The 2018 Multi-Unit 50: Ranking the Most Multi-Friendly Brands
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The 2018 Multi-Unit 50: Ranking the Most Multi-Friendly Brands

The 2018 Multi-Unit 50: Ranking the Most Multi-Friendly Brands

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 2018'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

1

SUBWAY

4,151

3,773

7,924

2

MCDONALD’S

1,996

385

2,381

3

DUNKIN’ DONUTS

1,042

519

1,561

4

THE UPS STORE

818

2,311

3,129

5

AFC (ADVANCED FRESH CONCEPTS)

784

1,727

2,511

6

LIBERTY TAX SERVICE

732

939

1,671

7

LITTLE CAESARS

725

92

817

8

H&R BLOCK

668

771

1,439

9

DQ GRILL & CHILL/DQ TREAT

625

1,807

2,432

10

GREAT CLIPS

580

350

930

11

HEALTH MART PHARMACY

574

3,030

3,604

12

ACE HARDWARE

530

2,544

3,074

13

DOMINO’S PIZZA

522

272

794

14

FIREHOUSE SUBS

494

18

512

15

BURGER KING

473

389

862

16

BASKIN-ROBBINS

451

817

1,268

17

VISION SOURCE

433

2,263

2,696

18

JIMMY JOHN’S

426

343

769

19

HISSHO

418

17

435

20

JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICE

413

145

558

21

CENTURY 21

355

848

1,203

22

TACO BELL

343

344

687

23

SPORT CLIPS

320

139

459

24

KFC

302

461

763

25

ANYTIME FITNESS

279

1,523

1,802

26

WENDY’S

273

152

425

27

PAPA JOHN’S

272

443

715

28

EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS

262

297

559

29

PAPA MURPHY’S

250

263

513

30

COLDWELL BANKER

247

542

789

31

SUPERCUTS

240

140

380

32

JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS

234

191

425

33

CHICK-FIL-A

222

1,348

1,570

34

GNC

218

246

464

35

FANTASTIC SAMS

213

308

521

36

SONIC

210

282

492

37

DENNY’S

181

326

507

37

PIZZA HUT

181

117

298

39

COLD STONE CREAMERY

177

407

584

39

ZAXBY’S

177

26

203

41

AUNTIE ANNE’S

175

319

494

41

MIDAS

175

286

461

43

ARBY’S

172

276

448

44

EUROPEAN WAX CENTER

161

104

265

45

SMOOTHIE KING

159

226

385

46

WINGSTOP

155

132

287

47

JIFFY LUBE

151

160

311

48

CULVER’S

149

242

391

49

HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER

147

37

184

49

POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN

147

606

753

50

MIRACLE-EAR

144

19

163

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

1

PANERA BREAD

100.00%

27

0

27

2

FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES

98.37%

121

2

123

3

GATEWAY NEWSTANDS

97.33%

73

2

75

4

FIREHOUSE SUBS

96.48%

494

18

512

5

PANCHERO’S

96.43%

27

1

28

6

HISSHO SUSHI

96.09%

418

17

435

7

HWY 55 BURGERS SHAKES & FRIES

94.44%

51

3

54

8

JACK IN THE BOX

92.38%

97

8

105

9

CAPTAIN D’S

90.91%

60

6

66

10

PALM BEACH TAN

89.66%

26

3

29

11

APPLEBEE’S

89.19%

33

4

37

12

LITTLE CAESARS

88.74%

725

92

817

13

MIRACLE-EAR

88.34%

144

19

163

14

ZAXBY’S

87.19%

177

26

203

15

THE LITTLE GYM

86.54%

135

21

156

16

MCDONALD’S

83.83%

1,996

385

2,381

17

HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER

79.89%

147

37

184

18

AARON’S

79.38%

77

20

97

19

PLANET FITNESS

78.74%

137

37

174

20

GRANDY’S

77.78%

21

6

27

21

BARBERITOS

77.42%

24

7

31

22

HERTZ

76.74%

33

10

43

23

DUTCH BROS.

76.32%

58

18

76

24

CARL’S JR.

75.86%

88

28

116

25

FRONTIER ADJUSTERS

75.00%

123

41

164

26

JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICE

74.01%

413

145

558

27

PENN STATION EAST COAST SUBS

72.15%

57

22

79

28

FRESHII

71.70%

38

15

53

29

GODFATHER’S PIZZA

71.67%

129

51

180

30

BOJANGLES’

71.05%

54

22

76

31

VALVOLINE INSTANT OIL CHANGE

70.37%

57

24

81

32

SPORT CLIPS

69.72%

320

139

459

33

RALLY’S

69.70%

23

10

33

34

BUDDY’S HOME FURNISHINGS

68.97%

20

9

29

35

DUNKIN’ DONUTS

66.75%

1,042

519

1,561

36

PACLEASE

66.67%

42

21

63

37

DOMINO’S PIZZA

65.74%

522

272

794

38

AVIS

65.31%

32

17

49

39

DEL’S LEMONADE

64.52%

20

11

31

40

WENDY’S

64.24%

273

152

425

41

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE

63.86%

53

30

83

42

COST CUTTERS FAMILY HAIR SALON

63.77%

44

25

69

43

CHECKERS

63.55%

68

39

107

44

SUPERCUTS

63.16%

240

140

380

45

HARDEE’S

62.99%

80

47

127

46

ARMSTRONG MCCALL

62.50%

40

24

64

47

GREAT CLIPS

62.37%

580

350

930

48

ZPIZZA

62.16%

23

14

37

49

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

61.15%

85

54

139

50

EUROPEAN WAX CENTER

60.75%

161

104

265

Source: FRANdata. Brands with 25 or fewer franchisees were excluded.

Published: September 28th, 2018

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