7th Heaven Bakery Café Franchise in the UK

7th Heaven is a multi-award-winning bakery café brand known for its Live Kitchen — where selected cakes are made in front of the customer in about 7 minutes*. The first store opened in 2014, and the brand now operates 350+ outlets across 125+ cities, with a growing presence in the United Kingdom and expansion into the United States. More than 50 franchises have been signed in the UK, and 43 of our franchise owners now run multiple outlets, including operators with 17, 14, 7 and 6 locations.

If you are looking at a cake shop franchise, dessert franchise or bakery café franchise opportunity in the UK, this page explains how the 7th Heaven franchise works, what it costs, what is included and how to apply. The full prospectus is on this page above, and you can request a call using the enquiry form.

Why UK investors choose a 7th Heaven franchise

A concept people come to watch. The Live Kitchen lets customers see selected cakes being finished in about 7 minutes*, which turns an ordinary cake shop visit into an experience and supports word-of-mouth and social media reach.

A wide product range. The wider 7th Heaven portfolio includes 300+ SKUs — celebration and 3D cakes, cupcakes, macarons, donuts, brownies, cheesecakes, waffles, gelato and ice cream, breads and viennoiserie, savouries, coffee and cold drinks. The menu available to an individual franchise varies by model, location and approved range.

More than one way to earn. A 7th Heaven outlet can trade through walk-in and dine-in sales, online ordering through the brand's e-commerce site and delivery platforms such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat, and bulk or B2B supply to parties, corporate events, cafés, restaurants and caterers from your own on-site kitchen.

Training from zero. No previous bakery or catering experience is required. Chefs are trained in our recipes, staff recruitment and training are supported, and service managers visit to review performance and suggest improvements.

Franchise terms written to be fair. The agreement runs for 10 years and is renewable with no renewal franchise fee, franchisees can exit on two months' notice, and each franchise has a defined territory with exclusive operational rights. All terms are subject to the signed franchise agreement.

Franchise models and investment

There are three models. All figures below are indicative, exclude VAT unless stated, and are subject to change depending on the size and specification of the store — an additional £7,500 applies for every extra 100 sq ft.

Classic Model — from 400 sq ft. Total investment £115,000 + VAT, with a minimum indicative cash contribution of £30,000 + VAT. A full premium cake and dessert offer plus bakery and viennoiserie counters.

Plus Model — from 450 sq ft, seating roughly 10–12. Total investment £145,000 + VAT, with a minimum indicative cash contribution of £35,000 + VAT. Adds sit-in desserts, expanded sweet and savoury bakery counters, artisan loaves and a full café beverage menu.

Café Model — from 600 sq ft, seating roughly 16–20. Total investment £190,000 + VAT, with a minimum indicative cash investment of £45,000 + VAT. Adds artisan gelato, all-day brunch, paninis and sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, salads and bowls, and an optional limited bar menu subject to licensing and franchisor approval.

The minimum shop area we will consider is 300 sq ft of carpet area. Royalty is 7.5% of sales, invoiced monthly, with weekly or monthly payment options.

Funding. We work with experienced finance brokers and lenders who can discuss funding with prospective franchisees. Depending on your profile and the lender's criteria, funding of approximately 70–80% of total project cost may be possible in suitable cases. We can make introductions, but every financing decision, term and approval is made independently by the lender and no level of funding is guaranteed.

What the investment covers

The package is designed to hand over a ready-to-run store. It covers the shop fit-out — false ceiling, flooring, painting, wallpaper, cladding, carpentry, lighting and wiring — the Live Kitchen itself, exterior signboard, indoor LED signs and LED menu boards, and opening-day décor.

Kitchen and bakery equipment is included: baking oven, extractor hood, planetary mixer and stand, stainless steel tables, racks, shelves and sinks, upright chiller and freezer, cake and dessert display counters, photo cake printer, cream beater, food processor, waffle maker, icing turntable, blow torch, baking tools, moulds and utensils. Front of house includes POS system, cash drawer, receipt printer, card machine, self-ordering kiosk, speakers, CCTV, customer tables and seating, crockery, menus, posters and uniforms. Plus and Café models add coffee equipment, blenders, ice maker, ice cream counter and further catering equipment. Franchise fees and transportation are included.

Inclusions are subject to the site layout, size, specification, regulatory requirements and operational needs of each outlet, and items may be omitted or substituted where they are not suitable for a particular store. Sponsorship licence costs and taxes are not included, and the initial raw material purchase is separate from the setup cost.

How to open a 7th Heaven franchise, step by step

1. Talk to the franchise team. Send an enquiry and we will arrange a call to answer your questions in detail.

2. Choose your area. We agree the town, city or catchment you want to open in.

3. Pay the deposit. A deposit of £7,500 secures the opportunity.

4. Find the site. Sites need to be in a main trading location — high street, city centre or shopping centre — where footfall is strong. You look for options and our team helps assess and shortlist them.

5. Fit-out and launch. Once the site is surveyed, approved and finalised, fit-out begins. The interior team typically targets around 60–90 days to a trading store including staff training, subject to timely payment of agreed instalments, site readiness, approvals and project-specific requirements.

Already busy? The managed option

Some franchise partners have careers or other businesses. For them we work with a trusted third-party management company that can run and manage the outlet day to day, handling operations, staffing and customer service, with regular reporting and full owner access to sales data and CCTV. The service fee is 7% of total sales, subject to a minimum of £1,500 per month. The management company operates independently and you are free to end that arrangement and appoint your own manager at any time.

Frequently asked questions about the 7th Heaven UK franchise

Which company is behind 7th Heaven in the UK?
The UK company is 7th Heaven Foods Ltd. In India the company is Kitchen Fragrances India LLP, established in 2011, and in the USA it is Kitchen Fragrances USA Inc.

How much does a 7th Heaven bakery franchise cost in the UK?
Total investment is £115,000 + VAT for the Classic model (400 sq ft), £145,000 + VAT for the Plus model (450 sq ft) and £190,000 + VAT for the Café model (600 sq ft), with £7,500 added for every additional 100 sq ft. Minimum indicative cash contributions are £30,000, £35,000 and £45,000 + VAT respectively.

Can I get finance for a bakery franchise?
We can introduce you to finance brokers and lenders. In suitable cases funding of approximately 70–80% of project cost may be possible, depending on credit history, affordability, financial position, security and business experience. Approval and terms are decided by the lender and nothing is guaranteed.

What is the minimum shop size?
300 sq ft of carpet area is the minimum we consider. Larger stores are common and pricing changes with size.

Do I need bakery experience?
No. Complete training is provided, and trained chefs are supplied or recruited with our help.

How many staff will I need?
The Classic model typically needs two chefs plus a counter person. The Plus model adds one full-time and one part-time counter member. The Café model adds a third chef and may need further counter staff. Owners who work in the business themselves often need fewer.

What are the ongoing costs?
Staff wages, rent if the property is not owned, electricity, raw materials, packaging and sundries, and a royalty of 7.5% of sales. Illustrative gross margins of roughly 65–70% before other operating expenses are used in our planning material, subject to actual raw material costs, product mix and operations.

How long does the franchise agreement run?
Ten years, renewable for further ten-year terms with no renewal franchise fee, and an exit on two months' notice.

How long until my store opens?
Fit-out typically targets around 60–90 days after the site is finalised, subject to instalment payments, site readiness, approvals and project requirements.

Where in the UK can I open?
We are speaking to prospective franchisees across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and are particularly interested in high-street, city-centre and shopping-centre locations in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Leicester, Glasgow, Cardiff, Bristol, Nottingham, Coventry, Sheffield, Liverpool, Luton, Slough and other towns and cities with strong footfall.

Request the franchise prospectus

Use the enquiry form on this page, or call or WhatsApp +44 7551 610007 between 9am and 7pm, and a member of the franchise team will get back to you.

*Applies to selected standard cake formats under normal operating conditions. Complex, custom and 3D designs, larger sizes, peak periods and special requirements may take longer.

All prices, costs, timelines, specifications, inclusions and other information on this page are indicative and may be updated. Nothing here is a forecast, projection, promise or guarantee of sales, turnover, profit, margins, return on investment, payback period or business valuation. Actual results vary materially depending on location, local demand, competition, rent, staffing, owner involvement, product mix, operating efficiency, marketing, delivery platforms, wastage, supplier and raw-material costs, financing and other factors. The signed Franchise Agreement and its schedules govern the franchise relationship and prevail over anything stated here. Prospective franchisees should make their own independent commercial assessment and take professional advice before investing.