Fifteen years in the number-one spot--that's quite an impressive record for the sandwich giant that's hit the top of Entrepreneur's 28th annual Franchise 500® listing.
Yes, Subway has once again earned the coveted No. 1 spot, and the company isn't showing any signs of relinquishing the crown. And with more than 26,000 locations worldwide, Subway co-founder Fred DeLuca doesn't see growth stopping any time soon either. "There's always redevelopment of the market going on," says DeLuca. "Parts of cities are changing, new shopping centers are being built, new housing is being built, and we always have to be scouting those new markets."
Meanwhile, Dunkin' Donuts bubbled its way up from sixth place in 2006 to second place in the 2007 listing. The venerable doughnut purveyor has revamped its brand, turning an old-school favorite into a new-school player by focusing on higher-end coffee beverages like lattes and cappuccinos.
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But perhaps the biggest success story of our top 10 this year is Papa John's. The pizza franchise leapt from last year's 29th place to the respectable 10th place on this year's listing. And Papa John's isn't the only pizza maker back in the spotlight--Domino's was 11th last year, and is now sixth. Hamburger joints McDonald's and Sonic Drive-In also returned to the top 10 this year from their 2006 positions of 16 and 13, respectively.
Who else made the top 10? Take a look:
1. Subway
2. Dunkin' Donuts
3. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service
4. 7-Eleven
5. The UPS Store/Mail Boxes Etc.
6. Domino's Pizza
7. Jiffy Lube
8. Sonic Drive In Restaurants
9. McDonald's
10. Papa John's
To view the entire Entrepreneur Franchise 500®, visit Entrepreneur.com's Franchise Zone. To learn how we determine the placement of franchises on our list, read our methodology. And, finally, to learn how to research and buy your own franchise, check out our how-to guide.