Buying a Franchise
KFC Asked a Bold Question: What Would the Colonel Build Today? Here’s the Surpising Answer.
This summer the chain opens a completely reimagined restaurant in Texas to test what the brand's next decade looks like.
Franchise 500
Franchise Profile
He Walked Away From Wall Street at 23 to Open a Frozen Yogurt Shop. Now He’s CEO of the Entire Franchise, Which Brings In Over $20 Million a Year.
Neil Hershman left behind a lucrative but unfulfilling finance career to pursue a new venture.
By Sherin Shibu
Buying a Franchise
McDonald’s Rolls Out a New Growth Plan As Rivals Close In: ‘There Is No Such Thing As Second Place’
After four straight quarters of growth, McDonald's is still reinventing its menu, stores and drive-thru to keep up with the competition.
Buying a Franchise
Want to Open a Dairy Queen? The Company Will Hand You $150,000 Cash.
The Minneapolis-based brand is paying franchisees who open new Grill & Chill locations — and the payout gets bigger for repeat openers.
Business News
What Are Your Franchise Fees Actually Paying For? Here’s the Full Breakdown
As a franchisee, you’ll be paying various fees to the franchisor throughout the duration of your partnership. It’s vital to know what franchisor support will look like within your chosen brand or concept and fully understand what these fees are providing for you.
By David Busker
Buying a Franchise
He Watched His Stanford Friends Become Dotcom Millionaires — Then Bought 8 Applebee’s and Became a Billionaire
Greg Flynn skipped the dotcom rush to bet on franchising. He now runs more than 3,000 outlets across seven brands and three countries.
Buying a Franchise
Lowest-Cost vs. Big-Budget Burgers: Which Hamburger Franchise Investment Is Right for You?
Whether you’re seeking a lower barrier to entry or a household name, these burger brands on the 2026 Franchise 500 offer opportunities at every investment level.
By David James
Buying a Franchise
Americans Eat 10 Billion Doughnuts a Year — And These Franchises Are Cashing In
Doughnuts aren't just a guilty pleasure. They represent a significant and growing business opportunity.
By David James
Buying a Franchise
Pizza Hut Is Bringing Back Red Roofs, Red Cups and Pac-Man — Here’s What Customers Are Saying
Some pizza restaurant franchisees are returning to the glory days of the 1980s and customers just can't get enough.
Buying a Franchise
Dunkin’ and Buffalo Wild Wings Owner Files for $20 Billion IPO — It Could Be One of the Biggest Restaurant Offerings Ever
Inspire Brands, which has more than 33,300 restaurants worldwide, confidentially filed for an initial public offering.
Buying a Franchise
How Multi-Concept Ownership Benefits Both Franchisors and Franchisees
Multi-concept ownership isn't just about scaling faster; it's about scaling smarter with complementary businesses.
By Jeff Brazier
Buying a Franchise
This is the One Question You Must Get Answered at a Franchise Discovery Day
Discovery Day is a critical step in the decision-making process that helps both parties move forward with confidence or decide not to proceed.
By Ray Titus
Buying a Franchise
How To Evaluate Franchisor Support Without Falling For The Sales Pitch
Franchise support is often sold as a promise, but experienced operators know it must be evaluated through systems, structure and consistency.
By Adam Povlitz
Buying a Franchise
What Smart Franchise Buyers Know Before They Ever Step Into Confirmation Day
With such a big decision on the line, you must be prepared to walk in to make the best possible decision for your future.
By David Busker
Business News
Here’s One Operational Upgrade I’d Put In Place to Protect Franchises from Peak-Hour Chaos
When scaling exposes friction, unreliable connectivity is often one of the hidden forces quietly getting in the way.
By Greg Davis
Buying a Franchise
Beware the Timing Trap — Is There Ever a Right Time to Start a Franchise?
Waiting for the "right" time to start a franchise often delays action, when success depends more on preparation and execution than perfect timing.
By David Busker
Thought Leaders
Why Franchise Discovery Day Isn’t a Sales Pitch — It’s a Stress Test for Your Alignment
Franchise Discovery Day reveals far more than enthusiasm. It exposes whether a candidate and a brand can succeed together for the long haul.
By Adam Povlitz
Buying a Franchise
How to Balance Passion and Practicality When Exploring a Business Opportunity
Passion can work for or against you in a business model. Your goal? Make it work for you.
By David Busker
Thought Leaders
I Stopped Reading Franchise Agreements as Contracts — Here’s What I See Instead
Seasoned franchise leaders know the agreement reveals how a system will grow, govern and respond to pressure long before the first unit opens.
By Adam Povlitz
Franchise 500
What It Takes to Win In Franchising In 2026
Here's what we learned from the brands on this year's Franchise 500 ranking.
By Jason Feifer
Franchise 500
Jersey Mike’s Sold for $8 Billion. Their New CEO Is Ready to Double Their 3,200 U.S. Locations.
Jersey Mike's is #1 on the Franchise 500 for the first time, with a new CEO. He plans to scale at an ambitious pace, while preserving the brand's 50-year legacy.
By Jason Feifer
Franchise 500
This Beloved Fast-Food Franchise Boasts a Bold Strategy to Hit $3 Million Per Location
The brand isn't just maintaining its #2 spot on the Franchise 500 — it's setting ambitious targets for 2030.
Franchise 500
How This Buzzy Brand Manages to ‘Attract My 18-Year-Old Niece and Not Frustrate My 83-Year-Old Father’
The #3 brand on our franchise 500 has proven masterful at selling to multiple generations
Franchise 500
‘We’re Faster Than Amazon’: How Ace Hardware Is Beating Big Tech While Selling Local
At #4 on our Franchise 500, the 102-year-old company is using a hyperlocal strategy with franchisees to drive digital growth.
Franchise 500
This 72 Year-Old Education Brand Is Staying On Top By Doing One Crucial Thing In-Person
Kumon invests heavily in learnings across regions. That landed it at #5 on our Franchise 500.
Franchise 500
With Zero Orders Placed, AI Says to Drop 50 Wings In the Fryer. It’s Cut Customer Wait Times In Half.
Wingstop's Smart Kitchen, which uses machine learning to predict exactly when to start preparing food, has helped the brand land at #6 on the Franchise 500.
Franchise 500
The UPS Store Gets 5x the Packages It Did In 2019. Here’s How They’re Handling the Growth.
Peer to peer learning among franchisees has helped The UPS Store land at #7 on the Franchise 500.