2026 Dominators: Steady Metros, Sharper Portfolios, and Private Capital on the Move
The 2026 Dominators analysis shows the five largest markets (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Houston) held their positions for another year. Across the country, FRANdata tracked 794,632 franchised units in 940 core-based statistical areas (CBSAs).
Areas of growth
This year, the largest metros grew modestly but consistently. New York added more than 650 units to reach 16,668, a 4.1% gain. Houston (4.2%) and Miami (4.5%) posted the strongest growth among the top 10.
Provo-Orem, Utah, grew 10.4%. Des Moines rose 8.5%, Montgomery, Alabama, gained 6.9%, and Lincoln, Nebraska, and Boise each grew nearly 5%. Montgomery made the biggest jump in the rankings, climbing eight spots. For operators, these markets offer growing demand and less saturation than the major metros.
Flynn’s footprint
Flynn Group remains the defining Dominator. It is again the largest franchisee in nine states, matching last year’s count, but the mix changed. Flynn now leads Florida with 204 units and no longer leads Oklahoma. Flynn also passed 1,000 units in the South, growing from 964 to 1,031. Its 2025 purchase of 45 Pizza Hut restaurants in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee pushed its Pizza Hut count past 1,000.
Brand-operator connection
KBP Brands shows how brand performance affects even the largest operators. As KFC’s largest domestic franchisee, KBP declined in every region where it ranks. It fell from 284 to 256 units in the Midwest and from 611 to 590 in the South, and it dropped off the East list entirely. The decline comes as KFC’s U.S. footprint shrank from 4,089 to 3,784 restaurants between mid-2025 and mid-2026.
Private capital
Sizzling Platter, acquired by Bain Capital in a deal valued at more than $1 billion that closed in 2025, grew 17% in the Mountain West, from 151 to 176 units.
In South Carolina, Eyas Capital is the new top franchisee with 81 units. Its 2025 acquisition of BOJ of WNC, Bojangles’ largest franchisee, brought in more than 120 restaurants across six states.
2026 Dominators
Largest Franchisees by State
|
STATE |
LARGEST FRANCHISEES |
UNITS |
|---|---|---|
|
ALABAMA |
TACALA |
161 |
|
ALASKA |
SUBWAY DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA |
21 |
|
ARIZONA |
DESERT DE ORO FOODS |
185 |
|
ARKANSAS |
K-MAC ENTERPRISES |
110 |
|
CALIFORNIA |
G & M OIL CO |
301 |
|
COLORADO |
FLYNN GROUP |
128 |
|
CONNECTICUT |
CAIN MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED |
54 |
|
D.C. |
KOVAN GROUP/DEKK GROUP/NGP MANAGEMENT |
10 |
|
DELAWARE |
NISTAZOS AND SONS/FRANCHISE MANAGEMENT SERVICES |
26 |
|
FLORIDA |
FLYNN GROUP |
204 |
|
GEORGIA |
FLYNN GROUP |
151 |
|
HAWAII |
RESTAURANT BRANDS/RBD CALIFORNIA RESTAURANTS LIMITED/RBD HAWAII |
59 |
|
IDAHO |
FLYNN GROUP |
53 |
|
ILLINOIS |
THE DHANANI GROUP |
204 |
|
INDIANA |
FLYNN GROUP |
175 |
|
IOWA |
FRASIER ENTERPRISES |
39 |
|
KANSAS |
ROTTINGHAUS CO |
126 |
|
KENTUCKY |
FOURTEEN FOODS |
60 |
|
LOUISIANA |
B&G FOOD ENTERPRISES |
115 |
|
MAINE |
CAFUA MANAGEMENT CO (CMC) |
35 |
|
MARYLAND |
FLYNN GROUP |
90 |
|
MASSACHUSETTS |
CAFUA MANAGEMENT CO (CMC) |
93 |
|
MICHIGAN |
TEAM LYDERS (SUNDANCE INC/OLD WEST PROPERTIES) |
94 |
|
MINNESOTA |
BORDER FOODS |
99 |
|
MISSISSIPPI |
CARLISLE |
75 |
|
MISSOURI |
FLYNN GROUP |
201 |
|
MONTANA |
THE TAX DOCTORS |
21 |
|
NEBRASKA |
STAAB MANAGEMENT CO |
57 |
|
NEVADA |
TERRIBLE HERBST |
141 |
|
NEW HAMPSHIRE |
CAFUA MANAGEMENT CO |
49 |
|
NEW JERSEY |
FLYNN GROUP |
95 |
|
NEW MEXICO |
MERRITT GROUP/B & B CONSULTANTS |
66 |
|
NEW YORK |
METRO FRANCHISING COMMISSARY |
137 |
|
NORTH CAROLINA |
BODDIE-NOELL ENTERPRISES |
121 |
|
NORTH DAKOTA |
CULTIVATE SOLUTIONS |
24 |
|
OHIO |
THE COVELLI FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP |
130 |
|
OKLAHOMA |
LOVE'S TRAVEL STOPS & COUNTRY STORES |
113 |
|
OREGON |
JCK RESTAURANTS INC/KB RESTAURANTS |
83 |
|
PENNSYLVANIA |
FLYNN GROUP |
117 |
|
RHODE ISLAND |
DAN'S MANAGEMENT CO |
38 |
|
SOUTH CAROLINA |
EYAS CAPITAL |
81 |
|
SOUTH DAKOTA |
CAVE ENTERPRISES OPERATIONS |
23 |
|
TENNESSEE |
RRD FINANCIAL SERVICES/STUDLE FINANCIAL SERVICES |
93 |
|
TEXAS |
THE DHANANI GROUP |
686 |
|
UTAH |
SIZZLING PLATTER |
104 |
|
VERMONT |
TASTY RESTAURANT GROUP |
18 |
|
VIRGINIA |
BODDIE-NOELL ENTERPRISES |
167 |
|
WASHINGTON |
NORTHWEST RESTAURANTS |
125 |
|
WEST VIRGINIA |
LITTLE GENERAL STORE |
102 |
|
WISCONSIN |
CAVE ENTERPRISES OPERATIONS |
106 |
Source: FRANdata
Note: Data based on the most current FDDs
ENTIRE U.S.
|
MSA |
FRANCHISED UNITS |
|---|---|
|
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
16,668 |
|
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
13,686 |
|
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
11,608 |
|
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
10,938 |
|
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
10,114 |
|
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA |
9,203 |
|
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, |
7,396 |
|
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL |
7,099 |
|
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, |
6,848 |
|
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ |
6,263 |
|
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
5,541 |
|
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
5,386 |
|
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
4,910 |
|
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL |
4,811 |
|
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH |
4,646 |
|
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
4,508 |
|
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA |
4,462 |
|
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
4,456 |
|
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC |
4,370 |
|
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
4,018 |
|
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL |
3,925 |
|
St. Louis, MO-IL |
3,880 |
|
Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN |
3,403 |
|
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX |
3,390 |
|
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN |
3,386 |
|
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
3,335 |
|
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN |
3,318 |
|
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA |
3,209 |
|
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX |
3,136 |
|
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV |
3,133 |
|
Kansas City, MO-KS |
3,076 |
|
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
3,042 |
|
Pittsburgh, PA |
2,968 |
|
Columbus, OH |
2,967 |
|
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC |
2,914 |
|
Cleveland-Elyria, OH |
2,582 |
|
Jacksonville, FL |
2,436 |
|
Raleigh-Cary, NC |
2,360 |
|
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI |
2,256 |
|
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
2,140 |
|
Oklahoma City, OK |
2,139 |
|
Richmond, VA |
2,044 |
|
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN |
1,793 |
|
Salt Lake City, UT |
1,773 |
|
New Orleans-Metairie, LA |
1,745 |
|
Memphis, TN-MS-AR |
1,739 |
|
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA |
1,694 |
|
Birmingham-Hoover, AL |
1,594 |
|
Greenville-Anderson, SC |
1,553 |
|
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA |
1,547 |
|
Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT |
1,459 |
|
Tulsa, OK |
1,409 |
|
Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI |
1,356 |
|
Charleston-North Charleston, SC |
1,340 |
|
Knoxville, TN |
1,327 |
|
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA |
1,325 |
|
Columbia, SC |
1,312 |
|
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL |
1,302 |
|
Dayton-Kettering, OH |
1,241 |
|
Colorado Springs, CO |
1,234 |
|
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR |
1,229 |
|
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL |
1,198 |
|
Albuquerque, NM |
1,191 |
|
Tucson, AZ |
1,178 |
|
Baton Rouge, LA |
1,149 |
|
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY |
1,116 |
|
Boise, ID |
1,096 |
|
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA |
1,089 |
|
Urban Honolulu, HI |
1,074 |
|
Fresno, CA |
1,070 |
|
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT |
1,070 |
|
Madison, WI |
1,064 |
|
El Paso, TX |
1,038 |
|
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ |
1,017 |
|
Greensboro-High Point, NC |
1,007 |
|
Chattanooga, TN-GA |
996 |
|
Rochester, NY |
983 |
|
Wichita, KS |
965 |
|
Bakersfield, CA |
957 |
|
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC |
951 |
|
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY |
945 |
|
Jackson, MS |
943 |
|
Akron, OH |
938 |
|
Worcester, MA-CT |
918 |
|
New Haven-Milford, CT |
909 |
|
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC |
899 |
|
Stockton, CA |
888 |
|
Lexington-Fayette, KY |
885 |
|
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
882 |
|
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR |
872 |
|
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL |
872 |
|
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL |
858 |
|
Toledo, OH |
852 |
|
Ogden-Clearfield, UT |
838 |
|
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA |
832 |
|
Provo-Orem, UT |
826 |
|
Savannah, GA |
794 |
|
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC |
789 |
|
Huntsville, AL |
780 |
|
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL |
769 |
|
Winston-Salem, NC |
766 |
|
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX |
762 |
|
Asheville, NC |
732 |
|
Springfield, MO |
710 |
|
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA |
693 |
|
Lafayette, LA |
690 |
|
Lansing-East Lansing, MI |
687 |
|
Port St. Lucie, FL |
674 |
|
Reno, NV |
673 |
|
Syracuse, NY |
671 |
|
Modesto, CA |
669 |
|
Fayetteville, NC |
668 |
|
Salisbury, MD-DE |
661 |
|
Portland-South Portland, ME |
655 |
|
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA |
644 |
|
Killeen-Temple, TX |
627 |
|
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY |
625 |
|
Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA |
621 |
|
Springfield, MA |
620 |
|
Mobile, AL |
611 |
|
Fort Collins, CO |
595 |
|
Vallejo, CA |
591 |
|
Montgomery, AL |
589 |
|
Lubbock, TX |
588 |
|
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS |
584 |
|
Corpus Christi, TX |
584 |
|
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL |
582 |
|
Naples-Marco Island, FL |
572 |
|
Lincoln, NE |
570 |
|
Fort Wayne, IN |
568 |
|
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA |
566 |
|
Wilmington, NC |
565 |
|
Manchester-Nashua, NH |
555 |
|
Lancaster, PA |
549 |
|
Tallahassee, FL |
542 |
|
Green Bay, WI |
542 |
|
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX |
542 |
|
Boulder, CO |
534 |
|
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL |
527 |
|
Trenton-Princeton, NJ |
524 |
|
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA |
522 |
|
Canton-Massillon, OH |
522 |
|
Sioux Falls, SD |
501 |
Source: FRANdata
Note: Data based on most current FDDs
LARGEST FRANCHISEES BY U.S. REGION
EAST
(DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, WV)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
FLYNN GROUP |
338 |
|
SUMMERWOOD CORP |
197 |
|
PARIKH NETWORK |
177 |
|
DOHERTY ENTERPRISES |
168 |
|
HAZA GROUP |
158 |
MIDWEST
(IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
FLYNN GROUP |
368 |
|
THE DHANANI GROUP |
336 |
|
KBP BRANDS |
256 |
|
BORDER FOODS |
201 |
|
ALLINE SALON GROUP |
190 |
MOUNTAIN WEST
(CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
FLYNN GROUP |
235 |
|
SIZZLING PLATTER |
176 |
|
ALVARADO RESTAURANT NATION/ALARADO HOLDINGS/PALO ALTO |
106 |
|
HARMAN MANAGEMENT CORP |
103 |
|
MBN BRANDS (FRONT RANGE HOLDINGS) |
79 |
NEW ENGLAND
(CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
CAFUA MANAGEMENT CO (CMC) |
195 |
|
KOVAN GROUP/DEKK GROUP/NGP MANAGEMENT |
148 |
|
COUTO MANAGEMENT GROUP DARTMOUTH MANAGEMENT GROUP/CAPE MANAGEMENT TEAM |
90 |
|
HK ENTERPRISES |
84 |
|
DE FOODS |
75 |
PLAINS
(IA, KS, MO, NE, ND, OK, SD)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
FLYNN GROUP |
476 |
|
ROTTINGHAUS CO |
235 |
|
LOVE'S TRAVEL STOPS & COUNTRY STORES |
202 |
|
K-MAC ENTERPRISES |
196 |
|
FUGATE ENTERPRISES |
128 |
SOUTH
(AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
FLYNN GROUP |
1,031 |
|
THE DHANANI GROUP |
911 |
|
SUN HOLDINGS (RMH FRANCHISE-APPLEBEE'S) |
715 |
|
KBP BRANDS |
590 |
|
TACALA |
421 |
SOUTHWEST
(AZ, NV, NM)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
DESERT DE ORO FOODS |
195 |
|
TERRIBLE HERBST |
141 |
|
WENDYS OF COLORADO SPRINGS/HOLLAND RESTAURANTS |
129 |
|
MERRITT GROUP/B & B CONSULTANTS |
126 |
|
QUALITY BRAND GROUP |
110 |
WEST
(AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
G & M OIL CO |
301 |
|
FLYNN GROUP |
277 |
|
FEAST ENTERPRISES/BESHAY ENTERPRISES/DMSD FOODS |
255 |
|
H&S ENERGY PRODUCTS |
238 |
|
GHAI MANAGEMENT SERVICES |
219 |
Source: FRANdata Note: Data based on the most current FDDs
Ambika Oberoi is director of information management for FRANdata. Visit FRANdata.com or email [email protected].
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