When a franchisor gets bought out by private equity, there is always a resounding cry of celebration by the franchisees,” said no one. On a popular franchise Facebook group, franchisees are often caught between optimism and unease. Recently, I read this post: “The new owners are sharp with numbers, but something about the brand’s soul […]
Private equity (PE) is no longer a peripheral player in franchising; it’s central. FRANdata estimates that more than 12.4% of active U.S. franchise brands (regardless of how long they’ve been franchising) now have some level of PE ownership or investment backing. That represents hundreds of brands, spanning nearly every sector of franchising. One notable trend […]
For decades, real estate pros could point to traffic counts, growth corridors, or anchor tenants and then predict a location’s success. But franchising is more complicated now. A site that’s perfect for one concept might doom another. Likewise, even the best brand-location match can fail in the hands of an underqualified operator. That’s why the […]
A new era of franchise marketing is emerging. New AI and technology tools are democratizing marketing execution. Franchise brands aren’t just saying they’re getting smarter; they’re putting real money behind it. New data from the 2025 FRANdata/International Franchise Association Franchisor Survey shows that 73% of franchisors plan to increase their marketing spend this year, and […]
Abstract Seventy-five percent of franchisors plan to increase technology spending in 2025, according to FRANdata’s analysis of the IFA 2025 Franchisor Survey — the clearest signal yet that franchise technology investment has moved from aspiration to capital commitment. With 63% of franchise executives targeting technology to cut costs and grow revenues, and 28% specifically naming […]