoTo Foods is a privately held, Atlanta-based franchise platform company that owns and franchises seven iconic restaurant brands — Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister's Deli, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky's — across 7,100+ locations in 50 states and 70+ countries, generating $4.1B in system-wide sales via royalties, licensing, and franchise fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Franchising

NAICS

Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Other Food Manufacturing (3119), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Bakery Products (2050), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Functional Packaged Foods (Gluten-Free, Keto, Organic, Medical/Allergen-Friendly) (CRADAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Distribution (CRAOABAF), Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

Keywords

• Multi-brand restaurant franchising
• Quick-service franchise platform
• Fast-casual franchise brands
• Restaurant brand licensing
• Franchise development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Franchise Royalties and Fees: GoTo Foods generates revenue through franchise royalties and initial franchise fees from its network of over 7,100 franchised locations across seven brands. Franchisees pay ongoing royalties based on sales, providing recurring revenue.
2. Brand Licensing: GoTo Foods licenses its brands for consumer products including grocery items, with over 100 products and more than $1B in annual retail sales. The company is rated #4 Food & Beverage Global Brand Licensor.
3. Multi-Channel Product Solutions: Licensing division drives growth across consumer-relevant occasions whether on the go, in grocery stores, schools, at home, or in the office through innovative new products with category-leading partnerships.
4. Gift Card Sales: Sale of gift cards for all seven brands, available at over 3,700 U.S. locations with bulk purchase options for businesses. Cards are reloadable at brand restaurants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GOTO Foods (formerly Focus Brands) is a multi-brand restaurant franchise platform company that owns, operates, and franchises seven iconic food and beverage brands — Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister's Deli, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky's — across more than 7,100 franchised locations in all 50 U.S. states and 70+ countries. The company also runs a licensing division that places its brands into grocery, convenience, and retail channels (over 100 products and more than $1B in annual retail sales), generating revenue through franchise royalties, initial franchise fees, and brand licensing royalties.

Product overview

GOTO Foods is a multi-brand restaurant platform company (formerly Focus Brands) operating seven iconic foodservice brands as a unified portfolio. The company functions as a platform-plus-brand architecture, with each brand operating independently while sharing enterprise-level support in marketing, digital technology, and franchise development. The portfolio includes Auntie Anne's (hand-rolled pretzels, 2,100+ locations), Carvel (ice cream and cakes, 400 locations), Cinnabon (cinnamon rolls, 2,300+ locations), Jamba (smoothies and bowls, 770+ locations), McAlister's Deli (deli/sandwich, 500+ locations), Moe's Southwest Grill (Mexican fast-casual, 570+ locations), and Schlotzsky's Deli (toasted sandwiches, 290+ locations). Additionally, the company operates a licensing division for multi-channel brand extensions and manages Seattle's Best Coffee on military bases and international markets. Combined portfolio spans over 7,100 locations generating $4.1 billion in system-wide sales across all 50 U.S. states and 70 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Auntie Anne's: World's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel bakery with more than 1,950 bakery locations worldwide in malls, outlet centers, airports, train stations, travel plazas, colleges and universities, and non-traditional shopping and entertainment centers.
• Carvel
• Cinnabon
• Jamba
• McAlister's Deli
• Moe's Southwest Grill
• Schlotzsky's Deli

Products and services

• Auntie Anne's Franchise Franchise rights to operate world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel bakery brand, with more than 1,950 bakery franchise locations worldwide in malls, airports, travel plazas, and universities. Known for sweet and savory pretzels, Pretzel Dogs, and signature lemonade.
• Carvel Franchise Franchise rights to operate nation's first retail ice cream franchise and leading manufacturer of uniquely shaped ice cream cakes including Fudgie the Whale and Cookie Puss, with more than 350 franchised and food service locations.
• Cinnabon Franchise Franchise rights to operate the market leader among cinnamon roll bakeries, with more than 1,600 franchise locations worldwide in high-traffic venues such as shopping malls, airports, train stations, and travel plazas.
• Jamba Franchise Franchise rights to operate a global lifestyle brand serving freshly blended fruit and vegetable smoothies, bowls, fresh-squeezed juices, and shots, with more than 850 locations operating in 36 U.S. states and internationally.
• McAlister's Deli Franchise Franchise rights to operate a fast-casual deli restaurant offering premium sandwiches, baked potatoes, salads, and soups with ingredients like Black Angus roast beef, Black Forest ham, and artisan breads. Has opened its 500th restaurant and is on track to become a billion-dollar brand.
• Moe's Southwest Grill Franchise Franchise rights to operate a fast-casual Mexican restaurant franchise known for its 'Welcome to Moe's!' greeting and fresh, create-to-order burritos with more than 600 locations across the country.
• Schlotzsky's Deli Franchise Franchise rights to operate the home of The Original toasted sandwich since 1971, offering highest-quality sandwiches, pizzas, salads, and soups with more than 330 locations in the U.S.
• GOTO Foods Licensing Division Brand licensing division that extends GOTO Foods brands into consumer-packaged goods and retail channels, including grocery, schools, and offices, leveraging over 100 products across the seven brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly tripled total system sales since 2019
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Favor (H-E-B)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 June 2026Favor, the Texas-based food delivery service owned by H-E-B (acquired in 2018), partnered with GoTo Foods to add five restaurant brands—Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister's Deli, and Schlotzsky's—comprising over 550 Texas locations. The partnership offers GoTo franchisees lower commission costs and more pricing flexibility compared to larger platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Favor serves 400 cities in Texas with a network of over 100,000 contract delivery drivers.
• DailyPaycoreTechnology or Integration · 24 February 2026DailyPay became the sole preferred on-demand pay vendor for GoTo Foods' franchise network covering brands including Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister's Deli, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky's. The partnership enables frontline employees at GoTo Foods domestic franchise locations to access their earned wages on demand as a financial wellness benefit, helping attract and retain talent in the competitive quick-service restaurant labor market.
• SytesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Sytes, a tenant demand-driven commercial real estate marketplace, counts GoTo Foods as its first customer. Sytes launched nationally on February 11, 2026, aiming to modernize leasing by making tenant expansion intent visible to landlords and developers. GoTo Foods uses the platform for franchise expansion planning.
• US MarketminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2026West Coast convenience retailer US Market signed a franchise agreement with Cinnabon (owned by GoTo Foods) to open six Cinnabon locations inside its c-stores, with the first having debuted in Salem, Oregon. Cinnabon marks US Market's first quick-service restaurant franchise, expanding Cinnabon's Oregon presence where it already operates 16 locations. US Market operates 43 of its 50 stores in the Beaver State.
• CashStar (Blackhawk Network)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGoTo Foods gift cards are sold online through CashStar, a Blackhawk Network business. Cards are available for consumer gifting and bulk purchase with a $500 minimum, and are also available in growing numbers of third-party retail locations, online marketplaces, and consumer incentive programs.
• Make-a-Wish FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoTo Foods partnered with the Make-a-Wish Foundation in 2023 to bring one child's dream of owning a restaurant to life. Through meetings with the Moe's Culinary team, they created a four-course menu tailored to her liking and hosted 70 guests for an unforgettable dinner experience.
• India Market Expansion PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGoTo Foods signed a deal to develop 45 locations in India by 2033 as part of international expansion efforts.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Inspire Brands: Multi-brand restaurant franchise platform owning Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, and Baskin-Robbins under a shared services model. Most structurally comparable peer — same multi-brand platform-plus-brand architecture serving franchisees with centralized marketing, digital, and supply chain support.
• JAB Holding Company: Private global investment firm holding multiple F&B brands including Panera Bread, Pret A Manger, Krispy Kreme, and Einstein Bagels. Closely comparable multi-brand food/franchise platform investor.
• Dine Brands Global: Publicly traded multi-brand restaurant franchisor owning IHOP and Applebee's. Comparable franchise-platform model with two large legacy U.S. casual-dining brands and a heavy reliance on franchised royalty revenue.
• Restaurant Brands International: Publicly traded multi-brand QSR holding company owning Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs. Directly comparable franchise platform model and CPG licensing activity (BK Café, Tim Hortons grocery).

Broad incumbents

• Domino's Pizza: Publicly traded global QSR franchisor with a heavily franchised model, strong digital ordering technology, and global unit growth. Relevant comparable for franchise economics and digital transformation benchmark.
• Yum! Brands: Publicly traded global QSR franchisor owning KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Habit Burger. Larger incumbent operating a similar asset-light franchise model across multiple iconic brands with global presence.

Emerging players

• Wingstop: Publicly traded QSR franchisor with a 98%+ franchised model, digitally native ordering, and strong unit growth. A relevant single-brand comparable for franchise-system economics and digital-first GTM.
• Bloomin' Brands: Multi-concept restaurant operator (Outback, Carrabba's, Bonefish, Fleming's) pursuing franchising and off-premise growth. Adjacent multi-brand platform at smaller scale than GoTo Foods.
• Brinker International: Casual-dining operator behind Chili's and Maggiano's. Comparable U.S. casual-dining franchise mix but operates as a more traditional restaurant operator than a multi-brand franchise platform.

Others

• Roark Capital: Private equity firm focused on franchised businesses with large restaurant holdings including Inspire Brands, Subway, and Cinnabon (historical investor in GoTo Foods' predecessor). Closest comparable PE-backed multi-brand restaurant portfolio strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gotofoods

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GOTO Foods