Senior Reporter
Friendly's RestaurantsA longtime Friendly's franchisee bought BRIX Holdings and its 250-plus locations, putting an operator in control of a seven-brand franchising platform.
FranchiseWireThe private equity firm takes Freddy's off Golden Gate Capital's hands in one of the largest QSR deals of the year, with a mandate to build the brand beyond 500 locations.
FranchiseWireCorey Benish steps into the top job with a three-decade technology and operations background and a mandate to grow the home services portfolio.
FranchiseWireMore than 12 percent of active U.S. franchise brands now carry PE backing, and investors are moving in earlier, often before a system reaches 50 units.
Wikimedia CommonsB Wild Investments, led by KBP Brands co-founder Barry Dubin, acquires 20 existing locations to become Qdoba's largest franchisee overnight.
The White HousePresident Trump's public endorsement of a franchise-specific joint employer standard gives the American Franchise Act new political momentum headed into Congress.
FranchiseWireMore than 100 business and advocacy groups signed a letter calling for a permanent joint employer standard to end a decade of regulatory uncertainty.
Jersey Mike'sJersey Mike's is entering the UK and Ireland with a 400-location development deal, one of franchising's largest international commitments of the year.
FranchiseWireFranchise veterans entering 2026 are prioritizing operational precision and manager development over expansion, signaling a maturing approach to unit-level growth.
GoogleAt Google I/O on May 19, Google unveiled what analysts called the biggest transformation to its search interface in 25 years. For franchise networks with hundreds or thousands of locations, the shift is operational: AI systems now surface local business results based on structured data quality, and stale location profiles translate directly into lost discovery — and lost revenue.
Franchise TimesEffective March 1, 2026, SBA lenders stopped using the FICO Small Business Scoring Service score for 7(a) loans up to $350,000. Two months in, the downstream effects are clear: documentation requirements are heavier, the credit bar is higher, and the operators best positioned are those with established financials and system-level brand data.
FranchiseWireThe rapid-oil-change franchise secured outside capital to accelerate unit count, a move that reflects rising investor appetite for automotive services.
FranchiseWireCombining candidate sourcing with brand evaluation under one roof reshapes how franchisors recruit and vet qualified buyers.
Two MaidsThe franchisee running Two Maids' highest-performing location credits a single operating principle: treat every clean as if the customer is inspecting right behind you.
YextStandardized systems and centralized data give franchise operators an AI implementation advantage independent businesses cannot easily replicate.
FranchiseWireThe nation's largest franchise operator adds nearly 100 Planet Fitness locations to its portfolio, continuing its strategy of absorbing large multi-unit blocks from exiting operators.
JETSET Pilates via PR NewswireA wave of master franchise and area development deals signals that American franchise systems are moving faster than ever to lock up international territory.
Stanford SALT LabA new framework from Stanford SALT Lab maps 844 job tasks across 104 occupations on two axes — what workers want to hand off to AI, and what AI can actually do reliably. For multi-unit operators, it is the most practical deployment filter available.
Inspire BrandsCanadian restaurant operator Foodtastic has exclusive national rights to develop and subfranchise Dunkin' across Canada — nine years after the brand last operated there.
Franchising.comFRANdata's 2026 Multi-Brand 50 shows large franchise operators trading diversification for portfolio fit, choosing concepts that share operational infrastructure rather than simply spreading revenue across categories.
Franchising.comAligned Fitness Holdings' acquisition of six New Jersey units illustrates how private equity is consolidating boutique fitness through franchisee buy-outs.
Franchising.comAutonomous delivery, employee tech, and local marketing execution defined the winners across all five categories at this year's franchise innovation awards.
Franchising.comMulti-location operators are moving past pilots. Inside the playbook for rolling out AI agents across hundreds of units without breaking brand standards.
