Things You Should Know Before Becoming a Franchisee Owner In basic terms, franchisee means getting a license or authority to use the name and product of an existing business. A brand that is already running successful in the market and doing a great business, buying it's franchisee will help a person to establish and run successful business. Suppose you are buying a coffee shop franchise then, the party that grants the franchise is known as the franchiser and you will become the franchisee owner as you have purchased the franchise of the business.