Why Travelin' Tom's Coffee Is Entrepreneur's Top New and Emerging Franchise in 2026

Travelin' Tom's Coffee has landed the top spot on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2026 list of New and Emerging Franchises, building on the momentum of a sister brand that has long proved the mobile model works.

The Northern Kentucky-based brand, founded in 2020 by Kona Ice CEO Tony Lamb, is quickly growing and will have over 400 trucks nationwide by the end of the year, strengthening its position as one of the fastest-growing names in mobile beverage franchising.

Franchisees joining today aren't starting from scratch. They're stepping into a system built on nearly two decades of proof, deliberately designed around the same training, support, and community mindset that Kona Ice has spent nearly two decades perfecting.

“When we started Travelin' Tom's, we weren't just trying to build a great mobile coffee truck — we were trying to catch lightning in a bottle twice by bringing that same culture of joy, giving back, and franchisee-first support that we spent nearly two decades building at Kona Ice,” Lamb says.

From One Truck to Five

For Travelin' Tom's franchisees, the ranking confirms what they've long been seeing in the field with their own businesses.

Multi-unit franchisee Bob Daleo didn't enter the system planning to build a fleet. Demand pushed him in another direction fast.

“At the time, I thought I was only going to get one Tom's truck,” he says. “That's all I wanted.”

His first truck filled up fast. A corporate client booked weekly, locking down recurring business. Word spread. More calls came in. More events followed. Then came the appointments he had to turn down.

“I was tired of saying no,” Daleo says. “We had corporations that wanted us every week. We just couldn't keep up.”

Five trucks later, Daleo's operation continues to hum, commonly servicing over 200 events on a monthly basis.

“The growth year after year hasn't been the ‘Bob Daleo effect,’” he says. “All the procedures are in place — the training guide, the marketing team — everything is there.”

Franchisees like Daleo are also benefiting from a proprietary operating system that makes the brand easier to run day to day.

“New clients, new contacts, all getting added automatically to my database,” Daleo explains. “When I first started, I was using Google, I was using paper. Now they've come up with this operating system that is just amazing.”

Training That Builds Confidence

Wayne Reese came to Travelin' Tom's from a different career path. A Dallas native and LSU graduate, he worked his way up in the hotel industry before deciding he wanted something of his own.

“I was overworked, underappreciated, and then I wanted to start something on my own,” he says.

Reese credits on-site training at Tom's Academy at the brand's home base in Kentucky for giving him a hands-on introduction to the business — the hot side of the truck, the cold side, and the operational realities of serving a wide range of customers all day.

“They show you everything,” Reese says. “The corporate staff will come in at one point and order all types of drinks to get you prepared for down the road, and to get you ready for those difficult customers.”

Reese wasn't even a coffee drinker before he signed on. “The quintessential Tom's customer will be pretty much everybody,” he says. “Ninety-eight percent of Americans drink some type of coffee, lemonade, refresher, or energy drink. So it's a win, win, win.”

The brand's marketing support has also helped Reese extend his reach beyond what he could manage on his own.

“Our e-blast department, our marketing department with corporate, has been an amazing asset with us,” he says. “It's pushing our brand to another level that I probably couldn't do myself.”

It’s not just franchisees that are taking notice. Along with the Entrepreneur ranking, Travelin' Tom's and sister brand Kona Ice were also named to Franchise Business Review's Top Franchises for Culture list, based entirely on independent franchisee surveys measuring leadership trust, community alignment, core values, and overall satisfaction.

For owners looking for the right franchise fit, Daleo keeps it simple.

“Everybody loves coffee — it's a billion-dollar industry. So rest assured, you're going to have support,” he says. “And then, of course, you just go out there and hustle a little bit, and the product will sell itself.”

The system is in place. The demand for Travelin’ Tom’s is there. See what’s available in your own market at ownacoffeetruck.com.

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Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck
Join the mobile coffee revolution with Travelin' Tom's Coffee, from the creators of Kona Ice! Low investment, proven model, & top-notch support. Serve premium beverages from a state-of-the-art truck and build a thriving business with a proven model. Learn More