ESU Summer 2024

SUMMER 2024

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CONTENTS SUMMER 2024

LISTINGS 22

Hot Brands You Can Buy!

O N T H E C O V E R : S T O C K . A D O B E .C O M / L U B O I VA N KO ; T H I S PA G E : S T O C K . A D O B E .C O M /J E N KO ATA M A N

Our list of the 10 hottest categories in franchising today, and all the brands you can buy in them.

FEATURES 58 How a Brand Can Be Culturally Cool An interview with Taco Bell’s new CEO.

64 What It’s Like to Be a New Franchisee We surveyed hundreds of them. Here’s what they said.

74 Your Next Recruit Could Be a Robot The many surprising ways that AI is used in franchising.

Children’s educational enrichment programs are booming, which includes brands like Code Ninjas.

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CONTENTS

SUMMER 2024

STARTERS 7 Start Here!

What this issue is about.

8 Which Franchise Model Is Right for You? Here’s the biggest first decision for any franchisee.

12 What to Know as a New Franchisee Hard-won advice from someone who did it.

14 Don’t Believe These Myths About Franchising Busting three big beliefs that everyone gets wrong.

16 He Opened 10 Units in 10 Years Here’s how he did it—and how you could too.

18 The Best Low-Cost Marketing Strategy Help your community! It’s good for everyone, and good for business.

80 The 4 Most Powerful Words in Entrepreneurship

Sports franchises are on the rise, like Rumble Boxing—found on our “hottest franchise trends” list.

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PHOTOGR APH COURTESY OF RUMBLE BOXING

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Jason Feifer CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paul Scirecalabrisotto DEPUTY EDITOR Frances Dodds PHOTO DIRECTOR Judith Puckett-Rinella

EDITORIAL

BUSINESS

MANAGING EDITOR Monica Im SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Tracy Stapp Herold COPY CHIEF Jessica Levy RESEARCH Andre Carter, Eric White SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR Jordan Hall

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CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Liz Brody CONTRIBUTING WRITERS David Busker,

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Ashleigh Dennis

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EXECUTIVE EDITOR Brittany Robins

MARKETING

DEPUTY DIGITAL EDITOR Melissa Malamut SENIOR DIGITAL CONTENT DIRECTOR Jessica Thomas ENTREPRENEUR STUDIO DIRECTOR Brad Gage

SVP, INNOVATION Deepa Shah

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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

NEWS REPORTER Sherin Shibu

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FRANCHISE AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

SENIOR BUSINESS EDITOR Carl Stoffers EDITOR, CONTRIBUTOR NETWORK Maria Bailey SUBSCRIPTIONS EDITOR Mark Klekas SENIOR FEATURES WRITER Amanda Breen

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ASSOCIATE EDITORS, CONTRIBUTOR NETWORK

VP, DATA & OPERATIONS Michael Frazier AD OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Daniel Belyaks CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Jake Hudson VP, OPERATIONS Shannon Humphries PROJECT MANAGERS June Munoz, Julianne Page SENIOR ENGINEERS Jace Poirier-Pinto, Geoff Winner ENGINEERS Angel Cool Gongora, Michael Flach, Abel Trotter FRONT-END ENGINEERS Lorena Brito, John Himmelman QUALITY ASSURANCE TECHNICIAN Jesse Lopez ART DIRECTOR Christian Zamorano SENIOR DESIGNER Jayla Buie GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Andrew Chang, Isaac Contreras DIGITAL MEDIA DESIGNER Monica Dipres DIGITAL PHOTO EDITOR Karis Doerner

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Vol. 39, No. 2. Entrepreneur’s Startups (ISSN 1533-743x) is published by Entrepreneur Media Inc., 1651 East Fourth Street, Suite 125, Santa Ana, California 92701. Entrepreneur Media Inc. (“Entrepreneur”) considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/or investment inherently contains certain risks, and it is suggested that the prospective investors consult their attorneys and/or accountants. Entrepreneur’s Startups is distributed with the understanding that the publisher is not rendering legal services or financial advice. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither Entrepreneur nor any of its employees accept any responsibility whatsoever for their activities. Entrepreneur’s Startups is printed in the USA, and all rights are reserved. ©2024 by Entrepreneur. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All letters sent to Entrepreneur will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication or brochure, and are subject to Entrepreneur’s unrestricted right to edit and comment.

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STARTERS I N T RO

Ready to Own Your Own Business?

This magazine is designed to help you. Here’s how.

PHOTOGR APH BY STOCK.ADOBE.COM/ENCIERRO

I

f you picked up this magazine, it’s probably for two reasons: First, you’re looking for something new. Maybe you’re interested in a career change.

Maybe you want more control of your life—to dictate your own schedule, profit from your own labor, and call your own shots.

Second, you think franchising might be your answer. Most people associate franchising with fast-food chains—and while it’s true that brands like McDonald’s and Taco Bell are huge franchise success stories, it’s also true that franchising consists of thousands of brands, providing countless kinds of products and services, and is ripe with opportunities for aspiring business owners.

In short: If you want to be your own boss, but you don’t want to start a new business from scratch, then franchising has truly endless opportunities for you. The only problem is—it can feel like too many options to choose from!

That’s why we created this issue.

This magazine is full of advice for franchisees—how to find the right brand for you, how to better understand franchising, and what it takes to succeed.

And when you flip to page 22, you’ll find the heart of this

issue. It’s our list of the 10 hottest categories in franchising—the spaces where business is really booming, and where aspiring franchisees like you really should be looking. Then we list every franchise brand in that category, so you can browse for the one that best fits your needs.

And how do we know what’s hot? Because we follow this stuff more closely than anyone.

Every year, Entrepreneur magazine looks across franchising and the world at large, and then analyzes industry trends and year-over-year unit

growth. We’re crunching numbers, tracking cultural shifts, and talking to franchise experts.

And we’ve been doing this for a long, long time.

IN 2024, we see a mixture of

historically successful categories and newly thriving ones. Some of these categories, like pets, have been hot for years, and are clearly tied to the way COVID shifted people’s behaviors.

(Remember all those pandemic puppies?) But there are also newly growing categories, which either weren’t surging before or are just beginning to experience

rising levels of competition. In particular, it’s worth looking closely at the ascent of beverages, children’s enrichment, sports, and meal preparation and delivery services.

Should these be the only franchise categories you look at? Of course not. Many other categories are healthy and exciting too, and you should find the brand, and business model, that excites you the most.

But why not start where the heat is hottest? Flip around this magazine, and let the next phase of your career begin!

S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 24 7

SMART CHOICES

Which Franchise Model Is Right for You? There are two big ones: You’re either a location-based business, or you’re service-based. Here’s how to decide between them. by DAVID BUSKER

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hen people want to become franchisees, they have to make a big decision: What type of business do I want to run?

There are thousands of brands and concepts to choose from—hair salons, fitness studios, lawn care companies, moving services, and more. But they all generally fall into one of two business models. There are “location-based businesses,” like hair salons and fitness studios, which have retail storefronts where the customer receives the service at a fixed location. Then there are “service-based brands,” like lawn care and moving companies, which do not have a storefront. The service is provided wherever the customer is.

There are some key differences between brick-and-mortar and service-based businesses. There are different criteria to start them and to grow them. Here are the six most important.

PHOTOGR APH BY STOCK.ADOBE.COM/NE W AFRICA

STARTERS

1 ▶ Investment cost Real estate is usually the biggest factor here. The more real estate intensive a business is, the greater the investment level. Location-based, brick-andmortar franchises generally have higher initial investments.

Building the retail space can be pricey. Picture a fitness studio. You need equipment, like stationary bikes or pilates machines, but also a high-tech sound system, televisions, changing rooms, showers—not to mention the flooring, interior architecture (walls, stage, various rooms), trade dress, and more.

On the other hand, a service-based brand doesn’t necessarily require real estate.

(Some may even operate from a home office.) Some service-based brands may require storage space to house vehicles or equipment to be deployed at the customer’s location. But these sites are ideally less visible and lower-cost industrial spaces— which require few leasehold improvements compared to a customer-facing retail space.

So what can you expect the investment costs to be for each of these options for a single unit or territory? Although there are always exceptions, common ranges are about $250,000-plus for brick-and-mortar, while service-based brands are usually under $300,000.

2 ▶ Ramp-up time This goes hand in hand with investment costs. The time it takes to start earning a positive monthly cash flow, as well as how long it takes to establish repeat business, are both important benchmarks for any sustainable franchise. In terms of speed, service-based brands are more likely to ramp up quickly because of lower invest-

The time it takes to start earning a positive monthly cash flow, as well as how long it takes to establish repeat business, are both important benchmarks for any sustainable franchise.

ment costs upfront and lower fixed overhead costs. Consider a moving-service brand. Once you have the equipment and employees, the month-overmonth operation costs are more closely linked to revenue growth, leading to cash flow more quickly.

Alternatively, a brick-andmortar brand like a salon will have high upfront investment costs (retail space, individual stations, chairs, mirrors, hair wash/dry stations, etc.) and will likely take time to establish a strong customer base in a particular community. However, they tend to have more repeat business and durable income streams over time.

3 ▶ Scalability Brick-and-mortar businesses are typically more scalable.

Once you have a single successful franchise, it’s easier to manage and build an empire by spreading costs over multiple locations. But remember: Each new location will have costly building investments.

With a service-based brand, rather than building more locations to expand, you can increase your territory and drive more penetration within your territories. While this isn’t without additional costs (consider gas money, employees to keep up with demand,

more equipment maintenance, etc.), it requires only incremental investments since you benefit from both increased revenue and economies of scale. By purchasing additional territories in a service-based brand, you scale your revenue and your income multiplier without the same proportional increase in capital investment.

4 ▶ Technology This tends to be relatively equal in terms of usefulness and accessibility. In recent years, technology has transformed the franchise world. Specifically, repeatable but necessary tasks have been streamlined and simplified. For brick-andmortar brands, it’s common to see customers scheduling services directly (hair appointments, fitness class bookings, etc.). For service-based brands, customers can make bookings— and employees can perform tasks like ordering parts, creating estimates, etc.—in real time, which keeps business moving.

5 ▶ Location risk For brick-and-mortar brands, deciding on a location is often a balancing act of finding real estate that is within your price range, and in a popular area.

Since you will be offering services in a fixed location, the further away you are from the

customer, the less likely they are to travel to your location.

For example, a fitness studio needs to be convenient enough for customers to come three to four times per week. The more frequently a customer would like to visit your franchise, the higher density is needed for the same market radius.

For a service-based brand, location is not as important for overall success. Since you or your employees will be traveling to the customer’s location, there is no site selection risk.

However, it is worth noting that if you do expand to multiple territories, you may want to consider renting additional warehouse or storage space to optimize efficiency.

6 ▶ Recession resistance One final factor to consider is the recession resistance of your franchise. Brick-and-mortar brands often offer more discretionary services. These include “everyday services”— hair care, nail salons, etc.—but they are not always considered essential. Service-based brands, on the other hand, often are essential services that must be performed despite fluctuating market trends— think HVAC, plumbing, yard care, or restoration.

At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all franchise for every potential franchisee.

But by understanding the basics of these two categories, you can start to consider which business model type matches most closely with your business goals.

David Busker is the founder of FranchiseVision, a national franchise consultant, and the author of the book Franchise Vision: Transform Your Future Through Franchise Ownership.

S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 24 9

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†Refer to the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document for details. This is not an offering to sell a franchise. Franchise offerings are made through the Franchise Disclosure Document.

Lightspeed Restoration™ is a Home Franchise Concepts brand®. ©2024 Lightspeed Restoration, LLC. All rights reserved.

STARTERS HINDSIGHT

‘What I Wish I’d Known…’

A former franchisee gives advice to all who come after him. by EMILY HOLMES

Research a business.

Research a lifestyle.

“When you’re researching franchises, reach out to a lot of owners and see how their lifestyles are. Is that the lifestyle that you want? Because some businesses may be way more hands-on than you were thinking. Others may be more hands-off than you wanted as a business owner.”

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Buy a franchise.

Buy a franchise’s vision.

“People will buy into a franchise, and then start blaming the franchisor for all the problems.

It’s easy to do that. You forget to look within your own business at what some of the problems could be. So really believe in the brand. Believe in their techniques and their goals. You build a successful brand around things that are working, so execute it the best you can.”

Pick a location with many people.

Study how potential customers move.

“When you’re looking at a map, sometimes you think, These people are going to the center. But maybe there’s a freeway or something that they just don’t normally cross, so they actually may drive farther in a different direction. When looking at real estate, you need someone that knows the way locals travel.”

Build culture after you hire.

Build culture as you hire.

“People can go anywhere for a paycheck. They pick a career because they love what they’re doing and love the people they work around. From day one, it was critical that I hired people who cared about the culture as much as I did. I would start the culture at the interview, to make sure I was hiring candidates that fit it.”

Expand to new cities.

Expand toward customers.

“When we advertise, we hit the whole area. When people call in, I’m getting their zip code and finding out where they live. That’s the next area my clinic would go. Some realtors have given me cities that seemed great, but when I compared it to where people are calling me from and where my marketing is working, I was not capturing people there. Follow the data.”

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF BART BESS

W

hat’s it like being a franchisee?

Bart Bess is a good guy to ask—because he’s on his way out, but also on his way in.

Bess once owned more than 100 retail outlets of a cell phone brand. Then he opened four clinics with QC Kinetix, a franchise that offers regenerative medical treatments for pain management.

Now he’s switching places in the franchise world: In late 2023, he put his clinics up for sale so he could become QC Kinetix’s chief operating officer.

We wanted to know: As Bess transitions over to the franchisor side, what advice does he have for incoming franchisees?

Here’s what he said.

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R E A L TA L K

Busting 3 Major Franchising Myths Is franchising really just for the affluent looking for a turnkey, “easy” path to success?

No, no, and no!

by AB IGRAM AND VINCENT ONYEMAH

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any people don’t understand franchising.

That’s something we’ve discovered throughout our careers, as we’ve studied how great companies grow.

When we talk with university students, seasoned executives, and everyone in between, we frequently encounter myths about franchising. They say that franchises aren’t truly entrepreneurial businesses, for example, or that they can be run lazily.

Wrong! We’ve seen firsthand

how franchising is an excellent model for companies looking to expand and scale, and how it provides incredible opportunities to individuals who want to be entrepreneurial and create economic and social value.

Here are three of the most common misconceptions that you should stop believing.

MYTH #1 ▶ Franchising can succeed on autopilot.

A successful franchise business requires many different partners. The franchisor creates the

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y S T O C K . A D O B E .C O M / VA L E R Y Z A N I M A N S K I

STARTERS

brand, the franchisees expand that brand, and bankers and investors arrange financing for it all to come together.

However, there’s a persistent belief that franchisees have it easy. The argument goes like this: The franchisee just has to open the store, and the franchisor will take care of the rest. After all, isn’t there a playbook already written? Doesn’t the brand just run itself?

Wrong. If you have a fitness plan, that is not the same as actually exercising. The same is true for franchising: It’s great to have a plan, but franchisees need to work hard to execute it themselves.

A new franchisee must navigate a range of complex tasks.

To start, there’s often real estate to build out, launches to plan, leadership teams to develop, and more. Once the business is operational, there are constant labor and supply chain management issues.

Pretty much every franchisee and franchisor we speak to says that they needed grit, resilience, and an entrepreneurial mindset to succeed—even though, yes, the franchisor’s playbook made parts of the journey much less difficult.

“Franchises don’t run themselves,” Soosie Lazenby, who owns and operates four StretchLab franchises in the Tampa Bay metro area, told us. “There’s no such thing as a semi-absentee owner.” Similarly, Neal Faulkner, who went from a single Dunkin’ store 23 years ago to owning multiple locations and having 400 employees today, insists that “franchisees have to work in the business and be ready to do every single task!”

Franchising is an excellent opportunity—but only if you’re willing to do the work.

Myth #2 ▶ Franchising isn’t entrepreneurial.

When people picture “entrepreneurship,” they often imagine starting a business from scratch. But it takes just as much creativity to scale something that already exists.

Faulkner, the Dunkin’ franchisee, is a great example. He grew up on a farm in Kansas, which he describes as a highly entrepreneurial environment. When he opened his first Dunkin’ location, it looked like opening a business from scratch: He had to figure out construction, conduct bank negotiations, manage his employees, and more.

Why do people think this isn’t entrepreneurial? Perhaps it’s because of the top-down model: A franchise gives franchisees a lot of direction and support. But many franchise locations are also laboratories for experimentation, where franchisees can develop new ideas that then spread to the rest of the brand. The McDonald’s Egg McMuffin, the Dunkin’ Munchkin and the Planet Fitness Black Card all began at the individual franchisee level. At Jiffy Lube, a franchisee’s new innovation could be distributed to all other stores within 48 hours!

Franchising can offer the best of both worlds—the chance to be entrepreneurial yourself and to benefit from others’ entrepreneurship. Amanda Bialek, an expert in franchise marketing, summarized it best: “Franchising provides the opportunity to tap into an entrepreneurial spirit with the guidance of a great playbook.”

Myth #3 ▶ Franchises aren’t local.

Some people view a franchise as an extension of a big corporation. But a lot of the time, franchise brands are run by

If you have a fitness plan, that is not the same as actually exercising. The same is true for franchising: It’s great to have a plan, but franchisees must work hard to execute it.

individuals from the community. They are your neighbors, who are looking for a path to ownership and entrepreneurship. These locally owned and operated franchises then create local jobs and local social impact, generating community benefits.

S

imilarly, there’s a perception that franchising is only for wealthy people, and that those wealthy people are simply looking for a new business investment. But today’s franchisees are often younger, and they’re very invested in their company’s growth. Edible Arrangements, for instance, is seeing a lot of young franchise owners who use internet-driven tools to connect with customers.

Franchisors launching a new brand can also be younger.

Cousins Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac joined together to found Cousins Maine Lobster in their late 20s and early 30s—and secured a 15% equity investment from Barbara Corcoran on Shark Tank.

Just as young people shouldn’t overlook franchising, neither should people interested in businesses outside of the typical restaurant brands like KFC or McDonald’s that people often think of as franchises. While franchising is an excellent model for the food industry, many other business-

es, from gyms to urgent care centers to dog daycares, have found success in the franchise model. Franchising is far more local and expansive—in terms of who entrepreneurs are and the types of businesses they operate—than you might expect.

The franchise model provides the opportunity to leverage a proven brand or service to achieve results. It offers the chance to be entrepreneurial. It offers room for growth—multi-unit franchisees now account for most franchise units in the United States. And despite perceptions, many kinds of people and types of businesses can embrace franchising.

Whether franchising is right for you depends on your goals and objectives and the quality of the franchisor. No matter what, success in franchising requires grit, leadership, and an entrepreneurial mindset.

With those in hand, franchising can offer a resilient path to economic success.

Ab Igram teaches entrepreneurship and is executive director of the Tariq Farid Franchise Institute at Babson College. Dr. Vincent Onyemah is a professor and chair of the marketing division at Babson. Together they host the podcast Stars of Franchising: Stories of Inspiration & Entrepreneurial Grit.

S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 24 1 5

STARTERS S U C C E S S S T O RY

How He Opened 10 Franchises in 10 Years After being laid off twice in two years, Josh Grinstead became a GYMGUYZ franchisee—and now makes more than $1 million in annual revenue. Here’s his playbook. by KIM KAVIN

1 ▶ Have extra startup capital.

“No matter what [the franchisor] tells you about capital, go 20% higher,” Grinstead says. “You never know what you’ll need. You might want to spend more on marketing. You might want to spend more on equipment. You want that flexibility.”

And when you’re choosing what to spend on, he says, find a mentor to consult with. “If you’re making decisions, you’ll feel better about them.”

2 ▶ Hold marketing partners accountable.

3 ▶ Learn as you go.

Many franchisees try to become experts at everything—but that’s impossible, Grinstead says. For example, he hates accounting. “I learn enough to get by, to make sure we’re not getting robbed blind,” and then he hires people who are good at it, and commits to learning and improving along the way. “In truth,” he says, “if you have the right mindset for this, you’re never there.”

▶ BONUS TIP Want to Succeed? Increase Your Urgency!

What makes Grinstead so successful? GYMGUYZ has an answer: It’s momentum. “He moves faster. He talks faster. He doesn’t complain. He doesn’t make excuses,” says GYMGUYZ founder Josh York. And that same energy keeps Grinstead pushing through tough times. “Just because you’re buying a franchise doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy,” York says. “You’ve got to push through those challenges. That’s what pays well.”

1 6 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF GYMGUYZ

W

hen Josh Grinstead got laid off for the second time, at 41, he knew he was at a crossroads: “Either stay on the treadmill, be unhappy, and fail to attain my potential,” he says, “or be brave enough to take that midcareer risk.”

Until then, he’d worked in senior management at various colleges. But on aptitude tests, he’d always scored high for entrepreneurial instincts. As a longtime fitness enthusiast, personal training services appealed to him—so in 2015, Grinstead bought three GYMGUYZ territories (GYMGUYZ is a handy acronym for Get You Motivated, Genuine, Unique, You can do it, Zero Excuses).

Today, he owns 10 of them in New Jersey and New York. His annual revenue tops $1 million, he’s first in sales among GYMGUYZ franchisees in 22 states, and last year, the International Franchise Association named him a Franchisee of the Year.

Here’s how he made it happen.

All marketers have ideas, but not all deliver. “They say, ‘Oops, you didn’t get a sale from that $5,000 spread in the magazine? Well, good luck,’” Grinstead says. That’s why he prefers arrangements that reward success. “Maybe you pay them this much for the basics, but if they attain a measurable outcome, you’ll buy an additional amount of ads.”

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“Filled with deep insights and actionable advice for both newcomers and seasoned pros in the franchise game.”

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I M PAC T

Doing Good Is Good for Business

Want to grow your franchise? Invest heavily in your community. by SCOTT GREENBERG

T

he most successful franchisees do not obsess over profit. That might sound counterintuitive, but it shouldn’t be. These successful, wealthy people focus on bigger things. Their goals are loftier, and their vision is wider.

They’re on a mission to make an impact—and it turns out that making an impact can also make you more money.

Often, franchisees think of charity as “giving back” to their community. But that implies you received something in the first place. Community service shouldn’t be a quid pro quo, and having a social impact shouldn’t 1 8 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

be about returning a favor or paying a debt. Give first. Donate first. Serve first.

In turn, your local community will appreciate you—and understand you as a local person operating a local business, even if it’s a franchise of a national or international brand. When they see your commitment to the community, they feel a commitment to you too.

Sometimes, this community commitment originates at the franchisor level. Jersey Mike’s is a great example. During the month of March, the restaurant chain invites guests to give as much money as they want. The cam-

paign culminates with the annual “Day of Giving,” when 100% of proceeds go to more than 200 local charities nationwide that include Special Olympics and the Flutie Foundation. In 2024 alone, this effort raised over $25 million.

The company also identifies its most deserving managers and assistant managers and sets them up with their own shop—covering the lease and all the startup costs.

Another communityminded franchise is MiracleEar. Through its nonprofit Miracle-Ear Foundation, the company provides hearing aids to people who are unable to afford them. One of its franchise owners organizes an entire golf tournament to raise money for the foundation.

But if you’re a franchisee, you don’t need to wait for your franchisor to take the lead.

Engage with your local charitable organizations. Donate to local PTAs, Little League clubs, and wherever your customers (or their kids) are.

Charitable work like this can be great marketing. Professionals

call it “cause marketing”—putting a spotlight on a brand’s social efforts instead of its professional offerings. It works because it helps customers feel connected to a brand. Yes, some people may feel that this is duplicitous. They may question the company’s motives, thinking the brand is only in it for the money. But most people simply don’t think like that— and the most generous brands don’t think that way either.

“I know this is supposed to be good for marketing, but we do it just because it’s the right thing to do,” says Gordon Logan, chairman of Sport Clips Haircuts. His company runs a “Haircuts with Heart” program, which supports veterans, families, and children in need, and partners with many charities.

Even if you’re a young or new franchisee, or if your sales are down, you should start serving your community now. Do it without thinking of it as a tactic to grow your business or expecting anything in return. If you do, you’ll receive payoffs that far exceed money, even when it ends up leading to profit. Life will give back to you. But if all you really care about is maximizing revenue, the action you must take is the same: Think big, and give big.

What we build for ourselves matters less than what we build for others. In the end, we can’t take anything with us. All that will matter then is what we’ve left behind. Wealthy franchisees make plenty of money for themselves, but more importantly, they leave a legacy for the rest of us. Work in a way that contributes to your legacy.

This essay was excerpted from Scott Greenberg’s book, The Wealthy Franchisee. Find it at entrepreneur.com/bookstore.

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y S T O C K . A D O B E .C O M / S E R G E Y N I V E N S

STARTERS

LISTINGS

2 2 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

These Franchise Trends Are Hot! If you’re looking to buy a franchise, start with this list.

We break down 10 of the industry’s hottest trends, and more than 400 brands to choose from. by TRACY STAPP HEROLD

PHOTOGR APH BY STOCK.ADOBE.COM/HALEEMA

W

here are the hottest franchise opportunities right now?

BEVERAGES pg. 24 Every year, we at Entrepreneur CHICKEN pg. 26 like to try answering that quesENRICHMENT tion. To do so, we consider a PROGRAMS pg. 30 few factors: What trends are HEALTH & WELLNESS pg. 34 we seeing in the world at large? In which indusMEAL PREP/DELIVERY pg. 46 tries are we seeing new franchisors pop up?

PEST CONTROL pg. 46 Which industries are seeing high unit growth?

And what does our experience covering the PETS pg. 48 franchise industry for over four decades tell us?

RESTORATION pg. 51 We take those factors into account, and SPORTS pg. 52 then we produce our predictions for the TUTORING pg. 58 10 categories we think will perform well in the near future. As always, this year’s list includes categories that have been thriving for a while, such as chicken, health and wellness, and pets. But you’ll find some exciting newcomers to this year’s list as well, including beverages, meal prep and delivery, and sports.

On the following pages, we share more than 400 franchise opportunities that are available within those categories—some that have been around for decades and others that are brand new. Keep in mind that inclusion on this list does not constitute a recommendation of any specific franchise. Even—and maybe especially—when you’re considering a franchise in a “hot” category, it’s important to do your homework first. Read the company’s legal documents, consult with an attorney and an accountant, and talk to current and former franchisees to decide if the brand and the opportunity are right for you.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N O N B U Y I N G A F R A N C H I S E , VISIT ENTREPRENEUR.COM/ FR ANCHISES.

S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 24 2 3

LISTINGS

BEVERAGES

HTeaO

Franchises oriented around drinks are becoming an ever-hotter commodity, perhaps because liquids tend to be more profitable and easier to prepare than meals. Coffee shops and juice bars have seen strong growth for a while, but the last few years have seen the market for boba and other teas explode as well.

Aroma Joe’s Coffee, espresso, tea, energy drinks, baked goods TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

105/0 STARTUP COST

$500.6K-$959.3K Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii Hawaiian coffees, coffee blends, teas, blended drinks, food TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

31/2 STARTUP COST

$454.2K-$920.5K Bahama Buck’s Shaved ice, fruit smoothies TOTAL UNITS

$444.6K-$1.2M

TOTAL UNITS

112/3

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Clean Juice Organic juices, smoothies, acai bowls, wraps, sandwiches, salads, toast

0/1

TOTAL UNITS

Bliss Tea & Treats Teas and food TOTAL UNITS

Bambu Vietnamese dessert drinks and coffee drinks, boba tea, fruit tea, smoothies

40/3

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$97.95K-$166.7K

TOTAL UNITS

68/1

Biggby Coffee Specialty coffee, tea, smoothies, baked goods

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

$159K-$328K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$360.9K-$515.7K

360/0 Beans & Brews Coffee, tea, specialty drinks, food TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$279K-$685.5K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Dunkin’ Coffee, doughnuts, baked goods

1/3

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$350K-$495.5K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

13,372/0 STARTUP COST

City Brew Tours Educational craft brewery tours

44/27

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

9/11

$518.5K-$761.5K

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$78.2K-$101.5K

2 4 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

117/10 STARTUP COST

Boba Nation Bubble tea and other beverages

STARTUP COST

$246.3K-$564.6K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$437.5K-$1.8M

PHOTOGR APH BY RJ HINKLE/HTEAO

STARTUP COST

Beyond Juicery + Eatery Smoothies, juices, smoothie bowls, wraps, salads, soups

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

Ellianos Coffee Specialty coffee and smoothies

Jamba Smoothies, juices, and bowls

Pedal Pub Party bike tours

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Smoothie Factory + Kitchen Smoothies, juices, nutritional supplements

52/0

794/2

20/1

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$634.5K-$946.5K

$129.8K-$1M

$117.5-$270.4K

Fiiz Drinks Mixed sodas and snacks

Juice It Up! Smoothies, raw juices, acai bowls

PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans Coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Smoothie King Smoothies and smoothie bowls

62/3

85/1

181/0

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$232K-$497K

$236.4K-$632.3K

$459K-$1.2M

Fresh Healthy Cafe Smoothies, juices, wraps, panini, salads, bowls, coffee, tea

Kale Me Crazy Smoothies, juices, salads, wraps, toasts, bowls

Planet Smoothie Smoothies and snacks

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Social Play Haus Beer garden and event space

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

160/0

23/0

21/3

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$195.7K-$446.5K

$202.5K-$409K

$321.4K-$572K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

55/0 STARTUP COST

$182.5K-$474.7K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1,297/57 STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

$311.6K-$1.4M

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1 STARTUP COST

$650.1K-$1.3M

The Fresh Monkee Protein shakes

Kung Fu Tea Bubble tea

Pure Green Smoothies, cold-pressed juices, acai and pitaya bowls

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

The Spice & Tea Exchange Spices, teas, olive oils, honeys, salts, soy candles

0/5

373/2

23/9

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$132.2K-$305.2K

$169K-$378K

$170.5K-$425.4K

Gong cha Bubble tea

Martini Spa & Lounge Bar and lounge offering spa and salon services

Robeks Fresh Juices & Smoothies Juices, smoothies, bowls

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

87/1 STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1505/497

$194.7K-$395.3K Sugar Tree Cafe Coffee, tea, milkshakes, brunch

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

1/1

97/2

$161.7K-$593.7K

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

0/1

$80K-$552.8K

$320.4K-$484.4K

STARTUP COST

Hoppin’ Self-pour beer, wine, and cocktail taprooms

Mr Brews Taphouse Craft brew pubs

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

The Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shops Candy, soda, and gift stores

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1/2

11/2

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

96/0

$1.1M-$1.9M

$436.5K-$877K

STARTUP COST

22/0

$124.9K-$266K

STARTUP COST

HTeaO Iced tea and coffee TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

112/6

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$155.3K-$281.5K

Nekter Juice Bar Juices, smoothies, acai bowls, nondairy ice cream TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Tapioca Express Tea and snow-bubble beverages, snacks TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$140K-$553.8K The Rush Coffee Mobile coffee, tea, smoothies, Italian sodas, baked goods TOTAL UNITS

Tapville Social Self-service beer taproom restaurants/kiosks/mobile units

STARTUP COST

168/31

$238.2K-$1.9M

STARTUP COST

3/2

$226K-$684.6K

STARTUP COST

23/1

$47.1K-$202.3K

STARTUP COST

The Human Bean Specialty coffee

OneZo Texas Bubble tea

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

0/1

TOTAL UNITS

$552.4K-$1.1M

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

137/12

TOTAL UNITS

$211.3K-$327.3K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$134.8K-$1.4M Scooter’s Coffee Coffee, espresso, smoothies, pastries, breakfast items

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

630/21 STARTUP COST

$894.5K-$1.4M

S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 24 2 5

LISTINGS

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

TeaCupFuls Boba tea BUFFALO WILD WINGS

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/4 STARTUP COST

$180K-$350K ThirsTea Bubble and milk tea, smoothies, milkshakes TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1/2 STARTUP COST

$177.6K-$256.2K Tropical Smoothie Cafe Smoothies, salads, wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1,311/1 STARTUP COST

$296.5K-$661.5K The Urban Bean Coffees, beverages, snacks, meals TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

$261.1K-$491.8K

CHICKEN

Voodoo Brewing Co. Craft brew pubs

Why does chicken appear on this list year after year? Maybe because of its versatility. Get it fried or grilled, in the form of sandwiches, tenders, or wings, and in traditional, spicy, or even internationally inspired flavors.

No matter how you prefer your bird—or your business—there’s plenty of tasty opportunity.

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

11/5 STARTUP COST

$479K-$1.1M Waters Edge Wineries Micro-wineries TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

13/0 STARTUP COST

$829.96K-$1.3M WineStyles Tasting Station Wine, craft beer, food, events, wine and beer club memberships

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

8/3

STARTUP COST

$202.6K-$1.2M

$2.5M-$4.8M

Boss Bird Kitchen Chicken sandwiches, tenders, wings, waffles

Champs Chicken Fried chicken, seafood, sides

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

408/1

0/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$9K-$349K

$239.1K-$494.4K The Budlong Hot Chicken Spicy fried chicken, sandwiches, sides, desserts

Chester’s Fried chicken TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1,092/0 STARTUP COST

$27.5K-$296.5K

$178K-$989.5K Buffalo’s Cafe Chicken wings and tenders, steaks, burgers, salads

Chicken Salad Chick Chicken salads, soups, sides TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

173/68

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$681.5K-$1.5M

13/0

$744.5K-$990.5K

STARTUP COST

86/7

Bojangles Chicken and biscuits

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

519/279 STARTUP COST

$622.5K-$3.6M

2 6 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

593/659

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

$466.5K-$1.8M

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

410/5

STARTUP COST

$230.5K-$475.5K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/4

STARTUP COST

Ziggi’s Coffee Coffee, specialty drinks, energy drinks, breakfast and lunch items

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Big Chicken Chicken sandwiches and tenders, salads, sides, desserts

10/1

Buffalo Wild Wings Wings, bar food, alcohol

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken Korean fried chicken

$568K-$2.5M

Chick N Max Chicken wings, tenders, and sandwiches TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2/3 STARTUP COST

$420K-$1.1M

PHOTOGR APH COURTESY OF INSPIRE BR ANDS/ BUFFALO WILD WINGS

0/1

$800K

$1M

$600K

$400K

+$1.2M

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Best thing of all? You don’t need any experience whatsoever.

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LISTINGS

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

Guthrie’s Chicken fingers DAVE’S HOT CHICKEN

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

34/17

Nick and Moes Convenience stores offering fried chicken TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

0/6

$234.1K-$737K

STARTUP COST

$104.5K-$900.8K Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken Hot chicken sandwiches (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Ooowwweee Wangz N Catfish Chicken wings and fried catfish

43/1

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$238.5K-$421K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/2 STARTUP COST

Hurricane Grill & Wings Chicken wings, tenders, sandwiches, salads TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

41/0

$155.9K-$277.9K Pollo Campero Chicken TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

75/284

$564.2K-$2.5M

STARTUP COST

$1.4M-$3.1M KFC Chicken East Coast Wings + Grill Wings, burgers, craft beer

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1,377/158

30/4

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$648.9K-$1.9M

$428.9K-$982.8K

Daddy’s Chicken Shack Chicken sandwiches and fingers, breakfast, sides

El Pollo Loco Grilled chicken and Mexican food

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

309/188

1/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$768.8K-$2.6M

$748.3K-$1.1M Dave’s Hot Chicken Nashville hot chicken TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Fyrebird Chicken Chicken sandwiches, wings, and sides TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1

133/19

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$69.8K-$97.7K

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

4,050/41

$1.9M-$3.8M

STARTUP COST

$383.5K-$3.7M Layne’s Chicken Fingers Chicken tenders TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

7/4 STARTUP COST

$545K-$1.2M

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken Biscuits and chicken TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

14/4 STARTUP COST

Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken Chicken, biscuits, sides

$410.1K-$638.6K

TOTAL UNITS

Rooster & Rice Thai chicken rice

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

110/16 STARTUP COST

$428.3K-$2.1M

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/8 STARTUP COST

$325.6K-$468K

Gai Chicken and Rice Thai chicken and rice dishes

TOTAL UNITS

0/1

Slim Chickens Chicken tenders, chicken wings, salads, sandwiches, wraps

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

$518.9K-$749.7K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Native Grill & Wings Family sports bars and grills

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/2

23/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$302.9K-$435.4K

$378.9K-$747.6K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

203/11 $1.6M-$4.4M

Golden Chick Chicken

TOTAL UNITS

22/0

375 Chicken ‘n Fries Chicken, waffles, fries, shakes

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

$1.2M-$2.3M

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

197/15 STARTUP COST

$1.2M-$1.9M

2 8 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

28,257/218

Love & Honey Fried Chicken Fried chicken

$615.8K-$1.8M Detroit Wing Company Chicken wings

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Fried chicken, seafood, biscuits

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

4/3 STARTUP COST

$324.1K-$521.5K

P H O T O G R A P H B Y A R M A N O G A N E S YA N / D AV E ’ S H O T C H I C K E N

Church’s Texas Chicken Chicken

TOTAL UNITS

JOIN HUNTINGTON AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY! As a Huntington Learning Center franchise owner, I’ve gained a sense of purpose being part of this community while also building an asset that contributes to my family’s financial security. It’s meaningful work that is both personally and professionally rewarding. I am truly committed to Huntington’s mission to give every student the best education possible.

Beth Dotson

Multi-Unit Franchise Owner Huntington Learning Center of Daphne, AL & Montgomery, AL

WHY HUNTINGTON? • Low initial investment starting at $154,506 • Over 34% higher 2022 average revenue than our closest competitor

AVERAGE 2022 FRANCHISE CENTER REVENUE $522k

34% HIGHER REVENUE

*

THAN OUR CLOSEST COMPETITOR

• $5 billion industry and projected to grow to $18 billion by 2028

$311k

$301k

ClubZ!

$161k Kumon

Mathnasium

Learning Rx

(Source: Grand View Research)

Sylvan

HUNTINGTON

$389k $328k

• Nearly 50 years as an industry leader

2022 REVENUES FOR HUNTINGTON AND ITS FRANCHISE COMPETITORS.

1-800-653-8400 • HUNTINGTONFRANCHISE.COM

• SCAN THE CODE BELOW

This is not an offer to sell a franchise. This franchise is offered only by our delivery of a franchise disclosure document to you in compliance with the Federal Trade Commission’s rule on franchising and various state franchise sales laws. *Data are based on each company’s Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) for all franchise centers open in 2021 except for Kumon, which are for centers open at least three years; and Sylvan, which are for centers open at least 24 months. Kumon reports in its 2021 FDD that its average franchised center open at least 36 months had 150 subject-students. We estimate a subject-student’s monthly fee from our web search of the phrase ‘How much does a parent pay Kumon’. We used the average of the high estimates, $145 per month per single subject. We estimated the registration fee of $50 and materials fee of $30 from this web search; and we estimate that half of a center’s enrollees pay these fees.

SCAN TO LEARN MORE

LISTINGS VooDoo Wing Company Wings, salads, sandwiches, sides, desserts

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2/5

The children’s enrichment industry is ever-expanding, with offerings in art, music, cooking, science, fitness, and more. Why? Parents recognize the importance of programs that go beyond traditional education to help kids develop skills that will help them later in life. They’re investing in their children’s futures, and franchises are rising to the task.

STARTUP COST

$207.8K-$475.95K Wing It On! Chicken wings, sandwiches, and tenders TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

10/2 STARTUP COST

$210.5K-$440K Wings and Rings Sports restaurants and bars TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

79/8 STARTUP COST

$1.5M-$1.99M

CODE NINJAS

Wings Etc. Restaurants and pubs (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

55/25

Abrakadoodle Art-education programs for children

Brooklyn Robot Foundry STEAM enrichment programs

Chef It Up!/Chef It Up 2 Go! Allergy-friendly cooking parties, classes, and events

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$343.9K-$2.8M

481/2

5/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

14/0

Wing Snob Chicken wings

$38.7K-$82.6K

$90.8K-$117.2K

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

28/0

Apex Leadership Co. Elementary-school fundraising and fitness programs

Bundles of Tumbles Mobile preschool gymnastics and dance classes

Children’s Art Classes Children’s art education studios

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

$330.2K-$599.5K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

114/8

1/1

9/0

Wingstop Chicken wings, tenders, and sandwiches, fries, sides

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$79K-$113.7K

$46.1K-$59.7K

$99.4K-$198.96K

TOTAL UNITS

Art Paper Scissors Art classes, programs, and parties

Club SciKidz STEM enrichment programs

12/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$325.6K-$974.7K

1/1

TOTAL UNITS

2,001/45

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

Wing Zone Chicken wings, tenders, and sandwiches TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

57/2 STARTUP COST

$420.8K-$751K

$86.5K-$144.2K Baby Power Forever Kids Play and enrichment programs

0/2 $144.5K-$235.9K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Challenge Island Educational enrichment programs

21/1

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

Zaxby’s Chicken fingers, Buffalo wings, sandwiches, salads

Bach to Rock Music schools for children and adults

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

776/146

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

$63.7K-$76K

STARTUP COST

$160K-$198K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$30.1K-$73.4K

The Bunny Hive Social clubs for children from twoweeks-old through kindergarten and their caregivers

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

45/12

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Code Ninjas Computer-coding learning centers for ages 5 and up TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

378/7

14/4

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$149.8K-$378.1K

$53.4K-$68.9K theCoderSchool Coding education for ages 7 to 18 TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

57/3

$1.4M-$3.3M

$241.5K-$531.5K

STARTUP COST

$77.7K-$193.95K

3 0 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CODE NINJAS

TOTAL UNITS

THE PORTFOLIO ADDITION

YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR Ride our wave of growth

#1 in Smoothie/ Juice Category Ranked 4 years in a row

One of the top franchise concepts analyzed by FRANdata

Ranked #13 overall, Ranked 11 years in a row

1,400+

$1.25M

60/40

Cafes opened nationwide

AUV for Top 50% of Cafes*

Smoothie-to-food menu mix

Scan to

Ò

I thought I’d open 20 because I love the brand. That was my dream, and it’s worked out—now I have 30+ locations.” learn more.

HANI HALLOUN | Multi-Unit Franchise Owner

Join our Franchise Family sharing the fun and craveability of Inspire Better.®

tropicalsmoothiefranchise.com or call (770) 580-2333

*$1,248,276 Top 50% Average Net Revenues. *$979,491 System Wide Average Net Revenues. Based on our fiscal year ending 12/31/2023 and includes 1,151 Restaurants that were open for at least 12 months as of 12/31/2023. Excludes non-traditional locations and Restaurants that were not open for at least 357 days in 2023. This information appears in Item 19 of our Franchise Disclosure Document. Your results may differ. There is no assurance that you will do as well.

This information is not intended as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy a franchise. It is for information purposes only. The offering is by prospectus only. Currently, the following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota (File No. F-9894), New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. If you are a resident of or want to locate a franchise in one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your state. New York State Disclaimer: This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. CALIFORNIA DISCLAIMER: THESE FRANCHISES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE FRANCHISE INVESTMENT LAW OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SUCH REGISTRATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE APPROVAL, RECOMMENDATION OR ENDORSEMENT BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS NOR A FINDING BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HEREIN IS TRUE, COMPLETE AND NOT MISLEADING.. ©2024 Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC, 1117 Perimeter Center West, Suite W200, Atlanta, GA 30338.

LISTINGS LITTLE KITCHEN ACADEMY

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

Kidokinetics Mobile children’s physical education programs

Little Medical School Healthcare-themed after-school and summer-camp programs

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

101/6

40/4

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$103K-$134.2K

$58.2K-$226.9K

KidStrong Physical fitness, leadership, and confidence-building training for children

Little Yogis Academy Movement and mindfulness enrichment for children

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

6/2

93/9

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$29.7K-$42.9K

$313.2K-$664.2K KidzArt Art-education programs, products, and services TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Funtastik Labs STEAM entertainment

TOTAL UNITS

0/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

14/1

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

$257.3K-$352.3K

STARTUP COST

$150K-$237.4K CompuChild Entrepreneurship and STEAM enrichment classes TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

9/7

iCode Computer science education for children in grades K-12 TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

29/2 STARTUP COST

$249K-$408K

STARTUP COST

$29.5K-$49.5K Drama Kids After-school drama classes and summer camps TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

212/0

Idea Lab Kids STEAM enrichment classes, camps, and parties TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1/1 STARTUP COST

$163K-$465K

STARTUP COST

$33.8K-$73.5K DroneTogether Drone-flying and STEM enrichment programs

iKids U Educational after-school programs TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1/0

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$95.9K-$140.7K

0/1 STARTUP COST

$39.3K-$61.7K Flour Power Kids Cooking Studios Children’s cooking classes, parties, and events TOTAL UNITS

Kidcreate Studio Children’s art enrichment TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

21/2 STARTUP COST

$58.3K-$234.4K

110/8 STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$113.3K-$312.96K

$23.8K-$37.2K Kinderdance Children’s dance, gymnastics, movement, fitness, and yoga programs TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

230/4

Musicologie Music lessons for all ages TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/6 STARTUP COST

$111.8K-$221.1K

STARTUP COST

$18.3K-$47.8K

New England Dance Academy Dance classes

The Knight School Chess enrichment activities

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

0/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

22/2

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

$108.7K-$137.1K

STARTUP COST

$450-$25.2K LearningRx One-on-one cognitive training for all ages TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

47/1

Nutty Scientists Science enrichment and entertainment programs TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

309/4 STARTUP COST

$35.5K-$149.8K

STARTUP COST

$145K-$200K

Parker-Anderson Enrichment Enrichment programs

The Little Gym Child development/fitness programs

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

14/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

370/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

$43.7K-$130.7K

STARTUP COST

$465.3K-$637K

Rockstars of Tomorrow Music lessons and music equipment

Little Kitchen Academy Children’s cooking classes

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

7/3

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

12/2

16/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$409.3K-$746.8K

3 2 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

25/0

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$189.7K-$405.8K

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

$195.5K-$472K

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LIT TLE KITCHEN ACADEMY

Code Wiz Coding, robotics, and STEM enrichment classes and camps for ages 7 to 17

Mad Science Science education and entertainment programs

LISTINGS Romp n’ Roll Recreational and enrichment classes, camps, parties

Tutu School Children’s ballet schools

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

HEALTH & WELLNESS

TOTAL UNITS

80/4

7/2

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$89.1K-$158.3K

Health and wellness once again makes our list, as consumers continue to place a high priority on their physical— and mental—well-being.

Once again, the biggest trend-within-thetrend is nontraditional wellness services, such as IV vitamin therapy, CBD, infrared saunas, cryotherapy, chiropractic care, and more.

$198.5K-$396.5K School of Rock Music education TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Twinkle Star Dance Academy Dance studios for ages 2 to teens TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

3/4

292/46

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$101.6K-$200.3K

$441K-$593.9K Singers Company Noncompetitive music and dance performing groups for girls TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

53/0

Valhallan Youth esports training TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

14/1 STARTUP COST

$142.2K-$305.4K

Skill Samurai STEM and coding academies TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

252/79 STARTUP COST

$1.2M-$1.7M Amped Fitness Gyms TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/13 STARTUP COST

$356.5K-$3.6M Any Lab Test Now Health and wellness, drug and alcohol, and DNA lab testing services TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

231/7 STARTUP COST

$144.2-$237.9K

STARTUP COST

$4.7K-$31.7K

American Family Care Urgent care/primary care centers

Wize Computing Academy Coding, robotics, and design classes, camps, and competition prep TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

24/2

Ageless Fitness Fitness programs for seniors TOTAL UNITS

Anytime Fitness Fitness centers TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

5,184/12

21/0

STARTUP COST

1/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$47K-$78K

STARTUP COST

$388.97K-$970.1K

$74.6K-$307.95K Snapology STEAM education programs TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$76.3K-$134.3K XP League Youth esports leagues TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

45/2

156/3

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$79.4K-$171.3K

$73.7K-$611.8K Stemtree Science, coding, robotics, electronics, and math programs

Ageless Forever Institute Cosmetic and body fitness therapies and medical aesthetic procedures TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1

ApexNetwork Physical Therapy Physical therapy TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

26/66 STARTUP COST

$177.2K-$347.2K

STARTUP COST

Young Chefs Academy Cooking schools for children and adults

$403.5K-$784.5K

Avanti Body Wellness and self-care services

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

AKT Dance cardio and strength fitness studios

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

28/1

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$291.2K-$579.8K

14/1 STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$150.4K-$199.9K

$83.8K-$179.8K Sticky Fingers Cooking After-school enrichment cooking schools for children

STARTUP COST

Youth Enrichment League After-school and summer enrichment camps TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2/3

5/2 STARTUP COST

17/20

STARTUP COST

$57.3K-$83.1K

$77.5K-$125.4K

$444.3K-$550.3K Alloy Personal Training Small group personal training

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2/2

Balensi Spa Facial and massage services TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$182.9K-$432.8K

31/1 STARTUP COST

$185.3K-$452.4K

Taste Buds Kitchen Cooking classes, camps, and parties for children and adults

Zebra Robotics Robotics, coding, and technology education centers for grades 1 through 12

All States Med Medical equipment sales, repairs, and customer service

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

10/2

7/6

0/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$382.5K-$531K

$160K-$320K

$188.5K-$255.5K

3 4 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

TOTAL UNITS

The Bar Method Barre fitness studios TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

74/1 STARTUP COST

$386.5K-$537.3K

R

LISTINGS

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

The Camp Transformation Center Fitness/weight-loss services

BURN BOOT CAMP

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

103/3 STARTUP COST

$351.4K-$474.4K Cereset Neurotechnology to help the brain relax and reset TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

55/1 STARTUP COST

$104.4K-$226.6K City Cave Wellness centers TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

70/1 STARTUP COST

$491K-$795K City Sweats Infrared sauna spas and wellness centers TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2/2 STARTUP COST

$246.8K-$432K

9/5

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$507.8K-$895.1K BeBalanced Natural Weight Loss Centers Weight-loss and wellness services TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

891/8 STARTUP COST

1/1

$196.5K-$458.6K

STARTUP COST

$127K-$197K

$609K-$1M Bodybar Pilates Reformer Pilates studios

Club Pilates Reformer Pilates studios

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

The B12 Store Vitamin injections TOTAL UNITS

The Covery Wellness Spa Wellness, aesthetic, and recovery services TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

5/3

44/1

STARTUP COST

25/0

STARTUP COST

$328.5K-$605K

STARTUP COST

$81.1K-$223.2K

TOTAL UNITS

26/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$155.7K-$208.5K

TOTAL UNITS

1/2

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

BodyWorkz Chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage services

$370.9K-$623.4K beem Light Sauna Infrared sauna suites, red light therapy rooms, related services/products

Body Fit Training Functional fitness training

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2/2

Burn Boot Camp Gyms TOTAL UNITS

Crunch Fitness centers TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

401/41

330/9

STARTUP COST

259/0

STARTUP COST

$668K-$6.7M

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$239.2K-$562.98K

$209.3K-$568.8K

$328.3K-$519.5K

Bellasee Surgical eyecare centers TOTAL UNITS

Body20 Personal training using electrical muscle stimulation

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

0/2

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

$510.3K-$851.2K

TOTAL UNITS

Cryo Sculpting Lab Body contouring TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

2/2

$49.8K-$113.7K

30/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$422.7K-$812K

$396.1K-$635.8K

3 6 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

BYou Laser Clinic Skincare, cosmetic health products and services

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF BURN BOOT CAMP

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Bodenvy Body sculpting services; weight management and nutrition supplements and products

Basecamp Fitness Fitness studios

IT SERVICES

Your story, starts here.

Join the largest IT Service Provider in the USA. Experience the rewarding journey of owning a CMIT Solutions franchise. Picture yourself starting each day with purpose and drive as you lead your team and tackle the unique challenges that come with running your own IT business.

•

No Technology Background Required

•

Low Investment Cost

•

Extensive Training and Support

•

Monthly Reoccuring Revenue

www.cmitfranchise.com

www.cmitfranchise.com

LISTINGS

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

The Good Feet Store Arch supports, related products

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers Physical therapy, balance and vestibular therapy, preventive wellness services

STARTUP COST

137/1

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$373K-$611K

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$248.8K-$587.8K

Discover Strength Strength training TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

3/6

Fastest Labs Drug, alcohol, and DNA testing, background screening TOTAL UNITS

$101.2K-$153.7K The DripBar IV vitamin therapy

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Fit4Mom Prenatal and postnatal fitness and wellness programs for mothers

57/1

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$142.1K-$404.8K Elements Massage Therapeutic massage services

497/60

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

226/1

$191.8K-$479K Glosshouz Day spas/med spas (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1/1 STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$116.2K-$179.5K

$411.5K-$759.8K

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$322.8K-$517.1K

160/7

TOTAL UNITS

197/27

TOTAL UNITS

$8.2K-$28.7K

249/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

GreenLight Mobility Mobility equipment and home modifications for safety and accessibility

0/1

Glow Sauna Studios Infrared saunas, red light therapy, halotherapy, related services

TOTAL UNITS

213/26

STARTUP COST

fit20 Personal training studios

Ellie Mental Health Outpatient mental health services

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$106.7K-$229.7K Franny’s Farmacy CBD products and accessories

GYMGUYZ In-home, on-site, and virtual personal training TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

170/4

0/2

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$82.6K-$147.5K

$222.7K-$381.4K Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa Massage, facial, and waxing services

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Gold’s Gym Health and fitness centers

$278.5K-$480.4K

8/4

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

539/60

529/15

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$1.5M-$3.6M

$526.8K-$691.3K

Essential Speech and ABA Therapy ABA, speech, and occupational therapy for children 18 months to 6 years diagnosed with autism

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$206.6K-$362.5K

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2/4 STARTUP COST

$186.6K-$557.5K

THE DRIPBAR

HealthSource America’s Chiropractor Chiropractic, rehabilitation, spinal decompression, laser therapy, and wellness services and products TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Evolve Human Optimization Labs Saunas, cold plunge/contrast therapy, cognitive training, compression sleeves

136/0

TOTAL UNITS

HiitCore Fitness High-intensity interval-based workouts

0/1

$115.2K-$492.4K

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$414.3K-$676.8K

0/1

The Exercise Coach Personal training TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

233/0

STARTUP COST

$157.8K-$240.4K HomeFit In-home/on-site personal training TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$136K-$348.7K

3/1

Facial Mania Med Spa Spa, aesthetic, and med spa services TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

6/2

STARTUP COST

$71K-$140.6K Hydrate IV Bar IV therapy spas TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$260.3K-$698.5K

10/4 STARTUP COST

$238.1K-$454K

3 8 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE DRIPBAR

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

LISTINGS

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

Mobility City Mobility equipment repairs, rentals, and sales

Icebox Cryotherapy Cold therapy studios MASSAGELUXE

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

17/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

36/1

$372.9K-$639.7K

STARTUP COST

$197.4K-$460K iCryo Cryotherapy, body sculpting, IV infusions and vitamin shots, light therapy, pain management and recovery services

Mobility Plus Sales, rentals, installations, and repairs of mobility products

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

58/0

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

29/4

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$249.99K-$391.99K

$474.5K-$1.2M Moms on the Run Fitness programs for women

iFlex Stretch Studios Assisted stretching

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

36/12

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$9.9K-$17.1K

$169.4K-$293.5K

TOTAL UNITS

The Lapidus Clinic Clinics and med spas

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

20/9

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

$360.8K-$544.3K ISI Elite Training Group fitness

0/1

Massage Envy Massage therapy, stretch therapy, skincare, facials TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

1,083/0

$102K-$125K

STARTUP COST

$554.9K-$980K LaVida Massage Massage and wellness services

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

32/2

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Massage Heights Therapeutic massage and facial services

46/3

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$327.4K-$687K IV Nutrition Now IV vitamins and intramuscular injections TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$313.3K-$529.5K Lindora Medically guided weight management programs TOTAL UNITS

19/2

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$199.3K-$327.3K Jazzercise Dance fitness classes

110/2 STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

31/0

$477.2K-$554.2K

Natural Rejuvenation MedSpa Skincare and body contouring, female wellness TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1 STARTUP COST

$555K-$868.2K Neighborhood Barre Barre fitness classes, apparel, merchandise TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

22/3 STARTUP COST

$78.5K-$248.5K

MassageLuXe Therapeutic massage, facials, waxing

Next Day Access Wheelchair ramps, grab bars, stairlifts, and other accessibility and mobility products

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

86/0

$272.4K-$491.8K

STARTUP COST

$567.6K-$797.9K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

28/2 STARTUP COST

$159.7K-$316K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Luz Lounge Facials, injectables/IV, laser hair removal

MediPlus Clinic Outpatient diagnosis and treatment

The Now Massage Massage services

7,346/2

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

0/2

0/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$167.5K-$361.6K

$534.5K-$869K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Madabolic Group strength training

Miracle-Ear Hearing aids

NuSpine Chiropractic Chiropractic services

762/135

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

27/0

1,237/347

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$327.7K-$615.9K

$119K-$352.5K

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$2.1K-$40.7K The Joint Chiropractic Chiropractic services TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$215.3K-$478.99K

4 0 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

56/4 STARTUP COST

$477.5K-$819.1K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

32/0 STARTUP COST

$204.9K-$405.3K

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MASSAGELUXE

Iron Tribe Fitness Total-body fitness training

LISTINGS

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

NutritionHQ. Health, weight-loss, and sports nutrition supplements and related products

Prime IV Hydration & Wellness IV therapy, cryotherapy, peptides

Retro Fitness Health clubs

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

76/1

92/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

0/1

$164.6K-$599.7K

$1.4M-$2.2M

STARTUP COST

Pure Barre Barre fitness classes and apparel

Revival IV Lounge Vitamin IV therapy and injections

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

640/10

0/7

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

5/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$265.3K-$418.98K

$160.8K-$270.5K

STARTUP COST

Pure Fitness Fitness clubs

RiseUp Fitness Group fitness

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

19/576

0/2

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

1,001/24

$399.5K-$2.97M

$233.7K-$359.4K

STARTUP COST

QC Kinetix Regenerative medicine and nonsurgical pain management therapies

The Salt Suite Salt therapy

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1/1

100% Chiropractic Chiropractic services, massage therapy, nutritional supplements

114/3 STARTUP COST

$347.5K-$829.2K Orangetheory Fitness Heart-rate-based group interval workout classes TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1,505/22 STARTUP COST

$613.1K-$1.6M Oxygen Yoga & Fitness Yoga and fitness classes

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$416.7K-$551.9K

STARTUP COST

$172.5K-$290.5K

sek Sauna Studio Infrared saunas, LED light therapy, pressotherapy, and cold plunge

Skinovatio Medical Spa Medical spas TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$196.9K-$439.97K Snap Fitness 24-hour fitness centers TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$528.8K-$1M

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

8/1

Spavia Day Spa Massage, facials, waxing, skincare TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

187/12

STARTUP COST

54/0

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$238.7K-$483.1K

$227.3K-$495.9K

69/2 STARTUP COST

$431.3K-$784.1K Saunatica Far infrared saunas, red light therapy, halotherapy

$385.5K-$639K

Relax The Back Wellness and back-related equipment, furniture, and products

Pearle Vision Eye care and eyewear

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

77/2

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$396.2K-$597.8K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

461/109

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$190.3K-$392.3K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Special Strong Adaptive fitness for individuals with physical, mental, and cognitive challenges

0/1

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

7/1 STARTUP COST

$79K-$96.2K

STARTUP COST

$70.2K-$990.7K Spenga Fitness studios

Perspire Sauna Studio Infrared sauna and red light therapy TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

PLANET FITNESS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

61/1

36/4

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$287.1K-$861.1K

Physical Therapy Now Physical therapy TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Squeeze Massages TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

12/1

34/6

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$619.9K-$1.1M

$183.9K-$308.4K Planet Fitness Fitness clubs TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

StretchLab Assisted stretching TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

407/3

2,319/256

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$156.2K-$386.1K

$1.5M-$5.1M

4 2 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PL ANET FITNESS

$425.3K-$736.9K

BE YOUR OWN BOSS J O I N T H E I N N O V A T I V E S P O R T S U R F A C I N G F A M I LY

One of the Fastest Growing Sport Surfacing Franchises Ready to thrive in the recreation industry? Join Innovative Sport Surfacing as a franchisee and gain access to top-quality equipment, services and installation crews for new franchisees. Benefit from over 90 years of industry experience and constant support from our team, ensuring a smooth start and ongoing success. With our comprehensive one-stop-shop approach, your business is set up for success in the recreational field.

Just 4 Easy Steps to Become a Franchise Business Introduction and Discovery Day

Site Selection

Embark on your journey by attending our Introduction and Discovery Day. It's a perfect opportunity to meet the team, understand our business model and explore whether our franchise is the right fit for your entrepreneurial aspirations.

After you've decided to join us, the next step is Site Selection. We'll guide you in finding a location that aligns with our demographic and geographic criteria, ensuring your franchise has the potential for success right from the start.

Classroom and On-Site Training

Ongoing Support

Once the site is secured, you'll undergo comprehensive Classroom and On-Site Training. We cover all aspects of running the franchise, from day-to-day operations to customer service.

We provide ongoing support to help you face any challenges that come your way. With resources for marketing, operations, and more, we're committed to fostering your growth and aiding in your franchise's continual success.

Visit innovativesportsurfacing.com/franchise for More Information This is not an offer to obtain a franchise. Franchise offerings are made only in states where authorized and only after delivery of an appropriate disclosure document. The franchise fee is $50,000; the initial investment range is $122,800 to $367,500, including the franchise fee.

A 6% royalty fee applies to gross sales. It's essential to understand that these are potential costs, not guarantees or predictions of your actual costs or results. Conduct thorough due diligence and consult a qualified advisor before making investment decisions.

LISTINGS

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

StretchMed Assisted stretching

W.O.L.F. Fitness Gyms Fitness centers THE VITAMIN SHOPPE

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

25/1

3/3

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$70.4K-$185.5K

$556.2K-$1.2M

Stretch Zone Assisted stretching

Woodhouse Spa Spa treatments

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

300/3

80/4

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$113.9K-$226.9K

$1.5M-$3.2M

Stride Fitness Treadmill-based interval training

Workout Anytime 24/7 24-hour gyms

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

19/1

188/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$379.9K-$554.7K

$784.95K-$2.1M

Strive 11 Fitness Full-body group fitness

YogaSix Yoga studios

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1

185/3

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$399.4K-$462.1K

Studio Pilates Reformer Pilates studios TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

84/4 STARTUP COST

$271.2K-$517.8K Studio 30, The Kettlebell Fit Club Fitness studios TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1 STARTUP COST

$59.3K-$99.5K Success on the Spectrum Autism treatment services for children and young adults TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

28/2 STARTUP COST

$313.5K-$851.3K Sweat440 Fitness studios TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

20/2 STARTUP COST

$248.9K-$651.1K

4 4 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

The Tox Body sculpting services and related products TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1/12

Vital Care Infusion Services Infusion drugs, supplies, and equipment, infusion nursing, and related services

Your CBD Store CBD stores

TOTAL UNITS

289/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

71/2

$235K-$396.5K

STARTUP COST

$535.9K-$995.4K True REST Spa Floatation therapy (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

The Vitamin Shoppe Vitamins, minerals, supplements, sport nutrition products

46/3

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$416.3K-$924.1K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

31/673 STARTUP COST

Upgrade Labs Health and wellness services

$528.9K-$976.9K

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

$93.3K-$148.6K Zen Massage Massage and skincare services TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

7/2 STARTUP COST

$300.5K-$367.5K Zion Healing Centers Mental and behavioral health services TOTAL UNITS

2/2

V-Juv Botox, body shaping, incontinence treatments, and other clinical services

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

$633.4K-$1.2M

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$320.2K-$508.3K

VIO Med Spa Skincare, cosmetic health, and wellness products and services

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/6 $322K-$610K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

10/1 STARTUP COST

Zivel Cryotherapy, float therapy, infrared sauna, cryoskin TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

7/2

30/6 STARTUP COST

$941.8K-$1.3M

STARTUP COST

$252.4K-$360K

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F T H E V I TA M I N S H O P P E

$150.5K-$324K

LISTINGS MEAL PREP/ DELIVERY Although the meal preparation and delivery category is just emerging, we think it has lots of potential to grow—as busy consumers seek ways to make mealtime both easier and healthier. Expect to see more franchisors show up in this space soon.

Delish Delivered Meal preparation and delivery TOTAL UNITS

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

Mosquito Squad Outdoor pest control

Lean Kitchen Company Healthy prepared meals, beverages, nutritional supplements

PEST CONTROL Pests and wildlife aren’t just a nuisance—they can spread disease, cause damage, and carry other dangers. That’s why pest control and wildlife control franchises are considered essential businesses.

Many also work well as seasonal businesses that can be added on to other home service businesses.

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

31/2 STARTUP COST

$151.5K-$441.8K Meals of Hope Meal packing events TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

7/1 STARTUP COST

$61.1K-$71.9K New York Butcher Shoppe Meats, prepared meals, specialty groceries, wines TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

19/8

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

224/15 STARTUP COST

$164.5K-$217.1K ohDeer Natural deer, tick, and mosquito control TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

12/2 STARTUP COST

$116.3K-$143.5K Patio Patrol Residential outdoor pest control TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

8/0 Deer Solution Deer repellant services

STARTUP COST

$74.5K-$169.5K

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

Pestmaster Pest and rodent control, wildlife exclusion, vegetation management

$86.4K-$330.5K

$84.7K-$133.6K

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

1/1

$438K-$776K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

5/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

DELISH DELIVERED

Mosquito Authority Mosquito control

41/6

TOTAL UNITS

$84.6K-$188.8K

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

543/1 STARTUP COST

Safer Home Services Pest control

$54K-$127.7K

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Mosquito Hunters & Humbug Holiday Lighting Mosquito, tick, and flea control

2/3 STARTUP COST

$164.2K-$214.8K

TOTAL UNITS

133/6 STARTUP COST

$99.8K-$116.8K Mosquito Joe Outdoor pest control TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

12/23

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

419/2

$89.6K-$238.6K

STARTUP COST

$112.8K-$153.4K Mosquito Mary’s Outdoor pest control TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Wildlife X Team/X Team Services Wildlife management; roofing, siding, painting, and home repair services TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

10/10

10/2

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$56.3K-$111.6K

$92.96K-$116.9K Mosquito Shield Outdoor pest control TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Yard Patrol Pros Mosquito control TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

3/0

375/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$90.2K-$146.9K

$98.9K-$139.95K

4 6 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control Humane wildlife removal, pest control, holiday lighting installation, attic restoration

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DELISH DELIVERED

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Franchise Opportunity

Now is the time to join our pack Invest in a recession-resilient, $123B+ industry with two top-dog brands.

Strong industry

Bottom-line boost

Recession resilient

Nationwide availability

#1 f

$35K

years run n ing

10 or

Reduced Franchise Fee through 09/30/24***

Wag N’ Wash is a fast-growing natural food, service-focused franchise you can grow with.

2%

$1.3M* 1,000+

Starting Royalty Fee

Average Unit Volume

Available Locations

Pet Supplies Plus is the #1 pet franchise with 30+ years of experience.

2%

$2.6M**

700+

Starting Royalty Fee

Average Unit Volume

Open Locations

Visit wagnwashfranchising.com and petsuppliesplusfranchising.com *This information can be found in Item 19 of the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document issued by WNW Franchising, LLC. The data reflects the calendar year beginning January 1, 2023 and ending December 31, 2023, and shows the data for 10 reporting stores which were open and operating 12 months as of December 31, 2023. **This information can be found in Item 19 of the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document issued by PSP Franchising, LLC. The data reflects the calendar year beginning January 1, 2023, and ending December 30, 2023, and shows the data for 346 Reporting Financial Stores which were open and operating for 12 months as of December 31, 2023. *** The discounted initial franchise fee applies only to franchise agreements executed on or before September 30th, 2024; no other discounts apply.

A new franchisee’s results may differ from the represented performance. There is no assurance you will do as well. If you rely upon our figures, you must accept the risk of not doing as well. This is not an offer to sell you a franchise. Franchises are offered by prospectus only through the delivery of a franchise disclosure document. Certain states require that we register the franchise disclosure document in those states. The communication is not specifically directed to the residents of any of those states. Moreover, we will not offer or sell franchises in those states until we have registered the franchise (or obtained an applicable exemption from registration) and delivered the franchise disclosure document to the prospective franchisee in compliance with the applicable law. © 2024 PSP Franchising, LLC and WNW Franchising, LLC. All rights reserved.

LISTINGS

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

D.O.G. Hotels Dog boarding, daycare, and grooming TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

6/1 STARTUP COST

$605K-$775K The Dog Stop Dog care services and products TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

18/6 STARTUP COST

$543K-$1M Dogtopia Dog daycare, boarding, and spa services TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

238/6 STARTUP COST

$780.1K-$1.5M Dog Training Elite Dog training DOGTOPIA

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

312/5 STARTUP COST

Spending on our furry friends continues to grow year after year, with the American Pet Products Association reporting $147 billion in sales in the U.S. last year. Whether it’s grooming, training, daycare, scooping poop, or scooping pup-friendly ice cream (really!), there’s no shortage of opportunity in the pet industry.

Camp Bow Wow Dog daycare, boarding, training, grooming

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

31/1 STARTUP COST

$91.9K-$101.3K Aussie Pet Mobile Mobile pet grooming TOTAL UNITS

DoodyCalls Pet waste management

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

0/1

217/3

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$228.3K-$426.4K

$1.1M-$1.8M

Bark Busters Home Dog Training In-home dog training

Central Bark Dog daycare, boarding, grooming, training, and retail

TOTAL UNITS

77/2 STARTUP COST

$64K-$83.5K EarthWise Pet Pet food and supplies, daycare, grooming, self-wash, training, walking

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

129/0

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

37/0

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

$65.7K-$99.5K Ben’s Barketplace Pet health-food stores

STARTUP COST

$522.5K-$1M

161/46 STARTUP COST

$224.5K-$1.3M Dogdrop On-demand dog daycare

1/1

GoDog Pet boarding, daycare, bathing, grooming, wellness services, training, and dog parks

$189.8K-$350.5K

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

Bubbly Paws Pet grooming and self-service dog washing

Doggy Inn Dog daycare, boarding, and grooming

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

Happy Cat Hotel & Spa Luxury cat boarding, grooming, and retail

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

3/3

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

Always Faithful Dog Training Dog training

$159.1K-$185.8K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$308K-$597.4K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

4/5

0/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$197.4K-$370.9K

$668.3K-$1.4K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/3 $1.96M-$4.98M

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

4/2

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

82/0

$500K-$853K

STARTUP COST

$180.4K-$203.2K

4 8 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DOGTOPIA

PETS

Bark Avenue Daycamp Dog daycare, boarding, training, and grooming

Built on science, love and smart business • Booming $136 billion pet industry

Franchise with Central Bark® Whole Dog Care:

• Membership M b hi model d l • Recurring revenue streams – dog day care, boarding, grooming, training, and products • Investment starting at $523K • Franchising for over 20 years

Call or scan to learn more 866-799-BARK(2275) www.centralbarkfranchising.com ©2024 Barkley Ventures Franchising, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy a franchise.

We offer franchises solely by means of our Franchise Disclosure Document. The United States Federal Trade Commission and certain states have laws governing the offer and sale of franchises. We will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with all applicable legal requirements in your jurisdiction.

LISTINGS Salty Paws Dog ice cream shops and trucks

Wagbar Off-leash dog parks and bars

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

7/4

0/1

14/2

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$73.3K-$200.7K

$470.3K-$11.1M

$319.1K-$468.2K

$45.5K-$418K

Hounds Town USA Dog daycare, pet boarding, pet grooming

Pet Supplies Plus Pet food and supplies, bathing/ grooming services

Scenthound Routine dog care and grooming services

Wag N’ Wash Self-service pet bathing, grooming, pet supplies

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

83/5

18/7

47/1

468/235

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$318.6K-$499.5K

$428.2K-$1.1M

$457.2K-$771.9K

$448.4K-$1.9M

In Home Pet Services Pet-sitting, dog-walking

Pet Wants Natural pet-food stores/delivery

Scoop Soldiers Pet waste removal

Well Groomed Pets Pet wellness and grooming services

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

46/58

7/0

12/1

132/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$68.3K-$118.3K

$189.2K-$273.5K

$9.2K-$35.1K

$131.4K-$202.5K

K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel Luxury dog daycare and boarding

PetWellClinic Walk-in pet clinics

Sit Means Sit Dog Training Dog training

Wild Birds Unlimited Bird-feeding supplies and nature gift items

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

20/5

19/4

STARTUP COST

360/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$31.8K-$128.9K

STARTUP COST

$1.3M-$2.5M

$203.9K-$487.5K

Hot Diggity Dog Resort Dog boarding, daycare, training, and grooming

Pet Passages Pet funeral and cremation services and products

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1

Natural Hounds Human-grade dog food and treats TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/2 STARTUP COST

$349K-$437.5K

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

160/0

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$224.4K-$379.96K Vanity Fur Mobile pet grooming services and products

Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming Pet stores and pet grooming

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2/1

179/0

1/2

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$78.2K-$96.9K

$169.6K-$406K

Salty Dawg Pet Salon + Bakery Dog grooming, food, treats, and accessories TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Woofie’s Pet-sitting, dog walking, mobile pet grooming

petbar Pet grooming and bathing TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

28/2 STARTUP COST

$397.6K-$745.8K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

SALTY PAWS

23/2 STARTUP COST

$129.1K-$246.4K Pet Evolution Healthy pet food, pet products, grooming, self-wash stations

Zoomin Groomin Mobile pet grooming

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

13/2

43/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$635.2K-$988.8K

$57.9K-$152.9K

Petland Pets, pet supplies, boarding, daycare, grooming

Zoom Room Indoor dog training and socialization, pet products

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

280/27

62/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$303K-$1.1M

$317.6K-$489.5K

5 0 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

P H O T O G R A P H B Y E R I K W E B E R - W E S T C H E S T E R V I E W S / S A LT Y PAW S

$198.8K-$378.5K

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

1-800 Water Damage Property restoration

RESTORATION

PUROCLEAN

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Restoration franchises thrive in any conditions—because the worse the conditions are, the more their services are needed! The never-ending need for restoration and remediation after fires, floods, and other disasters makes this one of the most resilient categories in franchising.

185/0 STARTUP COST

$207.6K-$297.1K Paul Davis Restoration Insurance restoration TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

297/0 STARTUP COST

$238.1K-$617.1K Preservan Wood rot repair TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2/1 STARTUP COST

$79.6K-$133.8K Blue Kangaroo Packoutz Contents restoration

FRSTeam Restoration of textiles and electronics

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

6/1

91/1

41/12

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$163.3K-$254K

$221.8K-$431.4K

$44.4K-$411K

AdvantaClean Mold remediation and indoor air quality services

Content Recovery Specialists Personal property restoration

Lightspeed Restoration Residential and commercial water and fire restoration

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

6/1

TOTAL UNITS

153/3 STARTUP COST

$149.95K-$322.4K PuroClean Property damage restoration and remediation

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

132/0

STARTUP COST

3/0

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

$135.5K-$294K

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$115.98K-$196.5K All Dry Services Water and mold remediation and restoration TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Disaster Blaster Property damage mitigation and reconstruction TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1

466/0

$154.98K-$253.5K

STARTUP COST

911 Restoration Residential and commercial property restoration

Rainbow Restoration Restoration and remediation

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$95.5K-$245.9K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

125/1

STARTUP COST

288/3

369/0

STARTUP COST

$136.3K-$242.7K

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$79.6K-$218.4K

$169.3K-$325.9K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1-800-Packouts Contents packing, cleaning, storage, and restoration

Restoration 1 Water, fire, smoke, and mold restoration

27/16

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

$87.7K-$275.3K Aqua Express Restoration Water and fire damage restoration and mold removal PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PUROCLEAN

Prism Specialties Restoration of electronics, art, textiles, and documents

Advanced Laser Restoration Mobile laser cleaning

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1

DRYmedic Restoration Services Disaster restoration services TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$133.5K-$317K

STARTUP COST

$182.3K-$236.2K

Eco Restoration & Construction Restoration

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

296/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$138.1K-$356.5K

$94.6K-$226.1K Rytech Restoration Water, mold, fire, and smoke restoration; COVID sanitation

Best Option Restoration Disaster restoration

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1-800-Textiles Textile restoration

TOTAL UNITS

0/1

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

59/0

STARTUP COST

$156.6K-$207.1K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

47/0

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

47/0

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$185.9K-$230.5K

$71.7K-$739.5K

85/1 STARTUP COST

$141.4K-$213K

S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 24 5 1

LISTINGS ServiceMaster Restore Commercial/residential disaster restoration

SPORTS

TOTAL UNITS

Consumers are looking for creative ways to get and stay active, and sports-related franchises are ready to fill that need. You’ll find franchises offering children’s sports programs, sports-based fitness programs for adults, golf simulators, pickleball clubs, swim classes, and more.

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2,334/0 STARTUP COST

$252.7K-$358.8K Servpro Fire, water, and other damage cleanup, restoration, and reconstruction TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2,199/0 STARTUP COST

$241.3K-$301.8K Steamatic Insurance/disaster restoration, cleaning, mold remediation, air quality control

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

134/13

130/3 Ace Pickleball Club Indoor pickleball clubs TOTAL UNITS

Big Blue Swim School Swimming lessons for ages 3 months to 12 years TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

22/5

$58.1K-$91.5K

STARTUP COST

$3.1M-$4.4M American Poolplayers Association Recreational billiard leagues TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

334/6

British Swim School Swimming lessons for ages 3 months and older TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

178/0

$23.2K-$29K

STARTUP COST

$109.96K-$145K Aqua-Tots Swim Schools Swimming lessons TOTAL UNITS

137/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$216.5K-$431.4K

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

Amazing Athletes Educational sports programs

Child’s Play Challenge Courses Mobile obstacle courses for events TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

0/1

$984.1K-$2M

STARTUP COST

$95.8K-$162.5K Athletic Republic Sports performance training and fitness

CycleBar Indoor cycling classes

True North Restoration Restoration services

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$910.5K-$1.3M

42/0

280/13

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$285K-$627K

$337.7K-$511.5K

10/1

0/1

STARTUP COST

$87.3K-$195K VetCor Emergency restoration services TOTAL UNITS

CYCLEBAR

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

23/1 STARTUP COST

$173.9K-$358.3K

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1 STARTUP COST

$94.9K-$193.9K Voda Cleaning & Restoration Restoration and floor cleaning TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/1 STARTUP COST

$146.5K-$198.3K

5 2 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

PHOTOGR APH COURTESY OF CYCLEBAR FR ANCHISING LLC

Veterans Restoration Fire, water, and mold restoration, trauma scene cleanup

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

D-BAT Indoor baseball and softball training, batting cages, merchandise

LITTLE KICKERS

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

143/0 STARTUP COST

$536.5K-$1M Destination Athlete Equipment, apparel, fundraising, and performance solutions for youth, high school, and college athletic teams TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

229/0 STARTUP COST

$28.3K-$93.6K D1 Training Athletic training TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

90/0 STARTUP COST

$164.3K-$666.2K Dryvebox Mobile golf simulators TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/9 STARTUP COST

$138.4K-$399.3K Freedom Boat Club Membership boat clubs

258/124

Hudson Valley Swim Swimming and water safety lessons for all ages

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

$222.5K-$500.5K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Get Up And Go Kayaking Guided clear kayak tours TOTAL UNITS P H O T O G R A P H B Y S I M O N E A S S O C I AT E S / L I T T L E K I C K E R S

$79.5K-$119.5K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

$1.7M-$3.7M The Gravity Vault Indoor rock-climbing gyms TOTAL UNITS

LiggettVille Indoor ropes courses, zip rails, and climbing walls TOTAL UNITS

$2M-$3.9M Links Golf Cafe Golf cafés TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

0/0

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$769.2K-$1.1M

STARTUP COST

8/4

$238.1K-$532.5K

M14Hoops Youth basketball training and development (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$59.9K-$69.9K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$299.9K-$595.7K

TOTAL UNITS

STARTUP COST

15/1

STARTUP COST

0/4 STARTUP COST

Innovative Sport Surfacing Playground, park, and custom recreation equipment construction, sales, and services

67/1

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

233/0

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

147/4

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$220.3K-$573.4K

TOTAL UNITS

Goldfish Swim School Infant and child swimming lessons

TOTAL UNITS

16/3

STARTUP COST

$55.7K-$99.9K

Mayweather Boxing + Fitness Boxing and functional-training programs and personal training

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

23/2

TOTAL UNITS

6/8

i9 Sports Youth sports leagues, camps, and clinics

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Legends Boxing Boxing fitness programs

Little Kickers Preschool soccer programs

STARTUP COST

TOTAL UNITS

$1.2M-$3.3M

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

12/2 STARTUP COST

$97.4K-$127.5K Monster Mini Golf Indoor mini golf and family entertainment centers TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

22/6 STARTUP COST

$781.5K-$911K

332/0 STARTUP COST

$38.1K-$53.2K

S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 24 5 3

RUMBLE BOXING

My Backyard Sports Residential and commercial custom sport facility design and installation

9Round Fitness Kickboxing fitness circuit-training studios

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

3/1

559/6

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$104.4K-$176.7K

$114.6K-$278.4K

My City All Stars Youth sports camps

Overtime Athletics Youth sports programs

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1/1

47/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$114.5K-$265K

$45.9K-$73K

National Academy of Athletics Youth sports camps

Pickleball Kingdom Indoor pickleball

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

2/13

0/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$44.3K-$63.3K

$967K-$2.1M

Franchise with n a e B n a m u H e h T

TS

OOTHIES | GOOD EA

IGHT ENERGY® | SM

& TEA | BR SPECIALTY COFFEE

NO ROYALTY FEES

1

LEARN MORE FRANCHISE.THEHUMANBEAN.COM

1

Franchisor derives revenue from required purchases of coffee and other supplies from the franchisor or its designated suppliers. This advertisement is not an offer to sell a franchise. Contact us at 1-888-262-2215 for franchise sales.

PHOTOGR APH COURTESY OF RUMBLE BOXING

LISTINGS

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

Play It Again Sports New and used sporting goods/ equipment

RockBox Fitness Boxing, kickboxing, and functional strength training fitness studios

SafeSplash Child and adult swimming lessons, parties, summer camps

Shoot Indoors Indoor shooting ranges

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

290/0

57/0

117/31

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$661.3K-$1.8M

$299.1K-$407.5K

$374.6K-$491.3K

$45K-$2.1M

purvelo cycle Indoor cycling studios

Row House Indoor rowing classes

SailTime/PowerTime Membership boat clubs

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1/3

85/12

26/1

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$754K-$2.6M

$358.9K-$458.3K

$370.9K-$536.8K

$74.7K-$151.95K

Redline Athletics Fitness and athletic training for ages 8 to 18

Rumble Boxing Boxing fitness studios

Scary Strokes Family entertainment centers

Skyhawks & SuperTots Sports Academy Children’s fitness programs

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

52/15

0/1

177/70

54/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$405.6K-$4.2M

$439.2K-$1.1M

$30.3K-$89.8K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

TOTAL UNITS

4/0

Shoot 360 Basketball training facilities TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

29/2

$325.3K-$1M

SM

LISTINGS Soccer Shots Soccer programs for ages 2 to 8

30 Minute Hit Boxing/kickboxing circuit-training programs for women

Super Soccer Stars Soccer programs

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

288/21

47/13

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

81/0

$42.95K-$54.3K

$72.8K-$105.8K

STARTUP COST

Sportball Sports enrichment programs for ages 16 months to 12 years

Team Up Athletics Team sport jerseys, apparel, and equipment

USA Ninja Challenge Youth fitness programs

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

31/2

10/1

23/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$62K-$81K

$71.5K-$239.2K

$321.2K-$420.9K

Striking Beauties Women’s boxing and fitness studios

TGA Tennis Golf & Athletics Golf, tennis, pickleball, and athletic enrichment programs

X-Golf Indoor golf entertainment venues

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

$123.4K-$324.95K

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

1/1

TUTORING Parents continue to place a priority on their children’s education and on helping them get ahead and stay ahead in school. All of that adds up to ample opportunity for franchises that offer tutoring, test prep, and other educational services.

TOTAL UNITS

84/0

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

42/2

STARTUP COST

$169.1K-$253.95K

STARTUP COST

$733.4K-$1.6M

$63.1K-$101K

Best Brains Learning Centers Learning centers TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

150/1 STARTUP COST

$31K-$118.4K

AP N

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DIRECT MARKETING

G T

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Get started at entm.ag/directmarketing BUY NOW

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF KUMON NORTH AMERICA

HOT TEST FR ANCHISE TRENDS 2024

Gideon Math & Reading After-school math and reading programs

Mathnasium Math tutoring

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

19/1

1,106/4

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$122.5K-$225.5K

$112.9K-$149.3K

Huntington Learning Center Tutoring and test prep

PEL Learning Center After-school learning programs

TOTAL UNITS

TOTAL UNITS

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

KUMON

7/2

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$154.1K-$264K

$34.3K-$70K

JEI Learning Center Individualized supplemental education

Sylvan Learning Supplemental education, STEM camps, college prep

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

163/252 Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services In-home tutoring TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

Eye Level Learning Centers Supplemental education TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

514/752

357/0

STARTUP COST

STARTUP COST

$52.3K-$121.7K

$33.5K-$57.4K

(FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

276/10

TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

STARTUP COST

547/5

$60K-$110.5K

STARTUP COST

Kumon Supplemental education TOTAL UNITS (FRANCHISED / CO.-OWNED)

26,205/39 STARTUP COST

$73.8K-$165.9K

$100.8K-$226.8K

Sean Tresvant is Taco Bell’s new CEO.

5 8 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

‘MY JOB IS TO KEEP THIS BRAND HOT’ Taco Bell’s new CEO is, in his words, “not the

dictionary definition of a CEO.” But he has a vision for how to keep their winning streak going.

by JASON FEIFER

S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 24 5 9

E

veryone knows Taco Bell. But not everyone knows Sean Tresvant, who took over as CEO at the beginning of this year.

And Tresvant likes it that way.

“I’ve never been one who does it for the limelight,” says Tresvant. He doesn’t go on TV to pontificate, and generally prefers that colleagues be interviewed instead of him.

“I’m probably the most introverted extrovert. I always tell people it’s not about me. It’s about the team. I don’t need to get my bars up.”

Instead, Tresvant has spent his career raising the bar for 6 0 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

great brands—spending time at Sports Illustrated and PepsiCo, rising to CMO for Nike’s Jordan brand, and then joining Taco Bell in 2022 as its global chief brand officer. Now he’s succeeded former Taco Bell CEO Mark King, who retired at the end of 2023, which means Tresvant has stepped into the hottest seat in the hottest brand in franchising, where attention will be hard to escape. But he knows his No. 1 mission: “My job, and our job as the Taco Bell team, is to keep this brand hot,” says Tresvant.

How hot is Taco Bell? So hot

that it’s reached No. 1 on our Franchise 500 for the fourth year in a row—only the second brand to accomplish that in the ranking’s 45-year history.

(The other was Subway.) So hot that unit growth has been 15% over the past three years, worldwide system sales grew 11% in 2023, and profit margins are 24% — a number that David Gibbs, CEO of Taco Bell’s parent company Yum! Brands, called “industry-leading.”

Tresvant has already turned up the heat since joining the brand by steering some of its recent attention-getting moves—like rallying Doja Cat

and Dolly Parton to bring back Mexican Pizza (a beloved menu item that was discontinued during COVID), and partnering with LeBron James to “liberate” the trademark on “Taco Tuesday” (which was owned by rival Taco John’s and Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar, thus prohibiting anyone else from using the phrase).

Now Tresvant must keep this momentum going, while also coordinating with franchisees and acclimating to the challenges of leadership. Here, he discusses how to make a brand culturally resonate, how to keep it that way, and how

P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y O F TA C O B E L L

great leaders can empower their teams.

Your predecessor Mark King once told us a story: When he first joined Taco Bell, he didn’t fully grasp how culturally powerful the brand had become. Then a week into his job, he was shocked by how many people came out to a four-day Taco Bell takeover of a fancy Palm Springs hotel— where he ended up with a Taco Bell logo shaved into his head. I’m curious what you didn’t fully appreciate about Taco Bell until you started.

My story is different from Mark’s, but very similar in underestimating the power of the brand. Two things would happen. First, wherever I would go, if I was at an event or a gathering or a conference, everybody wanted to talk about their favorite Taco Bell meal of today or of the past. “When are you going to bring back the Quesalupa? What about the Enchirito?” or, “Hey, bring the caramel empanada back,” or, “Hey, I just ordered from Taco Bell at my store, and you guys need to make sure that you keep so-and-so on the menu.” It was pretty incredible—the love and the passion people have for this brand and the menu.

Then, of course, I like to represent the brand, so I’d wear Taco Bell merch to places, and people would stop me: “Oh, where did you get that?” I had a jacket that just had the bell on it, and one guy tried to buy it off me. That’s pretty powerful.

I don’t know many brands in the world that have that cultlike passionate following.

Branding is so interesting, because there’s nothing inherently culturally resonant about Taco Bell, right?

Same for Nike, which is cool now—but at the start, Phil Knight was hustling to make it relevant. Do you think that there’s anything inherent about a brand that allows it

to succeed culturally? Or can the right leadership accomplish that anywhere?

I do believe from the start that Taco Bell wasn’t like any other brand. It has an incredible origin story, like some of the best brands do. In 1962, when Glen Bell started Taco Bell in California, think about it—it was Mexican food. It wasn’t burgers. It wasn’t fries. It wasn’t pizza. So, inherently, it was different. Inherently, it was for people who were curious.

Inherently, it was for people who were bold and courageous to try something new. Fastforward, and I believe that DNA still exists in the brand.

That answer contained something that every great brand storyteller does, which is to build upon the origin story of a brand.

There’s really interesting research about how a founder’s story can be a differentiation point for consumers. There’s a very intentional connection you’re drawing here, from the brand’s origin to its positioning today—and I would love to hear you, as someone who understands brand marketing, talk about how to smartly use an origin story.

If I’m sitting in a room with marketing people, the question is: “How do you ‘dimensionalize’ the story?” Here are two answers. One is this idea of math and magic: How do you take all the math that is available today and turn it into magic? The other one is— we have a saying here, which I think Taco Bell does better than any other brand: “Hit people in the head, and hit them in the heart.” You hit people in the head with your pricing, with your operations, with how you go to market—all very important things. But none of that matters if you can’t hit people in the heart. You make people feel the brand, make people love the brand.

“ WHENEVER THERE’S A BIG DECISION TO MAKE, THERE IS WHAT I CALL ‘RADICAL CANDOR WITH RESPECT.’ WE’RE NOT AFRAID TO HAVE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS.” What’s a real-world example of taking a piece of data and turning it into magic?

We have a lot of data from our restaurants and from our social channels. Whenever we post something about the brand, people talk a lot about menu items of the past. The Enchirito or Quesalupa comes up, and the threads just go crazy. “I remember when my mom took me,” or, “I remember how it tasted,” or, “I used to get it with tomatoes.” So we took all that data, and in 2022, we started to have people vote on two items—to let the consumer decide which item we actually brought back on the menu.

That’s the same insight that you personally got when arriving at Taco Bell, right? People would tell you whatever random menu item they remember. It’s cool that the observation that you had as an individual turned out to also be a starting point for a powerful brand action. What should leaders do with the little personal experiences that they might have out in the world?

I think great leaders need to listen more, to the data and to the team. We could have explained that experience—which wasn’t exclusively my experience— away. But if you have the right people in the organization, they’ll say, “How do we take these two things, an anecdote and a real data phenomenon,

and turn it into some magic about something that consumers can actually do?”

What I’m hearing is this process of capturing something that’s in the air—that hasn’t been put down anywhere, that’s not from some test that had already been run. How do you create something that delivers something people want, but that they’re not necessarily articulating that they want?

One thing that helps the organization get to the magic quickly is that, in Mark’s time here, he had this idea of restless creativity. So it doesn’t matter what function you’re in—it’s not only reserved for the marketers, but whether you’re in ops, finance, HR, sales—this idea of being restlessly creative permeates the organization. When you have some anecdotes, and you have the quantitative data, the culture of being restlessly creative is: What if we put those two things together and let the consumer decide what we bring back?

Now, think about that. That sounds easy from me or the marketer saying it. But now you’ve got to go to supply chain: How available are the ingredients? You’ve got to go to operations: How do we make it on the line? How do you price it?

All those things have to come together. You’ve got to bring S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 24 6 1

“ WE HAVE A SAYING HERE, WHICH I THINK TACO BELL DOES BETTER THAN ANY OTHER BRAND: ‘HIT PEOPLE IN THE HEAD, AND HIT THEM IN THE HEART.’” the organization along about why this is a good thing for the consumer, for the business, for the franchisee. We wouldn’t be able to do it if it was just a marketing idea. But since people have the DNA of being restlessly creative, it all comes together.

I’ve found that the best ideas always start with “What if we...?” But I’ve worked at places where we ran into exactly the problem you’re solving for: We had a great idea, and then it got to the next department that would be involved...

And they’re like, “No way.”

Right. I’ve often wondered what went wrong. Was the idea not good enough? Was the other department just lazy? Maybe the answer is: Leadership must ensure that every department’s job is, in some way, to at least engage with the “What if we...?” ideas. How do you instill that?

I believe this organization has a very high trust bar—not only internal to Taco Bell corporate, but also with the franchisees. Again, tie it back to the origin story: Where would the brand be if we didn’t take some big swings? If we didn’t say, “Just go with us on this one”? Sometimes we 6 2 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

get it right—more times than not. But sometimes we take a swing, and instead of a home run, it might be a double. But we learn a lot from it.

Trust is a hard thing to build with franchisees. I hear this all the time from franchisors—that they want to introduce changes, but franchisees are uncomfortable. I know Taco Bell has a long history of empowering franchisees to think boldly.

But it’s another thing to have franchisees be “restlessly creative.”

What makes the Taco Bell system unique is its incredible dialogue. In my first couple of weeks on the job, a lot of franchisees called me personally, and we talked about the business, we talked about my vision, we talked about their vision, we talked about what they think is working, what they think is not working.

I think whenever there’s a big decision to make, there is what I will call “radical candor with respect.” Because we’re a system, everybody wants to do the right thing—but at the same time, we’re not afraid to have tough conversations, have great debates, all in the service of getting either to the right answer or aligned around an answer. What we agree upon is this: They’re

not going to win all the time, and Taco Bell is not going to win all the time, but as long as the consumer wins all the time and the team member wins all the time, then we’re doing the right thing.

stand how difficult it is when you’re leading the drive-thru or making a Crunchwrap. Being approachable means that, when you go in the restaurant, you don’t just stand on the other side of the counter.

I once heard you describe your leadership style in three words. You said, “approachable, curious, and empowering.” How do you put it into practice?

Let’s take approachable. I’m probably not the dictionary definition of a CEO for many reasons. Maybe it’s the way I look, the way I act. I’ve got sneakers on right now…

As someone who didn’t have restaurant experience, I’m curious what you have done to feel comfortable in this space and what you would advise other leaders who are similarly entering a new industry.

I’ll give you two. One is to be humble enough to know what you don’t know. Go to the experts in those fields or the functional leaders, and learn. A lot of times, leaders—because they’re in a certain position or have a certain title—they feel like they can’t learn or shouldn’t ask.

The second thing is probably some of the best advice I got early on: Don’t try to be a black belt in everything.

If you’re going to try to be a black belt in everything, you can’t accomplish it. They said, “Be a black belt in marketing—that’s what you are.

But be a brown belt or a red belt in development, finance, operations, HR, and then hire or have black belts in those other functions.” I don’t need to be an expert in every function. That’s why I have an incredible team.

I’m wearing Crocs right now.

And I’m always my authentic self. My authentic self is: It doesn’t matter what level you are, whether it’s the top of the organization or the people who are just starting out, I like to have conversations. I like to meet people where they are.

I drive my executive assistant crazy, because people say, “Hey, I want to have a coffee chat, or a little bit of mentorship with Sean,” and I usually don’t say no. I feel like I’m in my position because I had great mentors, leaders, somebody who gave me 10 minutes in a coffee chat. I have a career journey that started where most of the people start out. I want to always be approachable to those people.

I bet that attitude makes a huge difference when engaging with franchisees.

It does. David Gibbs, CEO of Yum! Brands, said something that really stuck with me: “When you enter the brand or the business, come through the front door and the back door.” Meaning, make sure you also come through the back door—to the kitchen—and thank the team members. I don’t have restaurant experience. But you need to understand how the line works, and you need to under-

It’s so critical—to give yourself permission to not be great at everything.

It powers the organization.

It creates trust. They realize that, as a boss, I’m going to understand what they do and I may have points of view on development and have questions, but I’m counting on them to lead it.

To hear the full interview with Sean Tresvant, find the Entrepreneur podcast Problem Solvers wherever you get your podcasts.

WHAT NEW FRANCHISEES THINK What’s it actually like being a franchisee?

We asked 232 people within five years of taking the leap.

Here’s what they said.

6 4 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

Illustration Nicolás Ortega

S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 24 6 5

*The faces you see are just some of the respondents.

BRIAN GARVEY Express Employment Professionals

CARESSA FLANNERY PETERSON

ANDREA KNIGHT

ALEX STIFFLER

ALICE ANN CLARK

JENNIFER BOWHEY

JORA BART

Stroll

Stroll

British Swim School

Visiting Angels

School of Rock

All responses are anonymized.

Stroll and BeLocal

WHAT THE FRANCHISEES TOLD US How many hours a week do you work?

Less than 30 30-40

18%

40-50

20%

50-60 60+

19%

Did setting up your franchise cost (in time and money) about what you expected?

Yes

No

23%

Neutral

20% How many units/territories do you own?

59%

21%

20%

Do you plan to buy more units/territories?

Yes Probably Maybe Probably not No 6 6 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

1

2

3

4

5+

68%

16%

8%

3%

5%

How did you find your franchise?

26% 13% 32% 12% 17%

“I was just Googling business ideas.”

“I’d heard the brand name my whole life.”

“AD ON INSTAGRAM.” “Worked at one prior, was familiar with the system.”

PHOTOGR APHS BY STOCK.ADOBE.COM/CAGK AN (10 0 DOLL AR BILL); R ANGIZ Z Z (CLOCK )

We wanted unvarnished opinions—and as you’ll see on the following pages, we got them. This survey was conducted in partnership with Franchise Business Review, which produces reports for franchise buyers.

The results you see are mostly from our survey of 232 new franchisees * (in business under five years), but also include a few answers from Franchise Business Review’s annual survey of 13,109 new franchisees.

*The faces you see are just some of the respondents.

Cruise Planners

MIKE FULLER

NISH VERMA

RONTARIO HICKS

LISA MERGEN

NICI FLEMING

NICK PETERSON

Cruise Planners

Cruise Planners

Pool Scouts

Wild Birds Unlimited

Goldfish Swim School

Fitness Machine Technicians

Do you enjoy operating your business?

All responses are anonymized.

Do you enjoy being part of your franchise organization?

Yes

Yes 95% No 57%

93% Neutral

5%

No

2%

Did you have any experience in your current industry before buying this franchise?

How much business do you have right now?

How’s your business doing financially?

11% 48% 41%

We’re too busy We need more customers We have what we want

37% 31%

14%

13%

5% Very Strong

Would you recommend your franchise brand to others?

Yes

16%

Probably

15%

58%

No

6 8 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

Moderate

Weak

Very Weak

What was the main reason you chose your brand?

“It seemed like a fun opportunity.”

5%

“It closely matched our goals and lifestyle.”

Maybe Unlikely

Strong

6%

“PRICING AND REPEAT BUSINESS.” “COVID closed my previous business.”

PHOTOGR APHS BY STOCK.ADOBE.COM/ VL ADIMIR(SMILE); PIXELROBOT (OPEN SIGN); KUZMICK (COINS); PEREGRINUS (EMOJIS)

MELANIE SCARBOROUGH

*The faces you see are just some of the respondents.

TIMOTHY HERSHEY

MAUREEN CULLY

TAMRA BIRD

TAL URBACH

MEGAN GERMAIN

KELLY KILMER

KEN VARLEY

Cruise Planners

Stroll

Stroll

Just Between Friends

Real Producers

New Creations

All responses are anonymized.

Dream Vacations

How’s the long-term growth opportunity for your business?

Very Strong 32%

The Money

29%

The Lifestyle

71%

Very Weak 3% Weak 5%

Strong

39%

Moderate

21%

How much did you know about franchising before you started researching it?

I understood it well I understood the basics

I thought it was just for restaurants

How often do you talk to other franchisees at your brand?

I knew nothing

Daily

21%

53%

22% 4%

Where were you working just before you bought your first franchise?

At a small business At a medium-sized business At a large business I was self-employed I wasn’t working 7 0 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

44%

Weekly Monthly Annually I don’t really talk with my fellow franchisees

30%

17% 4%

5%

How is being a boss?

23% 11% 33% 24% 9%

“Great, but being a leader is lonely.”

“It’s challenging—there’s so much that goes unnoticed.”

“IT’S AWESOME.” “I have a totally different respect for owners in general.”

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y S T O C K . A D O B E . C O M / A K R 1 1 _ S T ( S C A L E ) ; D A N H E I G H T O N ( B R A I N ) ; K O YA 9 7 9 ( C R Y S TA L B A L L )

Which is the bigger reason that you picked your specific franchise brand?

RANKED TOP NEW AND EMERGING BY ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE

AWA R DED

TOP NEW & EMERGING FRANCHISE 2022 & 2023 Make a difference with a rewarding fitness franchise • Biblical core values • High demand with limited competition • Home-based franchise model • Low overhead and initial investment • Recurring membership revenue model • No prior experience required

Ground Floor Opportunity SCAN TO LEARN MORE ©2024 Special Strong. All Rights Reserved.

*The faces you see are just some of the respondents.

KAREN HARTIGAN

KHAI WOO

LYNNE BEAUDRY

MIKE SMITH

Stroll

LearningRx

Dream Vacations

We Sell Restaurants

ROBIN CARMICHAEL

THERESA ODOM

RACHEL COX

Cruise Planners

Stroll

All responses are anonymized.

Cruise Planners

What Franchisees Love:

We Asked ▶ What’s your favorite part of being a franchisee?

“Knowing that I’m building a business, not just working a job” ■ “The annual conference” “The relationships with customers” ■ “Freedom to enjoy your hobby and earn a living doing it” ■ “My team” ■ “Me and my son own it and get to work together” ■ “The ability to make my own decisions” ■ “The chance to influence the culture of the company” ■ “Providing the best work environment for my employees” ■ “In my previous career, regardless of how good I was or how certified I may have been, there was only so much that I could have made.

With this business, my hard work will determine my upper limit.” ■ “The camaraderie of the franchise owners systemwide” ■ “The example I’m setting for my daughter” ■ “Being my own boss, but still receiving all the coaching, training, and support I need” ■ “I spent 20 years commuting 1.5 hours each day, and working countless nights and weekends.

My business is now six minutes from my home, and I have much more flexibility.”

■

What Franchisees Hate:

We Asked ▶ What’s the most annoying thing you have to do as a franchise owner?

“The spam calls and emails I get for business services” ■ “Worrying about customers’ insufficient funds” ■ “Doing tasks for clients that they can do themselves” ■ “Hiring and keeping a salesperson on track” ■ “Year-end inventory” ■ “Managing dumb people” ■ “Searching for new leads” ■ “Relying on other people to work with the same intensity I have” ■ “Paperwork” ■ “Taxes!” ■ “Paying royalties, but I understand the reason” ■ “Telling potential clients that we cannot help them” ■ “Cold-calling to get new business” ■ “Repeatedly answering the same questions from clients because they didn’t read the information I sent them, which answers the exact questions they’re asking” ■ “Technology issues” ■ “Wearing ALL the hats!” ■ “When workers do not show up for work” ■ “Chasing after businesses that don’t pay” ■ “Building a customer base in a market where the brand is not readily recognized” ■ “Friends and family think I have magical ways of getting them ‘deals.’”

What Franchisees Celebrate:

We Asked ▶ What’s the most satisfyingly challenging thing you do in your business?

“Selling is intimidating. But every time I get a new client it is immensely rewarding knowing that I accomplished something that scares me.” ■ “Providing clients with first-class customer service” ■ “Building brand awareness” ■ “Making the decision to scale up and hire someone so that we can grow the business” ■ “Finding good people to work at my business and keeping them around” ■ “Learning all the aspects of being a franchise owner, from operations to marketing to sales” ■ “Getting people to believe in the vision and be a part of it!” ■ “Playing both sides. I can cater to a dissatisfied client and listen and address their concerns without feeling like I have thrown my team under the bus.” ■ “Completing a project on time and on budget while exceeding my client’s expectations” ■ “Having to constantly drive business and consumers” ■ “Setting up the store before shoppers come in and see how beautiful it looks” ■ “Mentoring my associates” ■ “Being organized” 7 2 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

YOUR NEXT RECRUIT COULD BE A ROBOT

Across the franchise industry, brands are putting AI to use in all kinds of novel ways. From customer service to better marketing and quality control, here’s how brands are taking the leap into automation.

by YIREN LU

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Illustration Nicolás Ortega

S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 24 7 5

T

wo women pull into a Carl’s Jr. drive-thru in Anaheim, California, and roll down their window.

An employee introduces herself as Tori, and asks, “What can I get started for you?”

The question is normal enough, but something about Tori sounds a little weird. The women in the car start giggling. Tori takes it all in stride.

She’s not offended. She’s a robot, after all.

She collects their order flawlessly—asking about drinks and combo sizes—and even tries to upsell them on some strawberry shortcake. A human employee hands them their food, and as they drive off, the woman riding shotgun gasps. “Oh, my God! AI is coming! AI is at Carl’s Jr.!”

All of this played out on TikTok, where you can find a proliferating number of

7 6 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

videos of AI taking orders at quick-service restaurants around the country. Franchises like Carl’s Jr., McDonald’s, Rally’s, and Popeyes have all rolled out voice AI at select restaurants. And while these order-taking bots may be the most visible examples of how franchises are starting to use AI, they’re just the beginning.

Artificial intelligence is already giving franchises myriad opportunities to improve efficiency and lower costs while increasing revenues—and its applications cannot be ignored. Whether you work for a QSR brand looking to save on staffing and improve operations, a retail brand wanting to boost localized marketing at a fraction of the cost of a traditional agency, a cookie company using predictive analytics

to improve wait times and quality control, or a fitness studio developing a personalized coaching system, there are all kinds of novel ways you can put AI to work. And you should—because chances are, someone else in your industry is already doing it.

F

or drive-thru in particular, QSR brands’ motivation to explore voice automation has been driven by three parallel trends: rising labor costs, a post-pandemic appreciation for the value of drive-thru options, and AI hype.

While there were early concerns about losing control of the customer experience and customers reacting badly to bots, those have largely dissipated. Although customers’ videos occasionally highlight hilarious AI missteps—one shows the AI

adding nine Long Island iced teas instead of the single Sprite ordered—they reveal more of a sense of wonder than irritation. Nobody seems to miss the human service.

This makes sense. Fast-food ordering has always been relatively transactional. The industry’s workers typically work long shifts, make minimum wage, and perform repetitive tasks. The bar that AI needs to clear is low.

Brands are concerned about accuracy and efficiency, but if voice automation can hit those marks, then it can be an unalloyed positive. There’s even an opportunity for more systematic upselling. “I think no one at this point denies that this is the future,” says Krishna Gupta, board member and cofounder of Presto Automation, an enterprise software company that sells voice automation

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O F C A R L’ S J R .

Presto Automation outfits franchises like Carl’s Jr. with voice automation systems.

systems for drive-thru lanes to franchises like Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. “There’s a sort of inevitability about it.”

At one point, Gupta had a conversation with the former CEO of Restaurant Brands International, the parent company of Burger King.

The executive was candid in his evaluation of his human workforce. He said that 5% of order-takers were exceptional—emotionally intelligent, consistent, diligent—without diminished performance even going into the sixth or seventh hour of their shifts. But understandably, this level of performance was the exception, not the rule. The promise of AI was a much more consistent, standardized experience.

Typically, even after the deployment of a voice automation system, companies will keep human employees on standby—listening in on the drive-thru conversations while simultaneously doing other tasks like making food. That way, when the AI fumbles, a human employee can step in.

Some franchises, like Carl’s Jr., have bought enterprise software from an outside vendor like Presto. Others, like McDonald’s, have tried to build their own robots in-house—in McDonald’s case, acquiring several AI startups to assemble its own tech lab.

If brands choose to buy an automation system, the amount of onboarding time varies, but it usually takes months. The hurdles tend to pop up when integrating with in-house point-of-sale and loyalty systems. Menu complexity is also a factor. “If you’re a coffee chain that literally just sells coffee, integrating and training our models on your specific menu is not going to be particularly challenging,” Gupta says. “If you are a group that does pastries, food, desserts, other drinks, etc., your menu is going to be dramatically more complex and will require

more integration.”

Interestingly, in many cases, the push towards automation and AI is coming from the franchisees themselves. For example, at Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, two leading franchisees reached out to Presto, indicating their interest in trying out the new voice AI technology.

Together, they solicited permission from the franchisor.

In the case of Carl’s Jr., the franchisees got the go-ahead, the test went well, and Presto later signed a service agreement with Carl’s Jr., which Presto could then take to other individual franchisees as a sort of calling card.

T

he increasing popularity of voice AI for drive-thru is an example of how AI is helping franchises with a niche problem, but franchises are also applying the more generic text- and image-generation capabilities of large language models (like ChatGPT) throughout their workflows.

This includes creating social media posts, digesting and summarizing information in large PDFs, interpreting documents, generating Excel formulas, brainstorming names, and responding to customer reviews quickly. But perhaps the most dominant uses are content and marketing.

Last year, Pizza Hut Singapore announced that its “Takeaway Pocket Pleasers” ad campaign used the generative AI tool Midjourney to quickly create visuals that represent Pizza Hut pizzas in various sizes and flavors, like Cheese ‘N’ Chic, Just Cheese, and Chicky Ham ‘N’ Corn.

The franchise trumpeted that it would be passing on these marketing savings to the customer in the form of lower-priced pizzas.

In another example, a recent report on AI in franchising from Brndmkt Consulting shared the experience of an unidentified franchise in the

“I think no one at this point denies that [AI] is the future,” says Krishna Gupta, board member and cofounder of Presto Automation, which sells voice automation systems for drive-thru lanes to franchises like Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. “There’s a sort of inevitability about it.”

family entertainment industry that used the AI video-editing tool Opus Clip to cut longer brand videos into short clips optimized for social media.

The tool could identify key moments in the longer videos, and compress them into 30-to-60-second clips to post.

The brand saw a significant increase in engagement, with a 50% rise in likes and shares for the AI-edited video content, and a 30% increase in viewer retention rates.

Another use for AI is helping to bridge the divide between corporate and local marketing.

Most franchisees pay a fee to cover their brand’s corporate marketing, but local marketing tends to be their responsibility to execute. This leads to hit-ormiss results, because franchisees have to pay a separate marketing agency for their local campaigns, which may or may not adhere to brand guidelines. Balancing the franchise’s universal messaging with personalization is a constant challenge.

Generative AI makes this all much easier. ARIA, a software product by Franchisemanager.ai, for example, allows franchisors to create marketing messages that are tailored to each franchise location, all in one stroke— at a cost equivalent to what a single franchisee would have had to pay their marketing

agency. This way, franchisees market content that is in their language and that refers to their locations and metadata, but is sanctioned by the mothership.

For example, say you’re Dunkin’, and it’s fall. ARIA will generate a message for you, like: “Fall in love with flavor! Celebrate the season with #Dunkin’s pumpkin spice signature latte, every sip is a #sensory adventure.” Then, ARIA will localize the message for franchisees, to say something like: “Savor the season at #Dunkin’s Harvard Square in Cambridge with our pumpkin spice signature latte. Every sip is a #sensory adventure.” ARIA can even tweak messaging according to local idioms and weather forecasts.

A

s notable as it is that established franchises are adopting AI, perhaps the clearest glimpse of how AI will affect franchising in the future can be seen in a crop of burgeoning brands built by digital natives.

These franchises are making AI systems central to how they operate and sell themselves.

Dirty Dough, for example, is a cookie franchise founded in 2018 that now has sold over 400 franchises. Early on, the stores were so overloaded that it could take up to 45 minutes for a customer to receive their S TA R T U P S S u m m e r 2 0 2 4 7 7

ARIA, a software product, allows franchisors to create marketing messages that are localized for each franchise, all in one stroke, at a cost equivalent to what a single franchisee would have to pay their marketing agency.

box of cookies. The franchisees wanted to solve this, but they also didn’t want to overstaff.

The solution the brand landed on was to use software that integrates with a store camera system, to monitor wait times, staffing levels, and sales information.

The cameras have been tested to monitor for quality control and to enforce brand standards. “Some of our cookies were too messy because the employees put too much drizzle on top, so you couldn’t eat them in the car,” Bennett Maxwell, founder of Dirty Dough, told the Franchise Secrets podcast. Another camera, set up to face the cookies, could detect not only whether the dimensions of the cookies are correct, but also whether the employees are decorating them correctly. “We all want to perform,” Maxwell said, “but sometimes we just don’t know what we’re doing. This camera system allows us to have better oversight and help our employees succeed.”

The idea is that the camera surveillance system could trigger not only corrections for staff, but also corrective interactions with the customer. For example, if the customer’s cookie was too small, they might be sent a feedback question, or offered 7 8 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

a loyalty credit, or a gift card.

“Anytime a customer has a bad experience, we want them to know we see that and are looking out for them,” Maxwell said.

Another example of a new franchise that’s gone all-in on AI is Lumin Fitness.

Lumin is a smart fitness studio concept—similar to Barry’s Bootcamp, but more personalized. Walking into a Lumin studio, participants go to their stations, open up the Lumin smartphone app, and put in their earbuds. For the next 40 minutes, even as they’re working out with other people, they’re essentially getting a personal training session.

A Lumin studio creates an immersive experience akin to a Van Gogh digital exhibit—some featuring 80 feet of LED panels, nine feet high—that rotates every six to eight weeks. There’s also a set of sensors, placed throughout the studio, that monitor each participant’s movement. “At traditional boutique fitness studios, there’s one coach and 14 to 30 participants,” says Brandon Bean, cofounder of Mixed Partners, Lumin’s parent company. “The coaches’ eyes can’t be on everyone at once, so people often get hurt, or they’re not getting maximum effectiveness from the workout.” Lumin’s

sensors, on the other hand, monitor and track everything, from your posture and position to the number of reps and the weight of your kettlebells.

This information is fed into Lumin’s software, which analyzes it and pipes feedback and recommendations directly into the participants’ ears.

All of this is powered by AI, from the immersive displays and themes to the voices of the AI coaches. Using object detection and pose algorithms, Lumin software has developed an understanding of what, say, an air squat is supposed to look like. “We know how you’re performing your squat, and will give you feedback on whether or not you’ve done a proper rep, as well as your technique and your range of motion,” Bean says.

The more customers who come to the studio, the better the feedback loop becomes.

The system constantly gets more data on, for instance, how accurate the rep-counting is, and what a squat looks like on a male or a female depending on the placement of their joints.

At a glance, a fitness studio stuffed to the gills with technology can seem like a gimmick.

But Bean doesn’t think so.

Until 2019, he was the CEO of Gold’s Gym, a fitness franchise with a history extending back to the 1970s, when Arnold Schwarzenegger worked out at the original location. Bean left because he saw that fitness trends, and what Gen Z wants in particular, are moving away from big-box gyms and toward single-modality, bespoke fitness experiences like Orangetheory, SoulCycle, and CrossFit. “They like the personalization, they like the gamification, and they want to be there in person with other people.”

Plus, Bean hopes that with Lumin, he’s eliminated some of the common pitfalls for fitness franchises. “The two big risks are low margins be-

cause of high labor costs and lack of differentiation,” he says. “Say you’ve got a great cycling studio. Customers love the instructor, but then he goes across the street to a very similar cycling experience and a lot of your members go with him.”

Lumin saves on labor costs, and due to its technology, its experience can’t be replicated easily—for now, at least.

W

hile scores of recent headlines about AI have painted a grim picture of the future, the applications in franchising don’t seem too intimidating so far. On the operations side, AI is helping drive efficiency, quality control, and cost savings.

Computer vision tracks customer wait times and product quality, improving staffing and standardization. And large language models are generating localized marketing content to bolster franchisees’ digital presence.

But while all franchises can find ways to use AI to do the same tasks faster and cheaper, those leading the charge are using AI to reimagine longstanding experiences—from the drive-thru to the fitness studio. Ten years ago, it simply wouldn’t have been possible for AI to handle drive-thru orders with the accuracy and reliability necessary to keep cars moving, or to detect minute differences in posture when a fitness freak is doing an air squat. Chances are that these efficient, affordable, and personalized experiences for consumers will become the norm and the expectation.

A few years from now, when you meet the next Tori, you won’t bat an eye.

Yiren Lu is a writer and software engineer currently running Frindle, a technical writing agency in Greenwich, Connecticut.

You’re Never Out of Options An entrepreneur’s path is never simple or easy—but you have more opportunities than you think. by JASON FEIFER

Y

ou’ve hit a wall. Maybe it’s an idea that won’t work. A pursuit you were rejected from. An effort that failed. Now you feel stuck and frustrated.

I’ve felt it too—but I learned four simple words that help me move past it. I think they can help you too.

To appreciate them, I’m going to take you back in time. The year is 2005. Kara Goldin and her husband Theo were making a lightly flavored, all-natural beverage in their kitchen. They 8 0 S u m m e r 2 0 24 S TA R T U P S

called it Hint Water, and they thought it had potential.

But when they tried to mass-produce the drink, they hit a problem. Kara writes about this in her book, called Undaunted. Her husband tried to find a manufacturer for the drink, but everyone said it was impossible: They couldn’t make the drink without preservatives or other chemicals, because it wouldn’t have the shelf life for national distribution.

“Well, what can we do?”

Kara asked Theo.

“We can have a product with a very short shelf life that we deliver locally out of our Jeep in a limited area in San Francisco,” Theo replied.

“Perfect, that’s what we’ll do,” Kara said. “We’ll find out what people think of the product and if it’s worth trying to solve this problem.”

This little scene made a big impact on me. I loved Kara’s reaction. Theo tells her what they can’t do, and Kara asks what they can do.

I’ve since gotten to know Kara, and we’ve talked about this. That question—What can we do?—has become a mantra of hers. She calls upon it when hitting a wall, or when someone says something is impossible.

I wondered: Why is this such a powerful reframe?

Then I realized: It’s because when we want something, we almost immediately limit our imaginations.

Think of something you want right now. Maybe it’s a certain kind of growth.

Or a particular job. Maybe it’s being recognized for an achievement, or connecting deeply with another person.

I bet you have an idea of how to get that—first I’ll do this, then that, and so on. That’s your action-oriented, entrepreneurial self at work. But there’s a problem: When we imagine how we’ll get something, we start to think that’s the only way to get it.

If our original idea doesn’t work out, we assume we’re out of luck. Our way became the only way, and now the only way is no way.

The antidote to that is Kara’s question: “What can we do?”

No matter the challenge you’re facing, there is an

answer to that question. You can do something. It doesn’t mean you’ll always reach your goal exactly as you defined it, but it does mean you can find some action to take—a way to move forward, or at least to move, because movement is the most important thing.

No discovery happens by standing still.

In fact, I recently used this question to help my wife!

My wife, Jennifer Miller, is a journalist and author of five books (including one with me). A few years ago, she met a former inmate with an incredible story—a captivating, true-crime tale, that was also a powerful story of redemption. She spent years earning this person’s and their family’s trust, wrote a book proposal, shopped it around to all the major publishers, and… nobody wanted it.

Jen was crushed. The rejection stung, of course, but she was also in a kind of mourning: If she couldn’t sell the book, she figured, then she could never tell this story.

But as we talked about it, Kara’s words came to me.

OK, Jen can’t tell this story in a book. So what can she do?

Well, she could tell it in some other form.

“What about a podcast?” I asked. Jen had never worked in podcasting, but she liked the idea. She threw herself into learning the market and meeting the players—and after a year of hard work, she just signed a contract with a major production company and one of the world’s largest podcast distributors.

Now she’s making the thing many people said she couldn’t make. Because they were wrong. There is always something you can do.

PHOTOGR APH BY STOCK.ADOBE.COM/SODAFISH VISUALS

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