Buying a Franchise
New to Franchising? Here’s Your Guide to the Must-Know Industry Acronyms.
Discover the meaning behind the industry's most common abbreviations.
By Rob Lancit
Franchises
Building a Business
This NFL Player Worked at Smoothie King in the Off-Season. Here’s Why — And What It Taught Him.
Tennessee Titans safety Xavier Woods made smoothies, cleaned bathrooms and took orders for two weeks.
Thought Leaders
When Your Employees Go Viral — Here’s How Leaders Should Really Respond
A viral moment can make or break a brand — but only if leadership lets it.
Building a Business
I Walked Away From Hustle Culture. Niching Down Changed My Business
Hustle had convinced me I was successful when, in reality, I had built a high-stress job with thin margins and no leverage. I wasn't running a business. I was trapped inside one.
Building a Business
How Frustrated Customers Shaped the Way I Run My Business
My first job taught me lessons about customer experience that shaped every business decision I've made since.
Buying a Franchise
Stroll’s Neighborhood-First Model Turned Local Publishing into a Scalable Advertising Business
This year marks the company's first time back on the Franchise 500 since 2019.
Buying a Franchise
Best Option Restoration Proves Why Systems Beat Guesswork in the $250B Restoration Industry
In just its second year on the Franchise 500, this company has shown significant growth.
Buying a Franchise
Why SERVPRO Remains a Leader in Restoration Services
The #1 restoration franchise climbs three spots on the 2026 Franchise 500.
Buying a Franchise
Strategic Marketing Partnerships Keep Great Clips Front and Center with Consumers
Once again, the hair care giant claims the #1 spot in its industry.
Buying a Franchise
Express Employment Professionals Holds the Top Spot in Staffing for 2026
The company maintains its top spot through a 40-year foundation of putting franchisees first.
Business News
This Is How GLP-1 Drugs Are Forcing Restaurant Chains to Change Their Menus
Weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are causing chains to rethink their offerings.
Buying a Franchise
PuroClean Moves Up the Franchise 500 With Disciplined Expansion
In property damage restoration, maintaining its pace year after year reflects a franchise system that understands sustainable growth.
Business News
McDonald’s CEO Predicts These 3 Food Trends Will Blow Up In 2026
Chris Kempczinski nailed his 2025 predictions. Now he's forecasting what will shape the food industry this year.
Business News
Domino’s Is Quietly Dominating the Pizza Market by Mastering 3 Things Rivals Ignored
The pizza chain has turned loyalty programs and value deals into a competitive weapon.
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
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.
Franchise 500
How Hampton by Hilton Expanded to 46 Countries, Even As Hotel Prices Rose 20%
At #8 on our Franchise 500, their brand's strategy is simple: "It's about the feeling you get when you walk through the door."
Franchise 500
This CEO Ate 10 Chicken Sandwiches In a Day and Got ‘So Sick.’ But It Led to 30% Sales Growth.
After 18 months of culinary invention, their sales jumped, landing them at #9 on the Franchise 500.
Franchise 500
McDonald’s Sales Jump 2.4% After They Revived This Old School Strategy
How the Golden Arches landed back in the Franchise 500 Top 10.
Franchise 500
From Celebrity Investors to AI That Cuts Labor Costs by 90% — How 5 Brands Made Massive Leaps
What drove explosive franchise growth in 2025? Here are the five different growth strategies that helped these franchises rocket up in the Franchise 500 rankings.
By Kim Kavin
Franchise 500
‘Computers Can’t Tie Balloons’: 8 Innovative New Franchises
These franchises identified market gaps, and are turning unique ideas into scalable business models for our current moment.
By Jason Feifer
Franchise 500
A Day In the Life of a Franchisee Who Took His Store from $700K to $1.8 Million
Raul Larez now owns two Batteries Plus locations, but still has plenty of time for family. We asked him to keep a diary of one average day.
By Raul Larez
Franchise 500
Raise Prices or Cut Staff… How About Neither? Try The Strategy That Worked For These 5 Brands
When costs climb and consumers tighten budgets, most franchises raise prices or cut staff. But the smartest brands are reengineering value.
By Matt Haller