Franchise

Building a Business

He Joined a Brand With Barely Any Tech — and Now It’s Chasing 750 Stores. His Secret to Growth Starts With the Cashiers.

Shipley Do-Nuts has been around since 1936. Kerry Leo is making sure it's ready for the next 90 years.

By Shawn P. Walchef

Buying a Franchise

They Borrowed $40,000 From Friends and Family to Open a Coffee Kiosk — Now Their Franchise Is Worth $1 Billion

Don and Linda Eckles started Scooter's Coffee in a tiny, renovated Chinese restaurant. Today, they have 912 franchises.

By Jonathan Small

Franchise 500

Little Caesars Just Made ‘History’ With Drone Delivery — Now You Can Get 2 Pizzas and Drinks in 4.5 Minutes

The pizza chain partnered with Flytrex to fly full family meals through the air, with big plans to eventually reach 100 million people.

By Jonathan Small

Franchise 500

77 Hardee’s Locations Closed for Good —And the Franchisee Behind Them Is Filing for Bankruptcy

ARC Burger operated restaurants across nine states before shuttering everything in December and laying off 1,600+ employees.

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

Jeni’s Ice Cream Just Scooped Up the CEO Who Was Fired From Ben & Jerry’s — He’ll Oversee Its Franchise Expansion

David Stever was pushed out of Ben & Jerry's over social activism tensions. Now he's leading rival Jeni's in its franchising efforts.

By Jonathan Small

Franchise 500

Chicken Salad Chick Just Had a Record Quarter With Nearly 50% Growth — This Is What’s Driving It

The franchise awarded 52 new restaurant locations in Q1 2026, up nearly 50% from the same period last year.

By Jonathan Small

Building a Business

This Anonymous Posting Strategy Helped Him Build a Big Following — and Led to Investors and Partners Finding Him First

Ryan Feghali started posting under a fake name just to think out loud. It ended up becoming one of his most valuable business assets.

By Shawn P. Walchef

Franchise 500

Jersey Mike’s Is Going Public After Blackstone Bought It for $8 Billion. Here’s What’s Next.

The sandwich chain confidentially filed for an IPO less than two years after the private equity giant acquired it.

By Jonathan Small

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

Building a Business

He Bought a Business for $22,000 and Scaled It to 235 Locations. This Simple Strategy Made His Employees Millionaires.

Eddie Flores Jr. believes in the power of Hawaiian identity. Here's how he created a restaurant empire and passed wealth to his employees.

By Shawn P. Walchef

Franchise Profile

He Turned Down a $1M Job Offer Because He Had a Novel Idea. Then He Grew That Business to $22M in 3 Years.

A typical new Rolling Suds franchisee needs between $350,000 and $450,000 in capital to launch.

By Sherin Shibu

Building a Business

The Strategy P.F. Chang’s New CMO Is Betting On — And What It Means for Your Business

Here’s an inside look at Holly Smith’s first 90 days at P.F. Chang’s and how it can help your marketing team.

By Shawn P. Walchef

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

Franchise Profile

At Age 24, He Ditched Becoming a Lawyer to Open a Coffee Shop. Last Year It Brought In $40 Million.

Gregory Zamfotis chose lattes over the law, deciding midway through law school that he wanted to start his own business.

By Sherin Shibu

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

Buying a Franchise

How this Burger Franchise Turns Local Traffic into Loyal Fans

Wayback Burgers provides comprehensive support as a way to de-risk entry for entrepreneurs who may be new to food service.

By David James

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

Business News

Papa John’s Could Go Private. Here’s Who Wants to Buy It for $1.5 Billion.

A Qatari-backed investment fund offered $47 per share, representing a roughly 50% premium to where the stock traded before the bid.

By Jonathan Small

Buying a Franchise

What Makes You Notice a Store’s Sign, or Ignore It? The Answer Makes This Franchise $115 Million a Year.

The franchise added 20,000 new clients in 2025 alone.

By Sherin Shibu