Petaluma may have become famous for its chickens, but if one nationally famous food brand has its way, we may soon be known for our spiral-cut pork products, too. The Honey Baked Ham Co., based in Alpharetta, Georgia, is actively seeking a potential franchisee to open up a retail store in Petaluma, one that would sell its hams and turkeys, operate a catering business and serve fresh ham sandwiches and other lunch items. “We’re looking at a number of markets across the country to expand into,” said Eric Edwards, head of franchise development for the Honey Baked Ham Co. “I would say Petaluma is one of our top target markets right now. We just have to find the right people to help us do that.” The Honey Baked Ham Company was founded in 1936 by Detroit ham salesman Harry Hoenselaar. As the story goes, one life-changing night in the middle of the Great Depression, Hoenselaar had a dream about a spiral-cutting ham-slicing device – and then proceeded to build one out of a tire jack, a pie tin, a washing machine motor and a knife. It was not until 1957 that Hoenselaar established his own business producing and selling spiral-sliced hams, but by that time the spiral cut ham was already on its way to becoming an irresistible icon of buffet tables and holiday dinners across the country. In the 68 years since it was founded, the company’s reach has expanded across the United States. In a 2019 article in the New York Times, the National Pork Board stated that spiral-cut hams comprised about 34% of all the ham sold in country. Today, still owned and operated by Hoenselaar’s descendants, the Honey Baked Ham Company has 450 retail stores in 48 states – many of those outlets operated as franchise businesses.“Our outlets are about 50/50 corporate owned and franchise operations,” said Edwards. “For Petaluma, we are definitely looking at working with a franchisee.” Currently, the Honey Baked Ham store that is closest to Sonoma County is in Oakland. Other markets in the general area that are being considered include Vacaville. “We’ve been looking at markets all across the country,” noted Edwards. “We started doing a deep dive into places we really want to be – not the typical demographics – and we came up with close to a dozen potential markets, places that really stood out.” Among the key elements that made Petaluma stand out, Edwards said, are its “vibrant downtown,” its “food-centric” populace, and the large number of families who call the town home. “All of those are factors around which Honey Baked Ham really starts to thrive,” he said. Edwards said the company has identified a few potential franchisees, but invites any strong candidates to reach out, with a goal of opening up in Petaluma sometime in 2026. A good candidate, he pointed out, is someone with previous experience in food service and catering. “Catering is a big thing with us, let me tell you,” he said. “Game day has become a major force with our products. It’s hard to beat our box lunches on a big game day. That’s food that travels easily, and cleans up well afterwards.” The average Honey Baked Ham operation employs between 10 and 15 part-time workers, Edwards said, and typically twice as many over the holidays when demand for hams and turkeys doubles. “We have a lot of teens working with us as their first job, or college students looking to make some extra money,” he said. “We get a lot of retirees, too, especially people looking for seasonal work. It tends to be a very festive atmosphere. We are proud to say we have a lot of regulars, people who return at the holidays every year.” The financial costs to open a Honey Baked Ham franchise include a $15,000 development fee and an franchise fee of $15,000, Edwards said, citing numbers that can also be found on the company’s franchise page, which indicate an overall initial investment ranging from $581,400 to $876,950. Once a local franchisee has been locked in, Edwards added, they will be trained at the Honey Baked Ham headquarters in Alpharetta, with the company continuing to work with the franchisee in training their staff. The company’s official estimate of average net sales per year for one retail store are currently $989,787. Whoever ends up becoming the locally-based franchisee to open up Petaluma’s first Honey Baked Ham franchise, Edwards said the company is eager to start working together. “We really can’t wait to be part of the community there in Petaluma,” he said. “From everything we’ve seen, we think it looks like a place we’d really fit into nicely. We honestly can’t get there fast enough.”
