Great Harvest Selects Toast for US Bakery Franchise Technology

Great Harvest has selected Toast as its strategic point-of-sale partner, setting out a technology upgrade intended to support franchise owners across its US bakery-café network. Announced on 12 November 2026, the agreement covers Toast Enterprise Solutions and brings together plans for point-of-sale systems, handheld devices, kitchen displays and multi-location management tools.

A technology foundation for more than 150 bakeries

Great Harvest operates a national franchise network of more than 150 bakery-cafés across the United States. Founded in 1976, the brand is known for scratch-baked bread, daily baked goods and custom-built sandwiches, using whole wheat flour from Montana farms.

The agreement with Toast is positioned as an investment in the network’s technology foundation rather than simply a replacement for its tills. According to the announcement, Great Harvest wants to strengthen operational support while preserving the flexibility its individual bakery owners enjoy.

That balance is central to the stated purpose of the partnership. Great Harvest selected a platform intended to provide a shared foundation and additional capabilities without sacrificing local operational flexibility. The announcement also identifies a consistent approach to implementing systems in new bakeries as a requirement.

For the US franchise community, the distinction is important: this is a support and infrastructure announcement, not a new outlet development deal. Great Harvest says it continues to grow through a combination of new and existing franchisees, but the agreement does not set out a new bakery opening target.

What franchise owners can expect

The planned implementation includes Toast POS, Toast Go 3 handheld devices, Kitchen Display Systems and Multi-Location Management. Operators will also have the option of using Toast Payroll.

These are separate elements of the proposed package, with payroll specifically described as optional. The announcement presents the wider suite as a way to give Great Harvest better visibility across locations and create further opportunities to support operational performance in its cafés.

Great Harvest has already used Toast’s Kitchen Display Systems in a test aimed at reducing friction and ticket times on the line. That provides an example of the operational work behind the agreement, although the announcement gives no measured reduction in ticket times or other quantified results from the test.

The distinction between testing and proven outcomes matters for franchise owners assessing the news. The release describes intended benefits and a planned implementation; it does not establish that every bakery has installed the systems or achieved the same operational improvements.

Supporting local owners while building consistency

Great Harvest chief executive John Dikos framed the partnership around the needs of local bakery owners and the practical demands of running their businesses.

“As we get started with Toast, we see a significant opportunity to strengthen our operations and provide our franchisees with technology that can support growth, simplify complexity, and allow them to focus on what they do best: scratch-baking delicious bread and serving their guests with unmatched hospitality,” he said.

His comments place the technology programme in the context of bakery operations and customer service. The stated ambition is to support the work franchisees already do, while making the systems behind that work less complex.

Great Harvest’s 50-year operating history is also part of the selection rationale. The announcement says the brand needed a partner able to manage the complexities of its existing operations and legacy while supporting a consistent approach for new bakeries. Toast, which serves hundreds of multi-unit brands, was selected to meet those requirements.

What to watch as implementation progresses

The next meaningful development will be how the planned tools translate into day-to-day support for owners. Better visibility across bakeries, simpler operations and support for growth are the objectives identified in the announcement, rather than reported results.

For franchisees, the optional payroll component also makes it worth distinguishing between the shared technology programme and services available by choice.

The practical takeaway: owners evaluating a franchise technology change should ask which tools are included, which are optional and how operational benefits will be measured. Great Harvest’s agreement establishes the direction of travel; implementation will determine the results.