#franchising

Founded in 2017 by two cousins, family-run Crumbl Cookies grew to nearly 1,000 locations through aggressive, strategic e

Simple, low-cost operations let Subway top 27,000 US locations and outnumber McDonald's, before franchise struggles trig

Founded in 1965, Ponderosa grew to over 500 Western-themed locations as America's largest steakhouse chain before decade

From Julius Freed's 1926 Orange Julius to mall-based expansion, smoothie chains like Jamba and Smoothie King built empir

From 1941's Topsy's Drive-In to the first drive-thru in 1951, Jack in the Box expanded under Ralston Purina then retrenc

Cold Stone Creamery wins with super-premium ice cream mixed on a frozen stone, turning each visit into an entertaining '

Motel 6 pioneered budget lodging in 1962 at $6 a night, while Super 8 followed in 1974 and franchised aggressively, defi

Little Caesars hit 4,000 outlets on its Pizza! Pizza! carry-out model, then sales crashed from $2B to $650M before a rem

From a 1950s Brooklyn deli to 800 mall locations, Sbarro rode mall culture to success, but shifting foot traffic later e

Colonel Sanders' 11 herbs and spices built KFC to 600 locations before he sold for $2 million; franchising and rising co

Cici's grew to 345 buffet locations before aggressive overexpansion after founder Joe Croce's 2003 exit triggered its de

Founded in 1935 selling two scoops for a nickel, Friendly's grew to 600 restaurants before decades of decline eroded the

Anne Beiler's 1988 stand grew Auntie Anne's into a mall icon, fueling a soft-pretzel rivalry with Wetzel's built on high

By targeting fitness newcomers rather than hardcore lifters, Planet Fitness doubled members to 8.9 million and revenue t

A soft-serve pioneer since 1940, Dairy Queen diversified into Brazier burgers and franchising to grow past 7,000 locatio

From the Palmer brothers' 1980s neighborhood concept to franchising-driven instability, Applebee's story is a lesson in

Founded in 1919 by Roy Allen and Frank Wright, A&W pioneered the drive-in and used Prohibition to sell root beer in a ta

Red Robin grew from a 1940s Seattle tavern into a gourmet burger chain via franchising, but has weathered serious financ

With a secret 1937 recipe, Doughnut Theater, and the Hot Now sign, Krispy Kreme built a brand experience driving its ris

Cracker Barrel pairs restaurant and retail across 46 states, drawing 80% of revenue from food via a deliberate interstat

Quiznos hit 5,000 toasted-sub locations by 2007, then collapsed as forced inflated supply costs sparked lawsuits, unhapp

Founded in 1952 San Antonio, Church's Chicken grew to 1,500 locations targeting urban markets, hit 1991 bankruptcy, then

Founded by firefighter brothers Chris and Robin Sorensen, Firehouse Subs stands out in fast food with an authentic firef

Launched as a side venture expected to top out at 50 stores, Cinnabon's signature cinnamon roll recipe and aroma marketi