Ask most emerging franchisors where they are headed, and one mystical goal tends to surface quickly: reaching 100 units. It is the milestone many brands begin chasing from the moment they start franchising—a marker of scale, validation and “proof positive” that the concept can grow beyond its beginnings. With fewer than 18% of franchise brands […]
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 […]
Produced by FRANdata in partnership with the International Franchise Association (IFA), the 2026 Franchising Economic Outlook projects continued growth across the U.S. franchise sector despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. The report forecasts that franchised businesses will total approximately 845,000 establishments, employ nearly 8.9 million workers, and generate more than $920 billion in economic output in […]