FBR Issue 1 - 2020

Franchise Business 

REVIEW 

Ratings and Reviews of Today’s Top Franchises 

2020 Issue 1 

Is 2020 the Year You 

Make the Leap Into 

Franchise Ownership? P. 12 

SPECIAL REPORT 

TODAY’S TOP 

200 

FRANCHISES 

RIGHT AT HOME 

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FRANCHISEE SPOTLIGHT: 

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FBR SPECIAL REPORT 

Features //2020 Issue 1 

12 29 30 

11 Letter From the Editor 

Make 2020 the Year You Make Your 

Dreams of Business Ownership a Reality 

12 Is 2020 the Year You Make 

the Leap Into Franchise Ownership? 

Franchisees Say These Are the Two Most Important 

Factors to Consider Before You Invest 

16 THE LIST 

Best of the Best: Top 200 Franchises 

28 Funding Your Franchise 

You Have Options 

29 Nothing But Nets Partnership 

Inspired by Mosquito Joe Franchisee 

30 How I Started My Travel Agent Career: 

Christy’s Journey 

32 Hall of Fame 

10 Franchises Enter Our Hall of Fame 

34 Marketplace: Franchise Opportunities 

More on the franchisee approved franchise 

opportunities for 2020 

Franchisee Profiles 

35 Ed and Jennifer Wagner, 

Assisted Living Locators 

39 Paula Paredes, ATAX 

+ 

Reviews, interviews, satisfaction awards, 

and more resources are available at: 

www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com 

For more information on the companies in this report, visit www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com | 9


Letter from the editor 

Make 2020 the Year You Make Your 

Dreams of Business Ownership a Reality 

As we kick off 2020, there are thousands of franchise 

companies operating in North America, offering 

prospective franchisees tons of options. But not all of 

these franchises offer a solid investment opportunity. 

Franchising is almost always successful for the franchise 

company, but less so for the franchisee. That’s 

why choosing the right franchise to invest in is such an 

important choice. Our mission at Franchise Business 

review is to give you reviews and ratings of franchise 

opportunities based on the actual performance and satisfaction of real 

franchise owners—so that you can make a confident buying decision. 

This year we are excited to welcome 12 new brands to the FBR Top 

200 including The Honey Do Service, Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar, 

School of Rock, Dash In Food Stores, Inc, Executive Image Building 

Services, The Patch Boys, A&W Restaurants, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, 

House Doctors, Miracle-Ear, Freedom Boat Club, and Network In 

Action. We are also thrilled to induct 10 more brands into the FBR 

Hall of Fame including BrightStar Care, CarePatrol, Rhea Lana’s, TGA 

Premier Sports, The Grout Doctor, U.S. Lawns, Young Rembrandts, 

Cruise Planners, LaRosa’s Pizzeria, and ShelfGenie. Brands inducted 

into the Hall of Fame have received consistently high levels of franchisee 

satisfaction year after year. You can learn more on page 32. 

Franchising is almost always successful for the 

franchise company, but less so for the franchisee. 

That’s why choosing the right franchise to invest 

in is such an important choice. 

If you’re ready to make a change and invest in yourself in the 

new year, franchising offers a tremendous opportunity. As you 

begin your research, we hope that you find this year’s list of awardwinning 

franchises to be a helpful resource—and utilize our website 

www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com for additional insight and information. 

No matter which franchise you choose to invest in, we wish 

you the very best of success. 

Happy Franchising! 

Sarah Osorio, Editorial Director 

Franchise Business Review is the leading franchise market research firm that performs 

independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction and franchise buyer experiences. 

Before you invest in any franchise opportunity, read our reports to get the facts 

from those who know best — franchisees. We publish quarterly research reports, 

examining segments of franchising including the Top 200 Franchise Opportunities, 

Top Low-Cost Franchises, Top Franchises for Women, Top Food & Beverage Franchises, 

and Top Franchises for Veterans. All publications are available digitally at 

FranchiseBusinessReview.com. 

Eric Stites, CEO & Managing Director 

Michelle Rowan, President & COO 

Sarah Osorio, Editorial Director 

C.J. Fleck, Senior Web Developer 

Ali Forman, Marketing Director 

Jay Arbelo, Research Analyst 

Will Zimmermann, Digital Marketing Manager 

Nicole Dudley, Client Success Manager 

Emily Bryant, Client Success Manager 

Andrew Atwood, Senior Client Consultant 

Amy LaLime, Client Services Manager 

Ryan Dowling, Business Research Executive 

Margot Doering, Accounting 

The Secret Agency, Design and Production 

Call us at 866-397-6680 

HOW WE IDENTIFY THE TOP FRANCHISES 

Participation in Franchise Business Review’s franchisee satisfaction research is free for all North American franchise systems with 

a minimum of 10 franchisees. For this report we looked at data from nearly 28,000 franchise owners from 307 leading franchise brands. 

We collected this data between June 2018 – November 2019. We asked each franchisee over 33 benchmark questions ranking their franchise in 

the areas of financial opportunity, training and support, leadership, operations and product development, core values (e.g., honesty and integrity 

of franchisor) general satisfaction and the franchisee community. We also asked them to answer an additional 16 questions about their market 

area, demographics, business lifestyle, overall enjoyment running their franchise, and role in the franchisee community. From this data, we 

identified our list of top franchises with the highest franchisee satisfaction. More detailed information about our research methodology is available 

at www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com. 

Surveys to determine the Top Low-Cost Franchises, Top Franchises for Women and Top Franchises for Second Careers are underway. 

If you are a franchisor and would like to participate, please call 866-397-6680 or contact info@FranchiseBusinessReview.com. 



Is 2020 the Year You Make 

the Leap Into Franchise Ownership? 

Franchisees Say These Are the Two Most Important Factors 

to Consider Before You Invest 

12 | For more information on the companies in this report, visit www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com


With every new year comes the 

promise of new opportunities. 

If you’ve been contemplating 

franchise ownership, 2020 could be the year 

you take the leap. When 2020 comes to a close, 

what will you say you have accomplished? 

Imagine being able to say that you launched 

your own business! 

There are few prospects as exciting as 

becoming your own boss, controlling your 

time and being 100% responsible for your 

own success. Franchising offers you this tremendous 

opportunity without the risk that 

comes with starting a business from scratch. 

Still, no business venture is guaranteed, which 

is why we survey thousands of franchise owners 

every year to bring you our annual Top 

200 Franchises—so you can choose the best 

franchise brand with the happiest franchise 

community. 

This year we surveyed 27,504 franchisees 

at over 300 brands between June 2018 and 

November 2019 to find out exactly how satisfied 

they are with their franchise business. 

We’ve researched hundreds of brands, and our 

2020 Top Franchises list includes the best of 

the best that franchising has to offer. 

TWO IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT LEAD 

TO FRANCHISE SUCCESS AND OWNER 

SATISFACTION 

The world of franchising is massive, offering 

thousands of different opportunities across 

nearly every sector. To be clear though, not 

every franchise is successful and there are 

many unhappy franchise owners in business 

today. During our research we talk to franchise 

owners in both camps—the happy and 

the disgruntled. Their feedback has led us to 

a few conclusions about what makes a strong 

franchise brand and a happy franchise owner. 

There are two primary factors that we identified: 

profitability and training and support. 

Profitability 

If you are interested in buying a business, 

the profitability potential of that business 

is likely one of your greatest concerns, but, 

estimating a business’s potential can be tricky. 

The nice thing about buying a franchise is that 

there are resources to turn to for evidence of 

past profits that can help you forecast your 

profit potential: the Franchise Disclosure 

Document (FDD) and current franchise owners. 

Inspect item 19 of the FDD closely and 

question current franchisees. 

When asked what was most important to 

her when selecting a franchise, Erin Gilliam, 

Miracle Method franchise owner in Salt Lake 

City, UT said, “Proven systems and profitability 

with reasonable start-up costs: We wanted 

a business that had a solid track record of having 

systems that were highly repeatable and 

profitable with reasonable start up costs.” 

If you’re like Erin and most other wouldbe 

franchise owners interested in profitability, 

here are a few questions you should ask both 

the franchisor and current franchisees: 

1. How long does it take most owners in 

this system to realize a profit? The answer 

to this question can vary widely from brand 

to brand and even within brands. As Kristen 

Magda, franchise marketing manager at 

Brightway Insurance explained, “The time it 

MaidPro franchisee with client 



NaturaLawn of America franchisee in Lousiville, KY 

can take to realize profit will depend on the 

business model that we build with each franchisee, 

specific to their market—hiring plan, 

compensation structure, networking plan and 

more. After five years, our franchise owners 

are making an average of $177,393 in pre-tax 

profit and the top 25% are making an average 

of $375,692 in pre-tax profit.” 

Philip Catron, founder and CEO of Naturalawn, 

an organic lawn care company, said 

that while profitability varies greatly and is 

hard to predict, they have structured their system 

in such a manner that the franchise owner 

should reach annual revenues of $500,000 by 

the end of their fifth year. 

For more nimble concepts, like those in the 

cleaning sector, time to profitability is often 

much shorter. Madeleine Park, marketing 

manager at MaidPro, said that it tends to take 

about a year for franchisees to hit the break 

even mark—and then it’s profit from there, 

which MaidPro franchisee Marcie Sprankle 

confirmed, saying that she owned her Maid- 

Pro franchise for about a year when they realized 

a profit. 

Over at Miracle Method Surface Refinishing, 

the profitability goals for franchisees 

are quite aggressive. “Our goal is to support 

our new owners in becoming ‘profitable’ 

within 3-4 months,” said Gwyn O’Kane, VP 

$95,664 

ANNUAL INCOME 

The median annual income 

of franchise owners 

of franchise development at Miracle Method 

Surface Refinishing. “No more working capital 

burn which means new owners can now focus 

on their four year business plan and achieving 

their goals for their business. All the other 

great benefits of owning a business, like supporting 

your community and providing great 

jobs for your employees, can only be achieved 

by a profitable business and successful owner!” 

Dogtopia, a dog daycare provider, also 

pushes for profitability within the first few 

months to a year, which is encouraging as a 

prospective franchisee. 

2. How are profits shared between the 

franchisor and the franchisee? Christian 

Brothers Automotive has a unique profit 

structure in which the franchisor and franchisee 

split bottom line profits. “From day 

one, our franchisees are guaranteed a salary 

of $60,000 per year. Beyond their salary, we 

split bottom-line profits with them 50-50, but 

first they pay themselves, their team, and their 

expenses,” said Emily Kaniss, marketing coach 

at Christian Brothers Automotive. “Turning 

an additional profit typically takes six months 

in our average performing stores, though it 

can vary.” 

Christian Brothers Automotive “shared 

profits” approach is very unique in the franchise 

world. Most franchise companies start 

earning a percentage of gross sales (i.e. royalty 

fees) as soon as the business opens. 

3. How much will fees and costs eat into 

your profits? It’s also important to be clear 

about the difference between profitability and 

revenue. Revenue does not take fees and costs 

into account and can be misleading when you 

are trying to determine your actual profitability. 

The FDD is an important resource to 

reference as you learn more about a franchise’s 

financials and potential profitability. All franchises 

are required to file an FDD and many 

include an Item 19, which typically covers 

financial performance for average franchise 

locations. The FDD will also provide a detailed 

breakdown of required initial investment and 

any ongoing fees and royalties. 

According to our research, the median 

annual income for franchise owners is $95,664. 

Income figures vary wildly from industry 

to industry and brand to brand. This is why 

it’s so important to talk to both the franchise 

company and a number of franchisees about 

their experience with startup expenses, time 

to break-even, and the long-term profit potential 

of the business. 

Training and Support 

The second common factor in franchisee 

satisfaction is training and support; franchise 

owners rate their brand higher when they feel 

they are given thorough and comprehensive 

training and support. This isn’t surprising 

when you consider that many people choose 

franchising for this exact reason: the backing 

and support of the franchisor. What do the 

best brands offer that the others don’t? For 

one, the best franchise brands go beyond 

initial training, offering continued support 

and continuing education for franchisees 

throughout the life of their relationship. 



“Our goal is to support 

our new owners in 

becoming ‘profitable’ 

within 3-4 months. 

No more working 

capital burn which 

means new owners can 

now focus on their four 

year business plan and 

achieving their goals 

for their business.” 

— Gwyn O’Kane, VP of franchise 

development at Miracle Method 

Surface Refinishing 

Justin and Stephanie Clarey, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchisees in Columbus, Ohio 

“We have been continually impressed 

by the training and support provided by the 

MaidPro home office, from our earliest days 

getting up and running, to two-and-a-half 

years later as we deal with the growing pains of 

a rapidly expanding business,” said Sprankle. 

“MaidPro franchise staff have been available to 

us at every turn, ready to assist with all aspects 

of the business. We have turned to our coaches 

for help with everything from increasing profitability 

to finding local marketing events to 

exploring new avenues for employee recruitment, 

and we received training and resources locations, which enables multiple owners and 

purposes, we also set up and travel to central 

in every case that have made a huge difference their staff to more easily attend group trainings. 

This helps employees of the franchise 

in the success of our business.” 

Committing to ongoing, regular training owner realize they are part of a larger and 

is important at most top brands because they more inclusive organization that can offer 

understand how critical education is for owners. 

“Our training programs are scheduled 

them career advancements.” 

events, not ‘rainy day only’ occurrences,” said 

Catron of Naturalawn. “We not only travel 

to the actual franchise location for training Continued on page 25. 



THE LIST 

Best of the Best: 

Top 200 Franchises 

ADVERTISING & SALES 

* Our Town America — more on p. 38 

Advertising services 

N2 Publishing 

Private neighborhood publications 

Survey 

Date 

Sep. 

2019 

Nov. 

2018 

Initial 

Investment 

$63,300 – 

$86,250 

$975 – 

$5,650 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

$70,000 63 

$975-$5,650 935 

Town Money Saver 

Advertising services 

March 

2019 

$5,700 – 

$17,000 

$5,000 – 

$12,500 

49 

Welcomemat Services 

Printing & marketing services 

June 

2018 

$60,960 – 

$89,710 

$47,000 75 

Discovery Map 

Alternative advertising maps 

Aug. 

2019 

$35,250 – 

$44,950 

$50,000 144 

AUTOMOTIVE 

* Christian Brothers Automotive 

Automotive repair 

Dec. 

2019 

$458,950 – 

$555,350 

$85,000 211 

* Snap-on Tools — more on p. 8 

Automotive services 

Sep. 

2019 

$172,207 – 

$375,265 

$38,000 – 

$53,366 

4,723 

* Fibrenew 

Leather & vinyl repair services 

Nov. 

2019 

$75,000 – 

$101,800 

$20,000 – 

$100,000 

250 

Mighty Auto Parts 

Automotive retailer 

Aug. 

2018 

$175,000 – 

$275,000 

$100,000 104 

“Training and Support 

is outstanding and 

really helped me 

start my franchise.” 

– Christian Brothers Automotive franchisee 

Tint World — more on p. 4 


RNR Tire Express 

Custom wheel & tires 

Grease Monkey 


Ziebart 


March 

2019 

Oct. 

2019 

Sep. 

2018 

June 

2019 

$179,000 – 

$259,000 

$500,000 – 

$1,000,000 

$156,000 – 

$340,000 

$228,200 – 

$463,100 

$70,000 – 

$80,000 

82 

$500,000 126 

$60,000 – 

$75,000 

300 

$150,000 373 

BUSINESS SERVICES 

* Sandler Training — more on p. 42 

Business consulting & coaching 

July 

2019 

$97,525 – 

$108,500 

$91,525 268 

* FASTSIGNS 

Visual business communications 

Nov. 

2018 

$197,172 – 

$313,136 

$80,000 699 

Sanford Rose Associates 

Recruiting services 

Feb. 

2019 

$108,250 – 

$143,580 

$108,250 106 

Network in Action 

Professional Networking 

July 

2019 

$43,610 – 

$57,500 

$50,000 47 

* Minuteman Press 

Printing & marketing services 

Aug. 

2019 

$62,207 – 

$166,498 

$64,238 972 

* ActionCOACH 

Business coaching 

Jan. 

2019 

$45,000 – 

$950,000 

$45,000 – 

$95,000 

992 

*Full Satisfaction Report Available at 

www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com 

Best in Category 

10-Year Hall of Fame Member 

Featured on our Best of the Best List for 10 or more years. 

* Brightway Insurance 

Financial services 

* Supporting Strategies 

Bookkeeping services 

YESCO 

Visual business communications 

The @WORK Group 


Jan. 

2019 

March 

2019 

March 

2019 

Feb. 

2019 

$89,488 – 

$178,916 

$77,130 – 

$102,390 

$64,300 – 

$350,000 

$154,000 – 

$231,000 

$75,000 187 

$100,000 100 

$60,000 123 

$150,000 71 



Survey 

Date 

Initial 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

BUSINESS SERVICES (CONTINUED) 

* Remedy Intelligent Staffing 

Staffing solutions 

— more on 

p. 41 

Jan. 

2019 

$152,010 – 

$258,450 

$80,000 – 

$120,000 

616 

Dale Carnegie 

Leadership training 

FPC National 


InXpress 

Business shipping 

Office Evolution 

Virtual office services 

CHILD SERVICES 

Sep. 

2019 

Oct. 

2018 

March 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

$19,700 – 

$174,500 

$65,000 – 

$86,000 

$85,600 – 

$169,990 

$217,000 – 

$749,000 

$50,000 – 

$200,000 

245 

$120,000 62 

$65,000 376 

$285,000 40 

“This company believes 

in its products and 

services and believes in 

its franchisees as well. 

It’s a terrific partnership.” 

– TSS Photography franchisee 

* Soccer Shots 

Youth sports 

Dec. 

2018 

$41,034 – 

$53,950 

$38,000 249 

CompuChild 

Children’s technology education 

April 

2019 

$18,300 – 

$33,000 

$10,000 40 

* TSS Photography 

Sports, school & event photography 

July 

2019 

$20,415 – 

$74,725 

$10,500 179 

* Amazing Athletes — more on p. 44 

Early childhood development 

April 

2019 

$25,000 – 

$55,650 

$17,500 125 

JumpBunch 

Youth sport & fitness 

Aug. 

2018 

$45,800 – 

$59,300 

$15,000 89 

Young Rembrandts 

Children’s art classes 

Oct. 

2019 

$41,250 – 

$48,650 

$40,000 96 

The Little Gym 

Early childhood development 

Snapology 

STEM/STEAM programs & activities 

KidsPark 

Children’s play park 

TGA Premier Sports 

Youth sports 

High Touch High Tech 

Hands-on science programs 

College Nannies, Sitters + Tutors 

Childcare & tutoring services 

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE 

* MaidPro 

House cleaning & maid services 

Anago Cleaning Systems 

Commercial cleaning services 

Oct. 

2018 

Sep. 

2019 

Oct. 

2018 

Feb. 

2019 

June 

2019 

Sep. 

2018 

Sep. 

2019 

Jan. 

2019 

$186,450 – 

$441,500 

$40,000 – 

$90,000 

$215,500 – 

$405,500 

$16,300 – 

$67,350 

$62,750 – 

$69,000 

$105,000 – 

$173,000 

$74,560 – 

$204,450 

$197,000 – 

$298,000 

$75,000 – 

$100,000 

439 

$34,900 104 

$50,000 – 

$65,000 

$16,300 – 

$67,350 

19 

125 

$37,650 34 

$60,000 191 

$75,000 276 

$197,000 – 

$298,000 

46 

“I was able to increase 

my business by over 

50% in the last year with 

the help of the corporate 

office. I thought I had it 

all figured out and never 

asked for support—when 

I finally did ask what a 

world of difference they 

have made for me. 

Outstanding home 

office staff.” 

Aire-Master of America 

Commercial hygiene service 

Dec. 

2019 

$40,364 – 

$145,900 

$50,000 114 

– MaidPro franchisee 

* 360clean 


Aug. 

2019 

$15,800 – 

$24,000 

$15,000 95 

* Office Pride 


Sep. 

2019 

$59,500 – 

$107,200 

$85,000 137 

* The Maids 

Cleaning & maid services 

April 

2019 

$64,100 – 

$154,300 

$50,000 1,397 



THE LIST 



CLEANING & MAINTENANCE (CONTINUED) 

* Image One — more on p. 37 


Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning 

Carpet cleaning 

Survey 

Date 

July 

2019 

Jan. 

2019 

Initial 

Investment 

$59,900 – 

$123,700 

$43,325 – 

$71,490 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

$59,900 71 

$38,900 388 

* Molly Maid 

Cleaning services 

Sep. 

2019 

$110,000 – 

$153,200 

$50,000 487 

You’ve Got MAIDS 

House cleaning & maid services 

Aug. 

2019 

$40,379 – 

$118,772 

$40,379 78 

“They [School of Rock] 

were always available 

to help and did so with a 

smile. It was an amazing 

process from buying into 

the franchise to moving 

through the months of 

build-out and training. 

I couldn’t ask for a better 

corporate staff.” 

– School of Rock franchisee 

* City Wide Maintenance — more on p. 36 

Commercial building maintenance 

Executive Image Building Services 


EDUCATION 

* The Goddard School — more on p. 3 

Early childhood education 

* Mathnasium 

Math learning center 

Online Trading Academy 

Trading/investment education 

Huntington Learning Center — more on p. 45 

Tutoring services 

School of Rock — more on inside back cover 

Music school 

March 

2019 

Oct. 

2019 

July 

2019 

April 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

Oct. 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

$200,000 – 

$360,000 

$24,100 – 

$68,000 

$712,800 – 

$786,100 

$112,750 – 

$149,110 

$389,800 – 

$684,500 

$119,201 – 

$270,304 

$192,150 – 

$422,100 

$150,000 64 

$25,000 38 

$150,000 519 

$112,750 1,082 

$250,000 49 

$60,000 289 

$100,000 255 

Creative World School 


Nov. 

2019 

$2,445,300 – 

$5,206,000 

$400,000 – 

$600,000 

25 

“30 Minute Hit is 

amazing! They provide 

excellent support from 

the head office and a 

very modern way to learn. 

They make sure we have 

excellent training and 

we can learn and grow 

every day! Thank you 

for everything you do 

for our success!!” 

* The Learning Experience 


Best In Class Education Centers 

Tutoring services 

FINANCIAL & TAX 

* Payroll Vault Franchising 

Payroll services 

Motto Mortgage 

Brokerage services 

Family Financial Centers 


We Insure 

Insurance services 

* ATAX — more on p. 5, 39 


April 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

Oct. 

2019 

Oct. 

2019 

Sep. 

2018 

Sep. 

2019 

$493,549 – 

$3,585,549 

$67,375 – 

$127,730 

$49,135 – 

$74,254 

$48,000 – 

$68,000 

$25,000 – 

$300,000 

$25,000 – 

$100,000 

$53,350 – 

$76,699 

$150,000 212 

$50,000 59 

$42,985 – 

$70,569 

53 

$12,000 82 

$25,000 – 

$300,000 

$50,000 – 

$100,000 

48 

86 

$40,000 62 

– 30 Minute Hit franchisee 

FITNESS 

Planet Fitness 

Fitness club 

March 

2019 

$969,600 – 

$4,242,500 

$600,000 1,615 

Orangetheory Fitness 

Fitness club 

Nov. 

2018 

$563,529 – 

$999,121 

$563,529 – 

$634,100 

1,000 

* 30 Minute Hit — more on p. 34 

Boxing & kickboxing circuit 

Oct. 

2019 

$100,000 – 

$165,000 

$40,000 95 



Survey 

Date 

Initial 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

FITNESS (CONTINUED) 

The MAX Challenge 

Fitness programs 

Nov. 

2019 

$150,800 – 

$349,250 

$55,000 70 

Burn Boot Camp 

Women’s fitness center 

Nov. 

2019 

$142,330 – 

$349,150 

$150,000 178 

FOOD 

* Kona Ice 

Frozen treats 

Sep. 

2019 

$127,750 – 

$151,550 

$20,000 1,247 

Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar 

Fast casual 

Sep. 

2019 

$1,215,500 – 

$3,998,700 

$90,000 24 

Pizza Ranch 

Fast casual 

Sep. 

2019 

$1,127,500 – 

$2,526,500 

$325,000 220 

Captain D’s 

Fast casual 

Tropical Smoothie Cafe 

Fast casual 

LaRosa’s Pizzeria 

Fast casual 

Nothing Bundt Cakes 

Snack retailer 

* Chicken Salad Chick — more on p. 43 

Fast casual 

A&W Restaurants — more on inside front cover 

Fast casual 

Fazoli’s Restaurants — more on p. 42 

Fast casual 

The Wendy’s Company 

Quick-service 

Aug. 

2019 

Oct. 

2019 

June 

2019 

May 

2019 

June 

2018 

Jan. 

2019 

Oct. 

2019 

June 

2019 

$1,005,600 – 

$1,223,600 

$222,095 – 

$569,335 

$800,000 – 

$1,000,000 

$408,187 – 

$588,587 

$515,000 – 

$683,000 

$269,000 – 

$1,213,000 

$1,098,000 – 

$1,739,818 

$300,000 – 

$3,000,000 

$350,000 533 

$125,000 738 

$500,000 76 

$150,000 343 

$150,000 186 

$150,000 – 

$250,000 

963 

$250,000 268 

$2,000,000 6,564 

“The quality of product, 

training and future 

development is leaps 

and bounds ahead of the 

‘competition.’ Kona Ice 

has set the bar too high 

that I cannot imagine 

even considering another 

franchise system.” 

– Kona Ice franchisee 

Wingstop 

Quick-service 

July 

2019 

$346,775 – 

$733,249 

$600,000 967 

Hungry Howie’s Pizza & Subs 

Quick-service 

Nov. 

2018 

$228,300 – 

$475,000 

$100,000 – 

$300,000 

551 

Wings Etc. — more on p. 37 

Fast casual 

Oct. 

2019 

$292,847 – 

$1,733,707 

$200,000 – 

$500,000 

74 

Pizza Factory 

Fast Casual 

Aug. 

2018 

$372,000 – 

$562,000 

$90,000 108 

Lennys Grill & Subs 

Quick-service 

July 

2019 

$192,844 – 

$431,326 

$75,000 95 

Donatos Pizza 

Quick-service 

July 

2019 

$375,500 – 

$699,900 

$200,000 161 

* Simple Simon’s Pizza — more on p. 40 

Fast casual 

Sep. 

2019 

$142,000 – 

$536,000 

$25,000 190 

* Firehouse Subs 

Quick-service 

March 

2019 

$131,150 – 

$928,405 

$90,000 1,172 

* Bruster’s Real Ice Cream 

Frozen treats 

Sep. 

2019 

$270,250 – 

$1,324,000 

$270,250 – 

$1,324,000 

181 

Golden Corral Buffet & Grill 

Casual dining 

Aug. 

2019 

$2,286,545 – 

$6,732,615 

$500,000 192 

* The Haagen-Dazs Shoppe Company 

Ice cream/Yogurt/Frozen treats — more on p. 44 

July 

2019 

$164,158 – 

$542,408 

$80,000 – 

$200,000 

207 



THE LIST 



FOOD (CONTINUED) 

Rising Roll (Franchising Concepts) 

Fast casual 

* Checkers & Rally’s 

Quick-service 

Survey 

Date 

July 

2018 

July 

2019 

Initial 

Investment 

$68,800 – 

$427,500 

$203,600 – 

$945,000 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

$100,000 18 

$250,000 882 

Straw Hat Pizza 

Fast casual 

Aug. 

2019 

$346,500 – 

$825,000 

$500,000 25 

Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe 

Fast casual 

Sep. 

2019 

$323,000 – 

$819,000 

$500,000 90 

BIGGBY COFFEE — more on p. 38 

Beverages 

April 

2019 

$186,850 – 

$369,100 

$70,000 231 

Penn Station 

Quick-service 

Oct. 

2019 

$290,984 – 

$594,478 

$300,000 315 

* PJ’s Coffee 

Quick-service 

April 

2019 

$188,275 – 

$578,000 

$100,000 – 

$250,000 

93 

“I love the amazing 

support and tools 

provided, in addition 

to the camaraderie.” 

– HouseMaster franchisee 

Dash In Food Stores 

Convenience store 

* East Coast Wings + Grill 

Casual dining 

Nathan’s Famous 

Fast food 

Jason’s Deli 

Fast casual 

Sep. 

2019 

Oct. 

2019 

Aug. 

2019 

March 

2019 

$119,650 – 

$517,750 

$434,568 – 

$927,930 

$276,360 – 

$1,040,360 

$931,791 – 

$1,400,000 

$119,650 – 

$517,750 

67 

$250,000 36 

$200,000 257 

$931,791 – 

$1,400,000 

261 

HEALTH & PERSONAL SERVICES 

* Palm Beach Tan 

Beauty services 

Sep. 

2019 

$498,278 – 

$802,420 

$250,000 525 

The Drybar 

Hair salon 

Sep. 

2019 

$644,070 – 

$1,348,360 

$50,000 – 

$56,500 

89 

FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers 

Physical therapy centers 

May 

2019 

$82,250 – 

$390,000 

$70,000 – 

$140,000 

386 

Miracle-Ear 

Hearing aids 

Nov. 

2019 

$119,000 – 

$352,500 

$25,000 1,471 

Sola Salon Studios 

Salon suites 

April 

2019 

$457,800 – 

$1,166,380 

$500,000 455 

Sport Clips — more on p. 10 

Hair cutting 

July 

2018 

$224,800 – 

$373,300 

$200,000 1,858 

My SALON Suite 

Private, spacious salon suites 

Feb. 

2019 

$395,000 – 

$955,000 

$150,000 68 

101 Mobility 

Mobility equipment services 

Nov. 

2019 

$118,290 – 

$216,620 

$100,000 182 

“DreamMaker Bath & 

Kitchen has exceeded my 

expectations in every way. 

We feel SO blessed to be 

a part of the system!” 

– DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen franchisee 

HOME SERVICES 

* HouseMaster 

Professional home inspections 

Budget Blinds 

Custom blinds and window coverings 

Surface Specialists Systems 

Home remodeling 

* DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen 


Oct. 

2018 

Sep. 

2018 

June 

2019 

June 

2019 

$60,100 – 

$106,150 

$110,140 – 

$230,870 

$43,200 – 

$56,000 

$136,500 – 

$334,925 

$61,100 309 

$64,950 1,150 

$25,000 47 

$100,000 – 

$150,000 

36 



Survey 

Date 

Initial 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

HOME SERVICES (CONTINUED) 

House Doctors Handyman Service 

Home improvement 

April 

2019 

$98,000 – 

$128,650 

$60,000 37 

* Mr. Appliance 

Appliance repair 

Sep. 

2019 

$60,800 – 

$139,515 

$45,000 295 

* Kitchen Solvers 


Miracle Method Surface Refinishing 

Bathroom & kitchen remodeling 

The Patch Boys 

Drywall repair 

* Mr. Handyman 

Home repair services 

WOW 1 DAY PAINTING 

Painting 

Sep. 

2019 

July 

2018 

June 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

Dec. 

2018 

$65,765 – 

$90,535 

$75,000 – 

$138,000 

$45,500 – 

$66,000 

$111,500 – 

$143,100 

$67,000 – 

$129,500 

$75,000 51 

$40,000 – 

$50,000 

$45,500 – 

$66,000 

162 

104 

$50,000 215 

$50,000 53 

“Kitchen Solvers offers 

an excellent range 

of products to their 

franchises. This helps put 

us in a very strong position 

in the marketplace.” 

– Kitchen Solvers franchisee 

ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Co. 

Swimming pool maintenance 

Nov. 

2018 

$96,338 – 

$143,593 

$100,000 265 

ShelfGenie 

Shelving solutions 

Dec. 

2019 

$68,600 – 

$103,750 

$75,000 172 

Shack Shine 

Gutter cleaning & window washing 

July 

2018 

$50,250 – 

$97,050 

$32,000 43 

The Grout Doctor 

Grout repair services 

Sep. 

2018 

$12,000 – 

$40,000 

$10,000 77 

Closets By Design 

Home organization solutions 

Bloomin Blinds 

Custom blinds and window coverings 

The Honey Do Service 

Handy man service 

PET SERVICES 

In Home Pet Services 

Pet sitting & dog walking service 

Sit Means Sit Dog Training 

Dog training 

Pet Supplies ‘PLUS’ 

Pet retailer 

Oct. 

2018 

Jan. 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

Nov. 

2018 

Aug. 

2019 

$152,000 – 

$428,000 

$50,000 – 

$85,000 

$65,650 – 

$95,850 

$9,200 – 

$35,100 

$45,000 – 

$93,850 

$440,600 – 

$1,315,250 

$200,000 68 

$40,000 50 

$48,000 14 

$9,200 – 

$35,100 

15 

$45,000 125 

$200,000 472 

“ShelfGenie provides an 

excellent training and 

onboarding process for 

new franchisees. There 

are continuous updates 

made to the training 

programs as new 

programs or processes 

are developed.” 

* Dogtopia — more on p. 35 

Dog daycare & boarding 

Oct. 

2019 

$757,253 – 

$1,553,415 

$200,000 137 

– ShelfGenie franchisee 

REAL ESTATE 

NextHome 

Real estate 

Nov. 

2019 

$14,500 – 

$212,600 

$3,500 – 

$7,500 

400 

Sotheby’s International Realty 

Real estate 

Jan. 

2019 

$194,650 – 

$627,000 

$63,650 – 

$206,000 

607 

Weichert Real Estate Affiliates 

Real estate 

Sep. 

2019 

$50,000 – 

$324,700 

$50,000 – 

$324,700 

483 

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate 

Real estate 

Jan. 

2019 

$190,970 – 

$513,550 

$100,000 231 

ERA 

Real estate 

Jan. 

2019 

$4,800 – 

$221,900 

$4,800 – 

$221,900 

2,370 



THE LIST 



REAL ESTATE (CONTINUED) 

* HomeVestors of America — more on p. 6 

Realty renovation 

HomeSmart International LLC 

Real estate 

Survey 

Date 

Dec. 

2018 

Nov. 

2018 

Initial 

Investment 

$56,000 – 

$426,250 

$65,000 – 

$205,000 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

$70,000 1,100 

$20,000 102 

Help-U-Sell Real Estate 

Real estate 

Sep. 

2018 

$29,650 – 

$67,650 

$4,950 102 

Showhomes Home Staging 

Home staging 

Jan. 

2019 

$45,300 – 

$78,000 

$30,000 55 

United Country Real Estate 

Real estate 

Oct. 

2019 

$16,290 – 

$42,510 

$15,000 453 

“Corporate support is 

amazing. Personal service 

and questions are 

answered almost 

immediately. I appreciate 

their support.” 

– HomeVestors of America franchisee 

PropertyGuys.com 

Real estate 

RECREATION 

American Poolplayers Association 

Pool league 

Freedom Boat Club 

Members only boat club 

* Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park 

Camping services 

Goldfish Swim School 

Swim lessons 

Aug. 

2018 

Sep. 

2019 

March 

2019 

March 

2019 

Nov. 

2018 

$50,000 – 

$100,000 

$20,523 – 

$28,408 

$149,200 – 

$458,700 

$100,000 – 

$2,000,000 

$1,335,283 – 

$3,065,358 

$50,000 89 

$20,763 331 

$38,000 196 

$200,000 84 

$450,000 – 

$600,000 

95 

Streamline Brands 

Swim school services 

May. 

2019 

$150,000 – 

$300,000 

$20,000 – 

$60,000 

141 

RETAIL 

* Pinch A Penny — more on p. 41 

Pool supplies retailer 

Oct. 

2019 

$289,375 – 

$411,200 

$150,000 254 

* Wild Birds Unlimited 

Nature retailer 

Oct. 

2019 

$150,837 – 

$260,991 

$40,000 – 

$50,000 

345 

Rhea Lana’s — more on p. 40 

Children’s consignment 

Dec. 

2018 

$19,050 – 

$38,950 

$15,000 100 

Learning Express 

Children’s retailer 

Sep. 

2018 

$199,875 – 

$384,150 

$125,000 125 

Just Between Friends 

Children’s consignment 

Oct. 

2019 

$38,550 – 

$54,509 

$45,000 – 

$49,000 

161 

“The Right at Home 

training group is 

fantastic! It is very 

well organized and offers 

a broad range of training 

to franchisees.” 

– Right at Home franchisee 

* Big Frog Custom T-Shirts 

Clothing retailer 

NYS Collection Eyewear 

Eyewear retailer 

SENIOR SERVICES 

* Visiting Angels 

In-home senior care 

* Home Instead Senior Care 


* Right at Home — more on p. 7 


July 

2019 

Oct. 

2018 

July 

2018 

Sep. 

2019 

Feb. 

2019 

$183,201 – 

$250,801 

$50,000 – 

$120,000 

$84,085 – 

$125,885 

$50,000 90 

$25,000 121 

$57,950 641 

$125,000 $55,000 1,049 

$80,150 – 

$147,150 

$150,000 614 

* FirstLight Home Care 


May 

2019 

$110,881 – 

$167,876 

$100,000 205 



Survey 

Date 

Initial 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

SENIOR SERVICES (CONTINUED) 

Home Care Assistance 


Nov. 

2019 

$77,775 – 

$245,250 

$80,000 175 

Assisting Hands 


Sep. 

2018 

$80,050 – 

$152,000 

$48,000 130 

* Qualicare 


July 

2018 

$65,800 – 

$149,250 

$100,000 78 

* BrightStar Care — more on p. 43 


April 

2019 

$93,048 – 

$154,307 

$200,000 338 

* Homewatch Caregivers 


* Amada Senior Care 


* Senior Care Authority 

Assisted living placement services 

* Assisted Living Locators — more on p. 35 


Sep. 

2018 

April 

2019 

Oct. 

2019 

Oct. 

2019 

$83,000 – 

$141,500 

$87,710–- 

$174,654 

$52,350 – 

$78,150 

$68,450 – 

$78,050 

$50,000 201 

$80,000 107 

$50,000 – 

$150,000 

57 

$50,000 126 

“This is a GREAT franchise, 

and I would do it all over 

again 100 times.” 

– CarePatrol franchisee 

Home Helpers Home Care 

Senior Care 

March 

2019 

$84,750 – 

$136,900 

$100,000 300 

* CarePatrol 


Oct. 

2019 

$71,540 – 

$88,490 

$85,000 150 

SERVICES 

Weed Man 

Lawn care 

Aug. 

2018 

$68,453 – 

$85,513 

$60,000 309 

Precision Concrete Cutting 

Concrete maintenance services 

May 

2019 

$150,000 – 

$176,500 

$100,000 56 

* Two Men And A Truck 

Moving services 

* Fish Window Cleaning 

Window cleaning 

FRSTeam 

Home restoration 

* Mr. Electric 

Electrical services 

* Five Star Painting 

Painting 

— more on 

back cover 

March 

2019 

Oct. 

2019 

Nov. 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

$179,000 – 

$585,000 

$83,225 – 

$146,200 

$32,000 – 

$380,500 

$97,600 – 

$234,750 

$69,700 – 

$179,250 

$80,000 – 

$190,000 

$60,000 – 

$150,000 

$25,000 – 

$35,000 

$35,000 – 

$35,000 

386 

271 

46 

178 

$24,450 200 

“There is a great financial 

opportunity with this 

franchise with a lot 

of room for growth 

moving forward.” 

– The Glass Guru franchisee 

Paul Davis 

Emergency home services 

Aug. 

2018 

$215,390 – 

$449,700 

$300,000 322 

* College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving 

Junk removal services 

— more on 

p. 40 

March 

2019 

$89,300 – 

$208,000 

$65,000 110 

Complete Weddings + Events 

Wedding & event services 

Oct. 

2018 

$31,950 – 

$87,250 

$10,000 187 

* Truly Nolen of America — more on p. 45 

Pest control 

April 

2019 

$50,200 – 

$293,000 

$35,000 380 

* The Glass Guru — more on p. 39 

Window restoration 

Oct. 

2019 

$72,750 – 

$179,500 

$64,150 89 

Mr. Rooter Plumbing 

Home services 

Sep. 

2019 

$74,975 – 

$182,140 

$74,975 – 

$182,140 

284 

NaturaLawn of America 

Lawn care 

Oct. 

2019 

$47,500 – 

$112,650 

$50,000 97 



THE LIST 



SERVICES (CONTINUED) 

* PuroClean — more on p. 36 

Property emergency repair services 

* Aire Serv Heating And Air Conditioning 

HVAC Services 

Survey 

Date 

Sep. 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

Initial 

Investment 

$72,765 – 

$192,615 

$82,600 – 

$206,400 

Cash 

Requirement 

$50,000 – 

$75,000 

$35,000 – 

$35,000 

Total 

Units 

285 

183 

* Mosquito Joe 

Mosquito control services 

Sep. 

2019 

$90,600 – 

$135,500 

$50,000 288 

* Window Genie 

Window cleaning 

Sep. 

2019 

$92,800 – 

$172,500 

$50,000 121 

“I can say without 

hesitation that 

PuroClean does 

its best to help all 

franchisees succeed. 

I know that every 

member of the 

support staff has 

the best intentions.” 

Property Damage Appraisers 

Property damage assessments 

* U.S. Lawns 

Commercial grounds care 

The Mosquito Authority 

Mosquito control services 

MarbleLife 

Stone restoration 

Precision Door Service 

Garage door services 

Critter Control 

Wildlife control & removal 

Glass Doctor 

Glass repair & replacement 

Nov. 

2019 

Sep. 

2018 

June 

2019 

Aug. 

2019 

July 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

Sep. 

2019 

$20,300 – 

$41,950 

$53,500 – 

$81,300 

$50,000 – 

$100,000 

$50,000–- 

$65,000 

$70,855 – 

$306,955 

$47,500 – 

$82,000 

$127,300 – 

$265,500 

$20,300 – 

$41,950 

242 

$50,000 261 

$25,000 – 

$50,000 

441 

$30,000 40 

$100,000 98 

$8,075 – 

$52,075 

$1,118,000 – 

$281,000 

83 

182 

– PuroClean franchisee 

Service Team of Professionals 

Restoration services 

Sep. 

2019 

$78,600 – 

$138,500 

$56,000 34 

TECHNOLOGY 

TeamLogic IT 

IT services 

Oct. 

2018 

$104,750 – 

$143,300 

$60,000 202 

TRAVEL SERVICES 

* Cruise Planners 

Travel agency 

Oct. 

2019 

$2,295 – 

$23,617 

$10,995 2,811 

* Dream Vacations 

Travel agency 

Oct. 

2019 

$3,245 – 

$21,850 

$3,500 1,500 

Expedia CruiseShipCenters 

Travel agency 

May 

2019 

$156,000 – 

$276,000 

$100,000 301 




Homewatch CareGivers franchisee with clients 

Continued from page 15. 

When looking at the data for the top franchises 

versus all others, there was a wide gap 

in training and support scores, meaning that 

franchisees at top brands reported much better 

training and support. 

Franchisees from our Top 200 Franchises 

rated the training and support that they receive 

as much as 40% better compared to franchise 

companies not on our 2020 awards list. 

Finally, award-winning brands also take 

the time to regularly survey their existing franchise 

owners and make changes based on their 

feedback. “In addition to satisfaction surveys 

conducted of our franchisees by outside parties 

throughout the year, we conduct our own 

franchisee satisfaction survey, measuring their 

satisfaction over several attributes, including 

training and support,” said Magna. Similarly, 

Catron explained how at Naturalawn, they 

survey franchisees prior to training meetings 

to ask for their input on topics they would like 

to see covered during the training. 

RECESSION RESISTANT CONCEPTS 

Despite current economic trends of growth 

and stability, the economy—as we have witnessed—is 

notoriously unpredictable. For 

prospective franchisees on the more cautious 

end of the investor spectrum, who are looking 

for a business that can survive unpredictable 

market volatility (and a potential recession or 

depression), there are many recession resistant 

franchise opportunities to consider. 

In fact, people tend to turn to franchising 

in times of a strained economy (as well as in 

times of prosperity).“Franchising has historically 

done well under most economic conditions,” 

said Franchise Business Review CEO 

Eric Stites. “During boom periods, the fear of 

missing out on a great business opportunity 

fuels strong franchise growth. During a downturn, 

on the other hand, the fear of job loss 

and financial security drives many people to 

take control of their own futures by investing 

in a franchise business.” 

On this year’s Top 200 Franchises list, 

there are many recession resistant businesses 

40% 

BETTER 

TRAINING & SUPPORT 

Franchisees from our Top 200 

Franchises rated the training 

and support that they receive as 

much as 40% better compared to 

franchisees who own companies 

not on our 2020 awards list 

in a few specific industries known to fare well 

during economic slumps and in prosperous 

times. Cleaning and maintenance, health and 

senior services, information technology, and 

automotive repair are all traditionally recession 

resistant sectors. 

Of course, just because a franchise business 

is in a recession resistant industry does 

not mean it’s a sure bet. You still need to do 

thorough due-diligence on the brand before 



Nathan Glenz, A&W Restaurant franchisee in Richmond, MN 

you invest to ensure they have a track record 

of success and a solid growth plan. 

“The best thing about home cleaning is that 

it’s NOT trendy. Cleaning will never go out of 

style,” said Park. “We plan to stay relevant by 

always having a top-notch marketing plan, 

state-of-the-art technology, and most importantly, 

hiring people who are passionate about 

MaidPro and helping others.” 

CHALLENGES IN FRANCHISE OWNERSHIP 

Franchising offers many benefits for many 

people, but even the most satisfied business 

owners will face challenges. One common 

challenge we heard about from franchise owners 

this year was recruitment and staffing. 

“The biggest challenge for us has simply 

been the really tight employment market,” 

said Erin Gilliam from Miracle Method. 

“Unemployment is at a record low and hiring 

good employees can be a challenge.” Sprankle, 

who owns a MaidPro, echoed Gilliam saying, 

“The best thing about home cleaning is that it’s 

NOT trendy. Cleaning will never go out of style.” 

“The biggest challenge in our line of business 

is recruiting and retaining quality employees.” 

For both Gilliam and Sprankle, the support 

from their franchisor has been invaluable in 

addressing this challenge. “MaidPro as a franchise 

is aware of this as an industry-wide issue, 

and provides focused resources toward helping 

owners overcome these challenges,” explained 

Sprankle. “MaidPro provides regular best 

practice tips and outside-the-box ideas on all 

aspects of the recruitment process. They have 

also implemented various employee programs 

and benefits offered through the franchise to 

— Madeleine Park, marketing manager at MaidPro 

assist with employee retention.” Gilliam said 

that at Miracle Method, the corporate office 

focuses on positive team culture and morale 

building to attract and maintain good team 

members. They also provide resources and 

training on how to hire. 

Holly Stewart, who owns a Two Men And 

A Truck franchise in South Cobb County, 

Georgia says that they face many challenges 

including staffing, which is to be expected 

as a small business. Not only do they rely on 

the Two Men And A Truck corporate office 

to always be there when they need them, but 



also their larger franchise community. “One of 

the best assets of being part of this franchise 

system is the access to an entire network of 

business owners in the same industry,” she 

said. “We rarely face a challenge that’s unique, 

so being able to see how others have navigated 

the same challenges and learn from their successes 

and failures has been huge.” 

At Brightway, the corporate team recognizes 

that recruitment is a real challenge, 

which is why they recently invested in a new 

tool that helps franchisees assess talent from 

outside the industry by measuring sales and 

cognitive ability. The have also benchmarked 

the tool using their most successful agents. 

“We believe this tool, which we make available 

to franchisees at no cost, will revolutionize 

both how we recruit and the level of talent we 

hire,” said Magda. 

Even at the franchisor level, recruitment 

is a challenge. At Naturalawn, they are looking 

to solve the talent challenge by focusing 

internally. “We’ve worked to overcome this 

[recruitment] by adding management training 

programs to tenured employees and offering 

incentives to employees who may one day 

want to own their own franchise. Promoting 

from within has helped make new people 

available to manage or own operations while 

also elevating their careers.” 

Despite challenges, franchisees at these top 

brands report high levels of satisfaction. 

ARE YOU AN IDEAL FRANCHISE OWNER? 

According to several franchisors we interviewed 

for this article, the best franchisees are 

those who are motivated, passionate and true 

achievers. In addition, they have strong leadership 

skills, business acumen and are looking 

to make a difference in their communities. 

You may think you will be a fantastic franchisee, 

but will the franchise system you wish 

to join agree? Most franchisors agreed that 

the best franchisees are not just looking for a 

job, they are looking for a career, and they are 

highly motivated to make their next venture a 

successful one. 

“Our ideal franchisee is an individual who 

is motivated, kind, and passionate,” said Park. 

“Education about the business can be taught, 

but their drive to make the business successful 

is what makes a great franchisee.” 

Jim Carpenter, Wildbirds CEO, founder and franchisee/store owner 

HAPPIEST SECTORS 

Franchise owners are happiest 

in these three sectors: Advertising 

& Sales, Sports & Rec, and Retail. 

Just as important as passion is business 

savvy. 

Our franchisees are looking to build an 

economic engine and scale their business, 

leveraging the support Brightway provides,” 

said Magda. “We want go-getters who want to 

make a difference in their local communities 

by helping friends and family protect their 

financial futures.” O’Kane agreed, saying, “I 

think it is fair to say we definitely look for 

competitive franchise entrepreneurs who 

want to win in business and in life!” 

Beyond smart business men and women, 

franchisors are looking for people who are 

quite simply, kind people and who are lifelong 

learners. “The best franchisees excel at developing 

and leading a team,” said Kaniss. They 

have grit and tenacity, a passion for being servant 

leaders with their team and community, 

and they know how to positively influence 

other people. A great franchisee is coachable 

and willing to learn, and cultivates an exciting, 

positive, and uplifting culture.” 

READY TO RING IN 2020 AS A 

NEW BUSINESS OWNER? 

Starting any new job or business involves risk, 

and franchising is no different. There is certainly 

risk that comes with buying a franchise, 

despite the fact that many opportunities are 

proven and time tested. But, with the right 

guidance and thorough research, you’ll be 

able to drastically reduce your risk and position 

yourself for success. 

As a prospective franchisee, our annual 

Franchise Business Review Top Franchises 

guide is a great place to start your research. 

Over the past 18 months, we have surveyed 

nearly 28,000 franchisees to find out exactly 

how satisfied they are with their franchise 

business. We’ve researched hundreds of different 

brands and our Top Franchises list this 

year includes the best of the best that franchising 

has to offer. You can use this list to narrow 

down your options. 

We wish you the best of success in your 

franchise journey! 

You can learn more about top brands 

on this year’s list and access additional 

information and resources at our website 

FranchiseBusinessReview.com. 



Funding Your Franchise: You Have Options 

Jeremy Ames, President & Co-Founder of Guidant Financial 

There are a few significant differences in financing a multi-unit 

franchise versus a single unit, though many of the same financing 

solutions will work for both. Aside from the usual cash, credit cards 

or even asking for financial support from family and friends, 

the most common methods used to finance multi-unit franchise 

purchases include loans from the Small Business Administration, 

401(k) business financing, unsecured loans and portfolio loans. 

Here’s what you need to know about each: 

SBA Business Loans 

Loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) are one of the 

most popular financing methods for business owners of all kinds, from 

startups to franchises. SBA business loans are not directly from 

the SBA. Rather, the SBA encourages banks to lend to small business 

owners with preferable terms and low interest rates. In return, the SBA 

covers 75 to 85 percent of the loan for the bank if the loan defaults. 

This creates a win-win situation for both the lender and borrower. 

When it comes to multi-unit franchises, SBA lenders usually look 

at each individual unit and also at the collective performance of all the 

units. Most lenders want to see at least two years of profitable tax 

returns with the initial business prior to applying for funding for 

another location. The sooner the business becomes profitable and the 

stronger a borrower is, the more flexible lenders are. For example, 

if the borrower shows a strong credit score, has prior business experience 

in the industry and is able to put down a significant down 

payment (more than 20 to 30 percent), the bank may be willing to 

approve funding for more than one location simultaneously. 

SBA Loan Eligibility Requirements 

• 20 percent down payment for an existing business purchase 

or 30 percent for a start-up 

• 640+ credit score 

• Personal collateral required 

• Industry experience preferred 

• Secondary income preferred 

401(k) Business Financing 

With 401(k) business financing (formally known as Rollovers for 

Business Start-Ups or ROBS), you can use up to 100 percent of funds 

from an existing retirement account to buy or start a small business 

or franchise without taking a taxable distribution or getting a loan. 

Funding through ROBS has been an option since the Employee 

Retirement Income Security Act passed in 1974, and it’s growing in 

popularity. 

Since ROBS doesn’t involve taking a loan, there are no monthly 

payments or interest rates, and there are no collateral or minimum 

credit score requirements. ROBS can also be used in combination with 

an SBA loan, allowing business owners to use retirement funds as the 

down payment for the loan. 

The process for funding a single-unit franchise versus multiple 

units is the same with 401(k) business financing. You can either roll 

100 percent of your retirement funds during the initial transaction to 

use for one or multiple units, or choose to use a lesser amount initially 

to open the first location, then complete another rollover when 

you’re closer to opening your second location. However, there are 

timing considerations to take into account, especially if you plan to 

open multiple units within the first two years. In this case, you may 

choose to open your first location using an SBA loan, then use ROBS 

as the down payment for a second loan so you can show lenders 

strong liquidity. 

ROBS Eligibility Requirements 

• At least $50,000 in a rollable retirement account 

• No minimum credit score requirements 

• No down payment needed 

Unsecured Loans 

If you don’t want to jeopardize personal property in order to obtain 

financing, unsecured loans provide up to $150,000 without any collateral. 

Unsecured loans work like small business credit cards, consisting 

of multiple lines of revolving credit that can be used and paid back 

as needed. But instead of relying on collateral, lenders look at your 

creditworthiness to secure the loan. As such, a high credit score and 

solid borrowing history is necessary. 

Unsecured loans have no use-of-proceeds requirements, so the 

funds can be used for your first franchise location or subsequent units. 

It’s important to note that this type of loan shows up as revolving 

credit on one’s credit report and can have a meaningful impact on a 

credit score, especially if payments are not made on time. For that 

reason, we recommend using unsecured loans as a last resort and only 

as a short-term financing solution. 

Unsecured Loan Eligibility Requirements 

• 690+ credit score 

• Credit utilization rate below 50 percent 

• Minimal recent credit inquiries 

• No recent derogatory comments on your credit report 

Portfolio Loans 

If you own stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other eligible securities, you 

can borrow up to 80 percent against the value of your portfolio without 

having to liquidate your holdings. Portfolio loans, also referred to as 

stock loans or securities-based lending, work like a revolving line of 

credit—allowing you to finance a business or franchise by borrowing 

(and repaying) at will. Because of this, they’re ideal for financing multiunit 

franchises as you can use as much as you need, pay it back, and 

then borrow again when you’re ready to move forward with additional 

locations—all without getting a new loan. 

For a detailed walkthrough on funding your franchise, visit www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com/financing 



Nothing But Nets Partnership 

Inspired by Mosquito Joe Franchisee 

Sponsored Content 

To bring awareness and help wipe out 

malaria, Mosquito Joe enlists the 

help of its franchisees and customers. 

Since 2017, it has partnered with Nothing But 

Nets, the world’s largest grassroots initiative 

started by the United Nations Foundation to 

raise awareness and funding to fight malaria, 

a leading cause of death among children in 

sub-Saharan Africa. During Mosquito Control 

Awareness Week each June, franchisees 

donate $10 for each new customer who is 

serviced during that week. Ten dollars covers 

the cost of two life-saving bed nets for sub- 

Saharan African families who can use them to 

help protect against mosquito bites. Through 

this initiative and other campaigns, Mosquito 

Joe has raised over $80,000 to date to protect 

vulnerable families in Africa. 

Tim Lanai, of Nashville, Tennessee, has 

been a franchisee with Mosquito Joe since 

2015. His involvement with Nothing But Nets 

began before he joined the business. Compelled 

by an advertisement he heard on sports 

radio, Lanai said he first donated to the cause 

about 10 years ago. 

“I heard (sportswriter Rick Reilly) talking 

about how you could spend $10 and give a net 

to a needy family in sub-Saharan Africa that 

could potentially save their lives. That seemed 

like a good idea. Once we started the Mosquito 

Joe franchise in 2015, research suggested 

we should get involved with Nothing But Nets 

through our business,” he said. 

Although their franchise wasn’t profitable 

yet, Lanai said his wife and business partner, 

Lisa, felt like it was the right time to promote 

the organization to customers and get them 

interested in helping as well. 

“We donated that first year between $1,500 

and $2,000. We put it on our website, let 

our customers know and tried to get them 

involved,” Lanai said. “It was in 2017 

that Mosquito Joe’s Corporate office started 

getting involved—they wanted to hear about 

our involvement and how we were doing it on 

our own and then it’s just kind of built up 

from there.” 

Nothing But Nets recipients 

The Lanais are enjoying incredible success 

with Mosquito Joe—they now operate 

11 vans and employ 20 technicians and staff 

members. Philanthropy is important to them, 

and they say they are grateful to be part of an 

organization that values making peoples’ lives 

better—no matter where they live. 

“A lot of people don’t really understand how 

deadly mosquitoes are. They kill more people 

on this planet than any other animal, all other 

people, and even people killed in wars—all 

of those things combined, and mosquitoes 

will still kill more people,” Lanai said. “They 

are awful insects that create all kinds of diseases 

that are terrible for humans and what the 

bed nets have done, among other things, has 

been to reduce the number of people dying 

per year.” 

Aside from giving back to families abroad, 

Lanai said the franchise allows him and his 

employees to give back to families in their own 

communities every day. When he first bought 

into Mosquito Joe, he thought it would be a 

pest control service that people would buy. 

Instead, he said, he’s found it’s gone deeper— 

by helping people get back to the things they 

love—gardening, playing with their children 

and enjoying their yards. 

“I had a situation where this woman came 

out and she wanted to give me a hug because 

it was the first summer she and her four-yearold 

daughter were able to go outside and play 

together, which was really important to her,” 

Lanai said. 

In addition to donating to Nothing But 

Nets during Mosquito Control Awareness 

Week each June, Mosquito Joe franchisees 

have established partnerships with local blood 

banks to raise awareness of blood donation 

centers. New customers who are serviced 

during this week will have 10% of their sale 

donated to local blood banks. Mosquito Joe 

has raised more than $32,000 towards this 

effort since 2012. 

Read the full story at www.franchisebusinessreview.com/post/mosquito-joe-gives-back 

or learn more about Mosquito Joe at www.mosquitojoe.com. 



Christy Scannell (left), Dream Vacations’ franchisee, in Budapest, Hungry 

How I Started My Travel Agent 

Career: Christy’s Journey 

Sponsored Content 

Before Christy Scannell ran a successful 

travel business in Southern California, 

she worked for more than 20 years as 

a writer and editor. The same curiosity and 

attention to detail that made her successful 

in the publishing industry is now responsible 

for the six-figure income she earns today as a 

Dream Vacations franchisee. 

Eight years ago, Christy first discovered 

Dream Vacations (when it was known as 

CruiseOne) after reading an article about what 

it was like to own a franchise travel business. 

Although the opportunity required her to 

stretch beyond her comfort zone, the support 

and structure of a franchise business appealed 

to Christy—who became increasingly excited 

about the potential of owning her own travel 

business. 

“Not only did I not have any travel sales 

experience, I had no sales experience at all!” 

Christy said. “Because I had regularly booked 

travel for myself and my friends and family, 

I was confident (somewhat naively, perhaps) 

that I had the basic knowledge to start a business. 

Everyone around me thought I was crazy 

to start a travel business during an economic 

downturn. I happily proved them wrong—and 

I often jokingly remind them about it!” 

Dream Vacations, a CruiseOne company 

under the umbrella of World Travel Holdings, 

is the world’s largest cruise agency. Since 1992, 

the franchise has grown to 1,200 franchise 

owners who help travelers book air, hotel, allinclusive 

vacations, and cruises. Their agents 

are home-based and do not operate in defined 

territories, which allows them to sell travel to 

anyone throughout the world. Christy said 

the week-long training she received at Dream 

Vacations’ Fort Lauderdale corporate office 

helped her learn the foundation of how to run 

a travel franchise and connected her to corporate 

team members and travel suppliers. She 

said she also took advantage of travel suppliers’ 

online training, webinars, and workshops. 

Worried about competing with online 

booking sites? According to Dream Vacations, 

70% of cruises are booked through a travel 

agent and travel agents can save clients $452 

per vacation on average. Moreover, those 

online transactions can take up to five hours 

and travelers aren’t provided with the information 

they need, customer service, or exclusive 

offers provided by suppliers that only agents 

are privy to. 



“Dream Vacations travel 

industry relationships 

provide me contracted 

travel rates and extras 

that help me close sales 

and retain clients.” 

Christy Scannell in Cambodia 

“Dream Vacations travel industry relationships 

provide me contracted travel rates and 

extras that help me close sales and retain 

clients,” Christy said. 

Other tools Dream Vacations provides 

its franchisees include access to corporate 

representatives, ongoing online education, 

web-based business tools, and marketing support. 

That said, a travel agency is a business 

you must build and grow yourself. No two 

days are alike, and multitasking is part of the 

job description. 

“I can be on the phone with a supplier, 

while I am emailing a client, glancing at 

another client’s text, and printing travel documents 

for a third client—all at the same time,” 

she said. “This is not the job for anyone who is 

organizationally challenged, wants to work a 

set 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule, or gets stressed at 

every bump in the road.” 

While you can choose to work full-time or 

part-time or specialize in one area of travel— 

for example, cruises or Caribbean travel—your 

main job will be to exceed each customer’s 

expectations. Whether Christy is serving a 

family on their first Caribbean cruise, millennials 

hiking in Patagonia, or a retired couple 

taking the train across Europe—she’s up for it. 

“I know many successful travel agencies 

who specialize in themed group trips and that 

is a marvelous way to grow your business, but 

I’ve learned that I most enjoy individual client 

bookings, particularly luxury,” she said. “I 

don’t mind a 2 a.m. client text from Italy when 

I know I can be that client’s hero and she will 

continue to send me business. That’s worth an 

extra cup of coffee the next day!” 

COMPLETING THE JOURNEY: BECOMING 

A DREAM VACATIONS FRANCHISEE 

Dream Vacations has been rated among the 

top franchises by its franchisees in a recent 

Franchise Business Review survey, where it 

was rated as either “Excellent” or “Very good” 

in eight categories, including financial opportunity 

and general satisfaction. 

• What you can expect to make as a homebased 

travel agent varies. Dream Vacations 

pays out commissions to its agents weekly. 

According to Item 19 in its Financial Disclosure 

Document, its top group of franchisees 

(representing 5% of the network) had average 

sales of $2.2 million in travel in 2018. 

The lowest group, which represented 38% of 

all agents, had average sales of $42,563. 

• Although Dream Vacations offers a low 

barrier to entry, initial franchise fees will 

vary depending upon your travel industry 

experience. For example, Dream Vacations 

initial franchise fees range from $495 to 

$9,800 depending on your experience level. 

(Novice agents can expect to pay $9,800; 

Intermediate agents $3,195, and Experienced 

agents, $495.) The franchise offers a 

20% discount off the franchise fee to U.S. 

Veterans, active-duty spouses, first responders 

and community heroes including teachers 

and medical staff. Also, Dream Vacations 

provides financing for initial franchisee fees 

for up to $7,300 over a two-year-term, with a 

$3,500 down payment. 

• Your total initial investment could range 

between $1,795 and $20,300, to include your 

initial franchise fee, initial office supplies 

and computer equipment, advertising and 

insurance. 

You don’t have to dream it to do it! Becoming 

a Dream Vacations agent is attainable for 

most people, thanks to its low investment 

requirement and minimal overhead costs. 

Read the full story at www.franchisebusinessreview.com/post/travel-agent-career 

or learn more about Dream Vacations at www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com 



2020 

HALL OF FAME 

Franchise Business Review’s Franchise Hall of Fame highlights 

brands that reach the remarkable milestone of being rated 

among the best franchise opportunities 10 or more times. 

This year, we are proud to induct 10 wonderful companies, each 

having demonstrated an ongoing dedication to the success and 

satisfaction of their franchise owners. 

BrightStar Care 

(2008–2016, 2020) 

CarePatrol 

(2011–2020) 

Rhea Lana’s 


Shelly Sun, 

CEO 

“Authenticity is key when 

building a company and 

speaking with conviction 

about the things you believe 

in and stand behind. If you 

don’t believe in the good 

of what you’re doing, finding 

success will be difficult. The 

reason BrightStar Care has 

become what it is today 

is because I believed that 

I was providing a service 

that consumers would be 

able to trust.” 

“The key to our system’s 

success has been listening 

to franchisee feedback, 

being accountable to 

the franchise system and 

leading with integrity.” 

Becky Bongiovanni, 

Co-Founder, 

Brand President 

“The secret to our success at Rhea Lana’s is 

undoubtedly the strong relational connection 

among our franchise owners who lock arms 

and support each other as they overcome daily 

challenges, celebrate business 

victories, and navigate their 

way to success in serving 

their communities with 

our events.” 

Rhea Lana Riner, 

President and 

Founder 

Safer Senior Living. Your Goal, Our Mission. 



TGA Premier Sports 


“The key to our success 

is that we recognize 

momentum, innovate 

and love our work.” 

U.S. Lawns 

(2010–2016, 2018–2020) 

“We have a hard-working 

team that takes a lot of 

time and care to make 

sure our franchisees are 

as successful as they want 

to be. Our leadership 

team leads by example 

and encourages a culture Ken Hutcheson, 

where everyone leads with President 

confidence, takes ownership 

of their actions, and does more things 

right than wrong each day.” 

Additional Inductees: 

Cruise Planners 


Joshua Jacobs, 

CEO 

LaRosa’s 


The Grout Doctor 

(2008, 2010–2012, 2015–2020) 

“The success and the 

continued growth of 

the The Grout Doctor 

Franchise Network are 

due to two factors: The 

acquisition of franchisees 

with business savvy and 

the extreme diligence of 

our corporate staff.” 

JC Sneyd, 

CEO 

Young Rembrandts 


“Our success is due to 

our support staff at the 

home office. We work every 

day to make our franchisees 

more effective, streamlined 

and successful.” 

Bette Fetter, 

CEO and Founder 

ShelfGenie 


Franchises on FBR's 

Best of the Best List 

for 10 or More Years 

ActionCOACH 

AdvantaClean 

Aire-Master of America 

American Poolplayers Association 

Anago Cleaning Systems 

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate 

BrightStar Care* 

Budget Blinds 

CarePatrol* 

CertaPro Painters 

Christian Brothers Automotive 

CompuChild 

Cruise Planners* 

Dream Vacations 

FASTSIGNS 

Fish Window Cleaning 

FRSTeam 

Happy & Healthy Products 

Heaven’s Best Carpet/ Upholstery Cleaning 

Home Care Assistance 

Home Instead Senior Care 

HomeVestors of America 

Homewatch Caregivers 

HouseMaster 

Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems 

JumpBunch 

Just Between Friends 

Kampgrounds of America/ KOA 

LaRosa’s Pizzeria* 

Learning Express 

MaidPro 

Mathnasium 

Miracle Method Surface Refinishing 

Murphy Business & Financial 

Office Pride 

Our Town America 

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning 

Padgett Business Services 

Palm Beach Tan 

Paul Davis 

PIP Printing & Document Services 

Pop-A-Lock 

Precision Concrete Cutting 

Proforma 

Rhea Lana’s* 

Right at Home 

Sandler Training 

ShelfGenie* 

Showhomes Home Staging 

Sir Speedy 

Sit Means Sit Dog Training 

Snap-on Tools 

Sotheby’s International Realty 

Surface Specialists Systems 

TeamLogic IT 

TGA Premier Sports* 

The Grout Doctor* 

The Maids 

The Tutoring Center 

Truly Nolen of America 

Two Men and A Truck 

U.S. Lawns* 

United Country Real Estate 

Visiting Angels 

Weed Man 

Wild Birds Unlimited 

Young Rembrandts* 

* First year on FBR’s Hall of Fame 


FBR SPECIAL REPORT // MARKETPLACE 

AUTOMOTIVE 



Tint World 

Initial Investment: $179,000 – $259,000 

Cash Requirement: $70,000 – $80,000 

Total Units: 82 

CEO Charles Bonfiglio has grown Tint World ® into 

an international franchise brand. The company is 

an award-winning provider of automotive styling, 

residential, commercial and marine window 

tinting and security film services. We have more 

than 80 Automotive Styling Centers in the 

U.S. and abroad. Tint World ® provides superior 

products and services of exceptional value as the 

leading window tinting and automotive styling 

center. Every member of the Tint World ® team 

exceeds customer expectations with innovative 

products and friendly service, providing the best 

available cutting-edge aftermarket automotive 

and marine products. 

For more information on Tint World 

opportunities, call (888) 629-8777, email 

franchise@tintworld.com or visit 

www.TintWorldFranchise.com. 

ActionCOACH 



Total Units: 1,032 

Business coaching is booming and the global 

demand is unprecedented. Business coaching is 

the second fastest growth industry behind IT. 

ActionCOACH offers you a flexible work-life, with 

little overhead and high margin returns. 

ActionCOACH is the world’s #1 business 

coaching franchise with +25 years of experience. 

Spanning +60 countries, our nearly 1,000 

ActionCOACHes work with more than 18,000 

businesses weekly changing lives through 

business re-education. Becoming part of the 

ActionCOACH family connects you to a global 

community of professionally certified experts. 

The training is unparalleled, the ongoing support 

is unmatched, and you get access to the library of 

ActionCOACH’s methodologies. Work with clients 

you choose and start living the life you have 

always wanted. 

For more information on ActionCOACH 

opportunities, call (702) 795-3188, 

email info@actioncoach.com or visit 

www.actioncoach.com. 

FASTSIGNS 


Cash Requirement: $80,000 


FASTSIGNS International is the worldwide 

franchisor for almost 700 FASTSIGNS ® sign, 

graphic and visual communications centers 

in more than ten countries. Ranked #1 by 

Entrepreneur Magazine, FASTSIGNS centers 

provide comprehensive sign and visual graphic 

solutions to help companies of all sizes and 

across all industries attract more attention, 

communicate their message, sell more products, 

help visitors find their way and extend their 

branding across all of their customer touch 

points including décor, events, wearables, signs 

(both non-electrical and electrical), graphics, 

banners, flags, vehicle graphics, vehicle wraps, 

ADA signage, compliance signs, dimensional 

letters and other marketing materials. 

For more information on FASTSIGNS 


fastsignsus@pipelinecatalyst.com or visit 

www.fsfastsigns.com/own-a-fastsigns. 


EDUCATION 

FOOD 

FEATURED 

Franchisee 

School of Rock 




School of Rock, the top music franchise in the 

world, recently celebrated reaching a milestone 

in its 20-plus year history: the opening of its 

250th location, which continues to solidify the 

brand as a major player in both the education 

and music business sectors. It’s on track to open 

in excess of 30 new locations this year alone, 

with steady, continual growth planned for the 

next five years. Partnerships with titans of the 

industry—Atlantic Records, Twentieth Century 

Fox, Fender and Berklee College of Music, for 

example—have further cemented School of 

Rock’s status as an international franchise to 

watch. The opportunities the brand provides for 

its students and franchisees continue to grow as 

time goes on, making it a premiere franchising 

option. 

For more information on School of Rock 

opportunities, call (866) 254-7567 

or visit https://franchise.schoolofrock.com/fbr. 

“ Dogtopia has the best kind of 

support and I have access to 

experts, it frees you up to focus 

on what you want to focus on, 

in business or outside business.” 

– Stefani Ballard 

DOGTOPIA MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE 

LaRosa’s Pizzeria 

Initial Investment: $800,000 – $1,000,000 



LaRosa’s is a family-style pizzeria serving over 

40 menu items for dine in, carry-out or delivery. 

For over 60 years, we’ve demonstrated consistent 

performance and proven Guest appeal. Our full 

service concept features a dining room, bar and 

party area. All pick-up and delivery orders are 

taken in our unique Guest Service Center. Guests 

enjoy world class service, and relationship 

management technology uses Guest order data 

to drive our loyalty program. Our over 60 outlets 

serve real Italian flavor from real family recipes. 

For more information on LaRosa’s Pizzeria 

opportunities, call (513) 347-5660 or visit 

https://www.larosas.com/franchise. 

Ed and Jennifer 

Wagner 


Denver, Colorado 

Franchisees Since 2013 

What was it about the franchise model and/or 

leadership that led you to purchase it? After 

working for very large organizations for 15+ 

years, we were ready for a new challenge where 

we controlled our own destiny. Employers often 

make decisions on your behalf without your 

input or consideration. As franchise owners, we 

can make quick decisions ourselves in the best 

interest of the clients. Plus, we have the support 

of the franchise when we need it. In the 

beginning, this was very reassuring. 

What do you like most about your job/owning a 

franchise? It is difficult to narrow it down to ONE 

thing, but autonomy is a huge factor. There is a 

direct correlation between hard work and results. 

In our previous employment, this was not always 

the case. Having the freedom to decide what to 

do (and when) is rewarding. As franchise owners, 

we feel we are building something vs. just 

collecting a paycheck. 

What advice do you have for prospective 

franchise buyers? What do you wish you had 

known prior to going into franchising? Before 

we decided to buy a franchise, we had realized 

that our happiest and most successful friends 

were small business owners. They were not afraid 

of working hard but simply seemed happy to 

have the freedom of being owners. This 

observation told us that we could also do well, 

but being new to business ownership we needed 

guidance and support! Looking back, we are glad 

we took this direction. In retrospect, we were so 

focused on our own market, but we could have 

spent more time learning from other franchise 

owners around the country. 

What else would you like to share? In our 

experience, franchise ownership was a good 

move for our family. We focus on the business, 

but we are not bogged down with countless 

meetings, unnecessary travel, pointless reports, 

etc. In fact, we actually have more time for our 

kids now than we’ve ever had. 

Dogtopia.com | Contact Alex Samios at 602-730-6000 ext. 2 

THIS ADVERTISEMENT IS NOT AN OFFERING OF A FRANCHISE. 

AN OFFER OF A FRANCHISE CAN ONLY BE MADE BY A FRANCHISE DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT. 

For more information on Assisted Living Locators 


www.assistedlivinglocatorsfranchise.com. 



FOOD 

FOOD 

SERVE YOUR 

COMMUNITY, 

SECURE YOUR 

FUTURE 

Be a hero of home & business 

restoration while building 

a lasting career in a real 

recession-proof industry. 

A&W Restaurants 

Initial Investment: $269,000 – $1,213,000 



Join the A&W Restaurant, Inc. family of 

franchisees! This is a unique opportunity to join a 

100-year old iconic American brand being run 

with the entrepreneurial spirit of a start-up. With 

AUVs up 37% since 2011, we are pursuing 

development in markets across the U.S. with 

restaurant prototypes for Free-Standing, Gas & 

Convenience, and In-Line retail centers. We 

proudly offer our signature made-fresh-in-store 

A&W Root Beer and Root Beer Floats, 100% U.S. 

beef burgers, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders and 

fried Wisconsin White Cheddar Cheese Curds. 

Veteran discounts are available. Visit 

AWFranchising.com and Let’s Get Started! 

For more information on A&W Restaurants 


Awfranchising.com. 

BIGGBY COFFEE 




BIGGBY ® COFFEE’s cultural values of Make 

Friends, Have Fun, B Yourself, and Share Great 

Coffee help coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious 

alike benefit from a less pretentious and fun 

approach to the standard gourmet cafe paradigm. 

Besides connoisseur-worthy drinks with 

pronounceable names like Teddy Bear ® and 

Caramel Marvel ® , BIGGBY ® baristas provide a 

unique experience focused on brightening their 

customers’ day and supporting them in building 

a life they love. The “Big ‘B’” on the orange 

background caught on, and today BIGGBY ® COFFEE 

has more than 230 cafes across the country. 

For more information on BIGGBY ® COFFEE 


franchiseinfo@biggby.com or visit 

www.biggbyfranchising.com/get-started. 

Visit DiscoverPuroClean.com 

or call (855) 947-0470 

Each PuroClean office is independently 

owned and operated. 

B2B sales and 

management model 

20+ services to manage 

Recurring, compounding revenue 

in a recession-proof industry 

No hourly employees, equipment, inventory, or travel 

City Wide Average Unit Volume: $3.9 Million (Per 2019 FDD Item 19) 

City Wide Average Top Quartile: $8.8 Million (Per 2019 FDD Item 19) 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON AVAILABLE MARKETS 

IN THE U.S. AND CANADA: 

(214) 674-5480 | citywidefranchise.com 


An offering can be made only by delivery of a franchise disclosure document. Certain states require that we register our franchise disclosure document in advance. We offer franchises only in states where our franchise disclosure document is registered, if required. ©2019 Wings Etc. Inc. All rights reserved. Franchises independently owned and operated. 

FBR7.5x4.625Ad_WingsEtc_DevAd_20191211.indd 1 

12/11/19 11:20 AM 



The Nation’s Premier New Mover Marketing Franchise 

Helping Local Businesses Connect with New Customers & Helping 

New Movers Adjust to their New Community for 48 Years & Counting 

2020 TOP FRANCHISE 

Top Low-Cost Franchise • Top Franchise for Veterans 

Top B2B Franchise • Top Multi-Unit Franchise 

Top Innovative Franchise • Top Franchise for Women 

• Quick Ramp Up 

• Home-Based 

• Flexibility 

Quality of Life 

• Scalable Business 

• Residual Income 

• Low Overhead 

• Sales & Service 

No Production 

• Enhanced Mobile App 

• Rated Top 50 Franchise for 15 Years * 

• FBR 10-Year Hall of Fame * 

• FBR All-Time Top Company * 

• 48-Year Industry Innovator 

Ask us about 

our Veteran 

Discount! 

800.497.8360 X236 • OurTownAmerica.com 

Our Town America, A Franchising Corporation • 13900 US Highway 19 N | Clearwater, FL 33764-7238 

MN Residents: Minnesota Franchise Registration No: F-6498 (Unit); F-7645 (RD) NY Residents: This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by aprospectus filed first with the Department of 

Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. * FranchiseBusinessReview.com 


FOOD 

FOOD 

FEATURED 

Franchisee 

Firehouse Subs 




Celebrating 25 years of business in 2019, 

Firehouse Subs ® is a fast casual restaurant 

franchise with a passion for Hearty and Flavorful 

Food, Heartfelt Service and Public Safety. 

Founded in 1994 by brothers and former 

firefighters Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, 

Firehouse Subs is built on decades of fire and 

police service, hot subs, steamed and piled high 

with the highest quality meats and cheeses and 

its commitment to saving lives through the 

non-profit Firehouse Subs Public Safety 

Foundation ® . The founders are the real deal, the 

food is their creation and the restaurant is built 

upon a family of franchise operators who share 

their same passion for generously serving food 

and community. 

For more information on Firehouse Subs 

opportunities, call 1-877-887-8330, email 

bgreenwood@firehousesubs.com or visit 

https://www.firehousesubsfranchising.com. 

Straw Hat Pizza 




Straw Hat Pizza is a Legacy Brand that has been 

in business for over 60 years. We created our 

recipes using only fresh ingredients, creating a 

superior product. We have always focused on 

providing a great place for families to meet and 

spend time together. We offer comfortable 

dining, party rooms for birthdays and group 

events, and full redemption gaming arcades. Our 

#1 priority is supporting our franchise owners to 

help them operate and grow their business. We 

provide well defined systems, excellent training 

and support, and among the lowest Royalty Fees 

in the industry. Come Join our Franchise Family! 

For more information on Straw Hat Pizza 


syoung@strawhatpizza.com or visit 

www.strawhatpizzafranchising.com. 

Paula Paredes 

ATAX 

Allentown, PA 

Franchise Owner Since 2009 

What was it about the franchise model and/or 

leadership that led you to purchase it? A 

franchise with a model to grow and be 

prosperous in the tax industry, with moral and 

educational support, training, but most 

importantly I saw the leadership and honesty of 

the president of the franchise. 

What type of business experience, education, 

and/or skills did you have prior to becoming a 

franchisee that you have found particularly 

helpful? Absolutely none. 

What do you like most about your job/owning a 

franchise? That I am in a reputable company and 

the franchise motivates and educates me—and 

for that reason, it helps me to grow more and 

more both professionally and economically. 

How did you fund your franchise? Did you 

receive any discounts/incentives? I did not 

receive any discount or incentive. I financed the 

franchise with personal and family loans. 

What advice do you have for prospective 

franchise buyers? What do you wish you had 

known prior to going into franchising? ATAX can 

give you your financial freedom, but my 

recommendation is to work hard creating 

projects to acquire clients, promote the brand 

24/7, be honest and overcome all obstacles that 

arise. 

What else would you like to share? When I was 

introduced to the franchise, I was a simple 

factory employee with a very limited economy, 

living paycheck to paycheck. Today, thanks to the 

ATAX franchise system that opened its doors to 

me, I am a great business woman. 

For more information on ATAX opportunities, 

call (610) 433-4547 or visit www.atax.com/ 

allentownpa. 




RETAIL 

WHAT A REFRESHING CHANGE TO BE YOUR 

OWN BOSS. FRANCHISE WITH PINCH A PENNY. 

WITH $1.2M* IN AVERAGE UNIT SALES, 

YOU COULD BE SWIMMING IN BUSINESS. 

Wild Birds Unlimited 




Wild Birds Unlimited franchise store owners 

are the community resource for backyard bird 

feeding products, services and nature education. 

Who we are goes far beyond the products 

we sell. Each day our owners deliver a joyful 

experience to their customers while helping 

them purposefully engage with nature. A typical 

day involves customers swapping stories about 

latest bird sightings and sharing excitement 

about attracting new birds with our vast array of 

proprietary products. 

PROVEN BUSINESS 

MODEL 

250+ FAMILY-OWNED 

LOCATIONS ACROSS THE 

SOUTHEASTERN U.S. 

AND TEXAS 

MULTIPLE REVENUE 

STREAMS 

YEAR-ROUND BUSINESS IN 

RETAIL, SERVICES, REPAIRS, 

AND MAINTENANCE 

PINCHAPENNYPOOLFRANCHISE.COM 

727-263-2302 

FRANCHISEE 

SATISFACTION 

CONSISTENTLY RANKED IN 

THE TOP 10% FOR FRANCHISEE 

SATISFACTION, FRANCHISE 

BUSINESS REVIEW 

For more information on Wild Birds Unlimited 


www.wbufranchise.com. 

*For the year ending December 31, 2018, Pinch A Penny had 248 stores open. Of those stores, 238 have been open at least one year. 

Of those open at least one year, the average annual gross sales was $1,257,388. 88 stores (37%) had annual gross sales that exceeded the average. 

Your results may differ. There is no assurance that you will do as well. See our 2019 Franchise Disclosure Document for more information. 

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. If you are a 

resident of a U.S. state or a country that regulates the offer and sale of franchises, are receiving this message in one of those states or countries, 

or intend to operate a franchise in any of those states or countries, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with any 

applicable pre-sale registration and/or disclosure requirements in the applicable jurisdiction. 

©2020 Pinch A Penny. All Rights Reserved. 


Now’s the time to make your 

BIG MOVE. 





Assisted Living Locators is the fastest growing 

brand in the multi-billion dollar senior care 

placement industry. Our founder pioneered the 

placement franchise industry and created an 

award winning franchise. We are unique and 

different from any other senior-related franchise 

offering … and it’s better. Home-based with no 

large staff to hire, you’ll offer families the ability 

to explore in- and out-of-home assisted living 

options. And families never pay for your services! 

Your fee is paid by the assisted living facilities 

placement and in-home referrals. Assisted Living 

Locators is an opportunity for you to achieve 

extraordinary success … and feel good doing it! 

For more information on Assisted Living 

Locators opportunities, call (800)-267-7816, 

email franchise@assistedlivinglocators.com or 

visit www.assistedlivinglocatorsfranchise.com. 

Put your business development skills to work for you. 

Take the next step forward in your career with a 

Remedy Intelligent Staffing franchise. 

Get your piece of the $167 billion staffing 

industry with the resources and support 

of a national leader. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT US! 

Alicia Miller — Franchise Development 

502-255-2297 | RemedyFranchise.com 



#1 Italian QSR 

Franchise Business Review, 

Top 200 Franchises, 2018 

RECORD-BREAKING 

SALES SUCCESS 

$1,567,893 

Average Net Revenue, 

Top 3rd of Franchised Restaurants* 

NOW IS THE TIME TO 

FRANCHISE WITH FAZOLI’S ® . 

Interested in joining the Fazoli’s family? 

Let’s talk. Steve Bailey, Senior Director of Franchise Sales 

859.825.6212 ownafazolis.com 

* As shown in Item 19 of the current Franchise Disclosure Document of Fazoli’s Franchising Systems, LLC, for the 12 months ending March 28, 2018. There is no assurance that a franchisee 

of Fazoli’s will sell or earn as much. Fazoli’s and logo are federally registered trademarks of Faoli’s System Management, LLC Copyright © Fazoli’s 2470 Palumbo Drive, 

Lexington, KY 40509-1117 

* As shown in Item 19 of the current Franchise Disclosure Document of Fazoli’s Franchising Systems, LLC, for the 12 months ending March 28, 2018. There is no assurance that a franchisee 

of Fazoli’s will sell or earn as much. Fazoli’s and logo are federally registered trademarks of Faoli’s System Management, LLC Copyright © Fazoli’s 2470 Palumbo Drive, 

Lexington, KY 40509-1117 



Safer Senior Living. Your Goal, Our Mission. 

CarePatrol 




CarePatrol’s founders have been pioneers in the 

senior placement industry for the past 25 years. 

Franchising since 2009, CarePatrol has been a 

Franchise Satisfaction award winner for 10 years 

in a row. 

With 150 franchise partners, CarePatrol is the 

largest senior placement organization in the 

country. No other senior placement franchise 

offers the expertise in training or ongoing 

support that CarePatrol does. CarePatrol services 

are needed in cities throughout the country and 

there are still many franchise territories available. 

Contact us today to find out how you can be 

CarePatrol’s newest satisfied franchisee. 

For more information on CarePatrol 


www.carepatrolfranchise.com. 

® 

WHERE PASSIONS 

ARE SHARED & 

Success is Served. 

MADE FROM SCRATCH EVERY DAY - 

NO STOVES, NO OVENS, & NO FRYERS! 

$1,138,652 AUV (BASED ON A 6-DAY 

WEEK MODEL) * 

13 CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS OF SAME- 

STORE SALES GROWTH (& COUNTING!) ** 

FAMILY-ORIENTED & PURPOSE-DRIVEN 

CULTURE 

Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers [2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, & 2019] 

Franchise Times' Fast & Serious List [2018 & 2019] 

Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing Private Company List [2016, 2017, & 2018] 

IFA's "Franchising Gives Back" Newcomer Award [2017] 

Nation’s Restaurant News "Next 20" Restaurant Brands List [2017] 

Restaurant Business Future 50 List [2017] 

For Franchising Information: 

Email: Franchising@ChickenSaladChick.com 

Or Visit: www.ChickenSaladChick.com 

*This figure represents a total of 67 franchised restaurants at the end of 2017, with 49 of those in 

operation the entire year as published in our May 15, 2018 franchise disclosure document. 

**Based on performance of franchised restaurants represented in our 2019, franchise disclosure 

document. 


Helping others has never 

been so rewarding 

FirstLight Home Care 




FirstLight Home Care, a leading provider of nonmedical 

home care, helps individuals achieve the 

quality of life they deserve. At FirstLight, caring 

is our calling. We’ve set a new standard in home 

care by creating an unmatched Culture of Care 

that drives industry-leading client and employee 

satisfaction. FirstLight is a lifeline for seniors; 

veterans; people recovering from illness, injury or 

surgery; adults with disabilities; and anyone over 

the age of 18 who needs extra assistance. Our 

professional caregivers provide compassionate 

care at private residences as well as independent 

and assisted living communities and other 

healthcare facility settings. 

For more information on FirstLight Home Care 


www.firstlightfranchise.com. 

Our commitment to the highest standard of in-home 

healthcare provides franchisees with multiple revenue 

streams that generated an annual average of $1,772,699* 

for first-time locations that operated for all of 2018. 

877 689 6898 

brightstarfranchising.com/home-care 

* 2018 Revenue, per our 2019 FDD – Item 19, 

for all first franchise locations combined open 12+ mos. 



TECHNOLOGY 

TeamLogic IT 




TeamLogic IT franchisees provide computer 

services and managed IT solutions to small- and 

medium-sized businesses. Franchise owners 

serve as the CEOs of their business and hire the 

IT staff to perform the work. The ideal candidate 

for a TeamLogic IT business is a person who 

wishes to work in a business environment, 

understands technology, has an aptitude for 

sales and/or building relationships, and enjoys 

working with other business professionals while 

building a team to deliver outstanding service 

and support. 

For more information on TeamLogic IT 


pspaan@teamlogicit.com or visit 

www.teamlogicfranchising.com. 

TRAVEL 

Cruise Planners 




Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel 

Representative, is a nationwide, low-cost, fullservice 

travel advisor franchise company that 

yields high returns and requires no previous 

travel agent experience. Our home-based 

business model requires no storefront and gives 

franchise owners the flexibility to work full time 

or part time from anywhere with an internet 

connection, even while traveling. Cruise Planners 

positions its franchise owners for success by 

providing them with innovative marketing and 

technology, hands-on training with the industry’s 

top executives and ongoing, personalized 

business development coaching. 

For more information on Cruise Planners 


www.cruiseplannersfranchise.com. 


TRAVEL 

Dream Vacations 




With a Dream Vacations home-based travel 

franchise you can join a network of over 15400 

satisfied franchise owners. We provide the tools 

you’ll need for success and walk you through 

getting started so no travel experience required. 

Over 90% of our award-winning marketing and 

lead generation programs are free and designed 

to make your business stand out. Our innovative 

booking tools make it easy for you to offer your 

clients excellent service and our fully-funded 

exclusive offers ensure that you always give them 

the best prices. Join us for an upcoming webinar 

to find out how you can own your own travel 

agency. 

For more information on Dream Vacations 


OwnaTravelBiz.com. 

Proud to be recognized as a Top Franchise 

by Franchise Business Review 

We are honored to be listed as a top franchisor as a result of our franchisees’ overall satisfaction. 

We pride ourselves on our franchisee relationships and have the numbers to back it up. 

NUMBER 1 

REVENUE PRODUCING 

TUTORING FRANCHISE 

53 % 

HIGHER REVENUE 

THAN OUR ClOSEST COMPETITOR 

TOP 50 

FRANCHISE 

FOR WOMEN 

OVER 300 

lOCATIONS 

NATIONWIDE 

98 % 

REVENUE GROWTH 

2009-2017 

Why is Huntington an ideal franchise opportunity? 

$4.3 BIllION 

BIllION 

TUTORING INDUSTRY 

3 REVENUE 

STREAMS 

GRADES K–12 

CALL 1-800-653-8400 

Franchise@HLCmail.com 

HuntingtonFranchise.com 

IN BUSINESS 

FOR OVER 

40 YEARS 

*Data are based on each company’s Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) for all franchise centers open in 2017, except for Kumon, which are for centers open at least three years, and Tutor Doctor, which are for centers open at least one year. We estimate Club Z! revenue from its financial statement as total 

franchisor revenue, less purchase of trademarked material and software fees, divided by the average royalty rate, then divided by the number of centers. We estimate Kumon revenue from its FDD and a 2015 survey of its centers as average center enrollment multiplied by an average monthly enrollment charge of 

$120, plus registration fee of $50 and materials fees of $30 for half of its enrollments. We estimate Tutor Doctor revenue as follows: Its FDD provides (a) average enrollment by quartile for centers open 12‐24 months and for centers open 25+ months; and (b) average enrollment value for each group. We compute 

each group’s total enrollment by quartile. For each group, we multiply each quartile’s total enrollment by that group’s average enrollment value to estimate total revenue for each group’s quartile. We estimate the average center’s revenue as the sum of these revenue estimates divided by the total number of centers. 


OPEN A SCHOOL OF ROCK 

AND WRITE YOUR OWN SUCCESS STORY 

MIXING YOUR LOVE FOR MUSIC WITH YOUR BUSINESS IS EASIER 

THAN EVER AT SCHOOL OF ROCK. BE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE 

FOR YOUR FUTURE BY BECOMING ONE OF OUR OWNERS AND 

EXPERIENCING OUR UNIQUE FRANCHISING APPROACH. 

CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE: (866) 532-3085 

FRANCHISING.SCHOOLOFROCK.COM

Now’s the time. 

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® never stops moving! Within an industry that sees more 

than $18 billion annually, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is truly a business you can feel 

comfortable owning, even during a recession. 

With a wide range of services including local and long-distance moving, packing, 

and unpacking services for home and business customers, there’s never been a 

better time to join the nation’s first and largest franchised moving company! 

96% customer referral ratE 

7.5 million moves & counting 

$2.2 average unit volume 

Continuous growth since Dec. 2009 

888.519.0843 | franchise.twomen.com 

This advertisement is not an offering to sell a franchise. An offering can be made only by Franchise Disclosure Document that has been registered with and approved by the appropriate agency in your 

state if your state requires such registration. Individual franchise performance will vary. *$2.2 million is the average annual gross sales in 2018 for franchises that have been in operation at least five years. 

70 of the 180 franchises in this group (39%) met or exceeded this average. New franchisees’ results may differ from the represented performance. See Item 19 of the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK FDD.

FBR Issue 1 - 2020

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