Deals & Growth
Tighter Capital Is Rewriting the Franchise Candidate Pool
Lending constraints are filtering out first-time candidates, pushing franchisors to compete for a smaller pool of experienced, multi-unit operators.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Section
Deals & Growth
Franchise deals, development agreements, M&A, and the moves reshaping unit counts.
Deals & Growth
Tighter Capital Is Rewiring Who Gets Franchise Deals
Rising lending standards have narrowed the franchisee pipeline to experienced operators, leaving franchisors to compete harder for a smaller, more discerning pool.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Dog Haus's 50-Unit Deal Puts Operators in the C-Suite
By 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.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Court Approves FAT Brands Breakup Across Four Buyers
A 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.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
PE-Backed Operator Reaches 61 Club Pilates Studios
Aligned Fitness Holdings' acquisition of six New Jersey units illustrates how private equity is consolidating boutique fitness through franchisee buy-outs.
Priya Shah4 min read
Deals & Growth
U.S. Franchise Brands Enter Six New Markets in 2026
American brands signed a cluster of international franchise agreements in early 2026, entering Canada, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, and the Caribbean through local franchise structures.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Tighter Lending Is Filtering Out First-Time Franchisees
Stricter underwriting is concentrating new franchise agreements among experienced multi-unit operators, forcing franchisors to compete for a smaller, more sophisticated candidate pool.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
The new economics of multi-unit ownership
Capital is consolidating around operators who run ten units like one. What that means for valuations, financing, and the next wave of franchise M&A.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
FAT Brands' Court-Approved Sale Moves Into Transition — What Franchisees in the System Need to Track
The 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.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Dunkin' Signs Master Franchise Deal with Foodtastic to Relaunch in Canada
Canadian restaurant operator Foodtastic has exclusive national rights to develop and subfranchise Dunkin' across Canada — nine years after the brand last operated there.
Priya Shah4 min read
Deals & Growth
Chicken Salad Chick Signs Its Largest Franchise Agreement Ever — 25 Units in Upstate New York
The 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.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Dunkin Returns to Canada with Hundreds of Planned Stores
Foodtastic wins exclusive master franchise rights to develop Dunkin across the Canadian market it abandoned eight years ago.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
US Franchise Brands Are Accelerating Global Market Entries
A wave of master franchise and area development deals signals that American franchise systems are moving faster than ever to lock up international territory.
Priya Shah4 min read
Deals & Growth
Multi-Unit Reinvestment Has Become the Engine of Franchise Deal Flow in 2026
New 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.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Real Brokerage Makes $880 Million Offer to Acquire RE/MAX
The tech-forward real estate franchisor's unsolicited bid would combine two of the industry's largest franchise networks under one parent.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Flynn Group Buys 98-Unit Planet Fitness Portfolio from Grand Fitness
The 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.
Priya Shah4 min read
Deals & Growth
Tiger Global Backs Popup Bagels at $300 Million Valuation
The 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.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Two Families, One Market: ReCoat Revolution's Texas Bet
Simultaneous investments from two unrelated families in Southlake point to growing confidence in the surface refinishing brand.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Service Experts Opens Franchising After 30 Years Corporate-Only
One 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.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
IFPG Buys Franchise Business Review in Industry Consolidation Move
Combining candidate sourcing with brand evaluation under one roof reshapes how franchisors recruit and vet qualified buyers.
Priya Shah4 min read
Deals & Growth
SPENGA Returns to Franchise FastLane With a Leaner Site Model
The spin-strength-yoga brand rejoins its development partner with a compact footprint and three new revenue streams designed for multi-unit scale.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Strickland Brothers Lands Growth Financing to Expand Oil Change Network
The rapid-oil-change franchise secured outside capital to accelerate unit count, a move that reflects rising investor appetite for automotive services.
Priya Shah4 min read
Deals & Growth
Private Equity Returns to Franchising as M&A Activity Builds
Lower 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.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Why More Workers Are Leaving Jobs for Franchise Ownership
New data shows franchise buyers in 2026 cite community ties and generational wealth as primary motivators, not just income.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Jersey Mike's Plans 400 Stores Across UK and Ireland
Jersey Mike's is entering the UK and Ireland with a 400-location development deal, one of franchising's largest international commitments of the year.
Priya Shah4 min read
Deals & Growth
Twelve Forces Shaping Franchise Expansion and Operations in 2026
From stabilizing interest rates to the emergence of generative search, the forces reshaping franchise development and unit performance in 2026 are already visible.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Papa Johns Refranchises 85 Units to Operator Chris Patel
Pie Investments absorbs a large corporate portfolio and commits to 52 additional locations, clearing 150 units across six states.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Veterinarian Signs 20-Unit Scenthound Deal in Two East Coast Markets
Dr. Jaime Pickett brings 18 years of multi-unit franchise operations to a pet wellness brand built on subscription-based grooming.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Shipley Donuts Posts Record Q3 as Unit Count Approaches 400
The Houston-based donut brand opened 25 shops through September, with Q4 on pace to outrun 2024's full-year total by more than 60 percent.
Jordan Reyes4 min read
Deals & Growth
Veteran Operator Takes 20 Qdoba Units in Colorado and Alaska
B Wild Investments, led by KBP Brands co-founder Barry Dubin, acquires 20 existing locations to become Qdoba's largest franchisee overnight.
Priya Shah4 min read