2020 Multi-Unit 50: The Most Multi-Friendly Brands

By: Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine | 7,514 Reads | 9 Shares

Featured in: Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine: Issue 3, 2020

Multi-brand franchising is a growing phenomenon. Some franchisees are not content with operating one brand so they add one, two, three, or more other brands to their portfolios. Our annual Multi-Brand 50 issue provides data supplied by FRANdata that gives insight to this growing operational approach. Here are 2020's rankings of the country's largest multi-brand operators, along with the brands they've chosen.

Top 50 Brands by Number of Multi-Unit Franchisees

RANK	BRAND	MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEES	SINGLE-UNIT FRANCHISEES	TOTAL FRANCHISEES	DATA YEAR
1	SUBWAY	3,813	3,584	7,397	2018
2	MCDONALD’S	1,840	318	2,158	2019
3	THE UPS STORE	890	2,216	3,106	2018
4	AFC	826	1,801	2,627	2018
5	DUNKIN’	812	5,113	5,925	2019
6	LITTLE CAESARS	690	81	771	2018
7	LIBERTY TAX SERVICE	602	789	1,391	2018
8	H&R BLOCK	600	719	1,319	2018
9	GREAT CLIPS	594	300	894	2018
10	HEALTH MART PHARMACY	583	3,151	3,734	2018
11	ACE HARDWARE	547	2,529	3,076	2018
12	DOMINO’S PIZZA	534	239	773	2019
13	FIREHOUSE SUBS	467	12	479	2018
14	JIMMY JOHN’S	439	284	723	2018
15	VISION SOURCE	427	2,171	2,598	2019
16	DQ GRILL & CHILL	403	1,095	1,498	2019
17	BURGER KING	399	382	781	2019
18	JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICE	386	159	545	2018
19	CENTURY 21	350	736	1,086	2018
20	TACO BELL	339	325	664	2018
21	ANYTIME FITNESS	332	1,660	1,992	2018
22	HISSHO SUSHI	309	472	781	2019
23	SUPERCUTS	291	144	435	2018
24	SPORT CLIPS	289	121	410	2018
25	CHICK-FIL-A	276	1,461	1,737	2018
26	BASKIN-ROBBINS	270	1,588	1,858	2019
27	KFC	257	380	637	2019
28	PAPA JOHN’S	253	392	645	2018
29	EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS	252	305	557	2018
30	JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS	250	209	459	2018
31	WENDY’S	227	121	348	2018
32	COLDWELL BANKER	225	467	692	2018
33	PAPA MURPHY’S	224	238	462	2018
34	SERVPRO	216	834	1,050	2018
35	FANTASTIC SAMS	196	293	489	2018
36	SMOOTHIE KING	192	224	416	2018
37	GNC	181	234	415	2018
38	HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER	181	30	211	2018
39	WINGSTOP	178	110	288	2018
40	AUNTIE ANNE’S	175	314	489	2018
41	DQ TREAT	171	759	930	2019
42	PIZZA HUT	166	126	292	2018
43	ARBY’S	164	254	418	2019
44	EUROPEAN WAX CENTER	164	112	276	2018
45	POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN	164	660	824	2018
46	KELLER WILLIAMS	163	781	944	2018
47	MIDAS	163	267	430	2018
48	MATHNASIUM	162	422	584	2019
49	CULVER’S	155	274	429	2018
50	SONIC DRIVE-IN	155	308	463	2019
SOURCE: Frandata. Brands with 25 or fewer franchisees were excluded.

Top 50 Brands by Percentage of Multi-Unit Franchisees

RANK	BRAND	% MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEES	MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEES	SINGLE-UNIT FRANCHISEES	TOTAL FRANCHISEES	DATA YEAR
1	PANERA BREAD	100.00%	28	0	28	2018
2	FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES	98.17%	107	2	109	2018
3	FIREHOUSE SUBS	97.49%	467	12	479	2018
4	CAPTAIN D’S	94.81%	73	4	77	2018
5	SMARTSTYLE	93.00%	93	7	100	2018
6	JACK IN THE BOX	92.73%	102	8	110	2018
7	DUTCH BROS.	92.45%	49	4	53	2018
8	MIRACLE-EAR	92.00%	138	12	150	2018
9	FRESHII	90.14%	64	7	71	2018
10	LITTLE CAESARS	89.49%	690	81	771	2018
11	PALM BEACH TAN	88.89%	24	3	27	2018
12	APPLEBEE’S	88.57%	31	4	35	2019
13	HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER	85.78%	181	30	211	2018
14	MCDONALD’S	85.26%	1,840	318	2,158	2019
15	CHEEZIES PIZZA	82.61%	38	8	46	2018
16	ROSATI’S CHICAGO PIZZA	76.19%	32	10	42	2018
17	SIMPLE SIMON’S PIZZA	75.94%	101	32	133	2018
18	CARL’S JR.	75.42%	89	29	118	2018
19	BARBERITOS	75.00%	24	8	32	2018
20	HWY 55 BURGERS SHAKES & FRIES	71.43%	50	20	70	2018
21	VALVOLINE INSTANT OIL CHANGE	70.89%	56	23	79	2018
22	JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICE	70.83%	386	159	545	2018
23	SPORT CLIPS	70.49%	289	121	410	2018
24	PENN STATION EAST COAST SUBS	70.13%	54	23	77	2018
25	GODFATHER’S PIZZA	70.06%	124	53	177	2018
26	BUDDY’S HOME FURNISHINGS	69.44%	25	11	36	2018
27	DOMINO’S PIZZA	69.08%	534	239	773	2019
28	BOJANGLES’	69.01%	49	22	71	2018
29	PIEOLOGY PIZZERIA	67.74%	21	10	31	2018
30	FRONTIER ADJUSTERS	67.68%	111	53	164	2018
31	SUPERCUTS	66.90%	291	144	435	2018
32	GREAT CLIPS	66.44%	594	300	894	2018
33	SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY	66.42%	89	45	134	2018
34	MICHELIN COMMERCIAL SERVICE NETWORK	65.79%	25	13	38	2018
35	SUN TAN CITY	65.79%	25	13	38	2018
36	TIDE CLEANERS	65.38%	17	9	26	2018
37	HARDEE’S	65.35%	83	44	127	2018
38	WENDY’S	65.23%	227	121	348	2018
39	COST CUTTERS FAMILY HAIR SALON	64.86%	48	26	74	2018
40	PACLEASE	64.41%	38	21	59	2019
41	RENT-A-CENTER	62.07%	18	11	29	2018
42	AVIS	61.90%	26	16	42	2018
43	WINGSTOP	61.81%	178	110	288	2018
44	THE GOOD FEET STORE	61.54%	16	10	26	2018
45	RALLY’S	60.98%	25	16	41	2019
46	CHECKERS	60.94%	78	50	128	2019
47	JIMMY JOHN’S	60.72%	439	284	723	2018
48	SOLA SALON STUDIOS	60.47%	78	51	129	2018
49	FREEDOM BOAT CLUB	60.42%	29	19	48	2018
50	HOMESMART	60.38%	32	21	53	2019
SOURCE: Frandata. Brands with 25 or fewer franchisees were excluded.