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Franchise TimesAn IFA-commissioned Oxford Economics study finds franchise employment outpaced comparable sectors by 10 percent and workers receive better benefits than non-franchise peers.
Auxo Capital AdvisorsNew franchise buyers are still entering the market, but the operators closing the most development agreements are overwhelmingly existing franchisees expanding within their systems. The shift is reshaping development pipelines, franchisor relationships, and how brands think about the difference between growing their system and growing their network.
Chicken Salad ChickThe Southern fast casual brand committed to 25 locations across Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and the Upper Hudson Valley — its largest single development agreement on record. The deal extends Chicken Salad Chick's footprint toward the Canadian border and signals an accelerating push into Northern markets.
FranchiseWireLower interest rates, solid unit economics, and pent-up PE capital are converging to make 2026 one of the most active deal years in franchise history.
Franchise FastLaneThe spin-strength-yoga brand rejoins its development partner with a compact footprint and three new revenue streams designed for multi-unit scale.
Yahoo FinanceAfter years of franchisee pricing pressure, McDonald's doubled down on value deals and reversed a sustained traffic decline in Q4 2025.
Franchise TimesThe FTC's $39.75 million action against Xponential Fitness over earnings claims in its FDDs is the clearest signal yet that disclosure compliance is no longer an afterthought regulators will overlook.
FranchiseWireOne of North America's largest HVAC service networks is inviting owner-operators into its system for the first time since 1990, targeting markets where its corporate footprint has gaps.
FranchiseWireSimultaneous investments from two unrelated families in Southlake point to growing confidence in the surface refinishing brand.
FranchiseWireThe New York bagel startup's Series B round signals that institutional investors see franchise-ready food concepts as a durable asset class even at significant valuations.
FranchiseWireThe tech-forward real estate franchisor's unsolicited bid would combine two of the industry's largest franchise networks under one parent.
Access WinnipegFoodtastic wins exclusive master franchise rights to develop Dunkin across the Canadian market it abandoned eight years ago.
Revscale MediaAs recruitment and lead response move to always-on software, franchise brands are rethinking how they find franchisees and fill new units.
Franchising.comLending constraints are filtering out first-time candidates, pushing franchisors to compete for a smaller pool of experienced, multi-unit operators.
FSR MagazineStricter underwriting is concentrating new franchise agreements among experienced multi-unit operators, forcing franchisors to compete for a smaller, more sophisticated candidate pool.
QSR MagazineThe May 19 court ruling handed 14 FAT Brands concepts to four buyers. For the franchisees still operating inside those systems, the next 90 days carry more uncertainty than the deal itself.
FatburgerA Texas bankruptcy court approved the sale of FAT Brands' eleven restaurant concepts to four separate buyers, resolving more than $1.3 billion in debt through debt-to-equity conversions and direct cash transactions.
RestaurantNews.comBy pairing a 50-unit development agreement with president and COO titles, Dog Haus is testing a model where franchisee investment and brand leadership are the same role.
Franchising.comAmerican brands signed a cluster of international franchise agreements in early 2026, entering Canada, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, and the Caribbean through local franchise structures.
Franchising.comHeadquarters digitized a decade ago. The field — where the customer actually is — is only now getting the same treatment.
Franchising.comCapital is consolidating around operators who run ten units like one. What that means for valuations, financing, and the next wave of franchise M&A.
