Franchise Blog

Ted Williams. Gordie Howe. Steve McNair. Mia Hamm. Tony Parker. Each name on that list has proudly worn the number nine on their back, performing effortlessly through the metaphorical (and sometimes physical) blood, sweat and tears associated with their nom de rigeur. Adventures in Advertising (AIA) can now consider itself among this elite group with its recent Counselor Award recognition and its number nine ranking on Advertising Specialty Institute’s list of top 40 distributors.

“This past year was a challenging one for us and having that hard work recognized by ASI is an honor,” said Rebecca Kollmann, AIA’s director of marketing. “We began adding franchisees again after almost three years and the results so far have been very encouraging.” (more…)

At first, Sofia Luna just wanted a restaurant. But after a decade of strong sales, the family business plan has gotten more ambitious: opening 35 Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine locations in Manhattan by 2010.

To do that, they’re hoping to clone the success of the five restaurants they now run by starting a franchise system.

“We can’t do it alone, and so we’re using it as a way to grow the concept,” said Luna, the chain’s president.

Franchising can help a business expand rapidly while getting others to help with the risk and cost.

“The franchise model takes the view that, if you create a bigger pie, everybody gets a bigger slice,” said Matthew Shay, president of the International Franchise Association. (more…)

A regional franchisee of the Auntie Anne’s pretzel store chain has paid more than $50,000 in civil penalties for allowing minors to work in violation of federal rules at six locations, including one at the Inland Center Mall in San Bernardino.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday that Glendale-based Pretzel King LLC paid the fines after a two-year department investigation found that the company had allowed 11 workers, ages 14 and 15, to work beyond hours permitted by law.

The franchisee also allowed nine youths to be involved in baking, which is prohibited for 14- and 15-year-olds. Sixty minors operated freight elevators, dough mixers and trash compactors, all prohibited for workers younger than 18, the department said in a written statement. (more…)

Three Texas entrepreneurs with almost 50 years of combined franchise experience have signed an agreement to open at least 10 new Wingstop restaurants throughout East Texas.

Under terms of the agreement, Bryan Seldon and David Weaver will join existing Wingstop franchisee Jeff Worthen to open two new restaurants this year and four additional locations in 2008.

Worthen and his wife, Machiea, have owned three Wingstop restaurants for the past five years. In addition to the East Texas restaurants, Worthen has also signed an agreement for a territory in Austin. (more…)

SIGN*A*RAMA, the world’s largest retail sign franchise, has been awarded the United States Department of Commerce’s prestigious Presidential “E” Award. The sign franchise giant is the first franchise company to ever win the award.

Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined President Bush at the White House to present SIGN*A*RAMA, along with ten other organizations, with the “E” Award for excellence in exporting. The company’s export sales increased 700% in three years, growing from $1.5 million in 2002 to $12 million in 2005. (more…)

Obee’s Franchise Systems, Inc. (Pink Sheets: OBFM – News) announced today that a new restaurant is in the final stages of construction in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. This is the first of twenty locations that Obee’s has contracted with the company’s area developers for a three county region of Westmoreland, Indiana and Cambria counties in Pennsylvania.

Peter Brown, President of Obee’s Franchise Systems, Inc. explained, “Our area developers, Mr. & Mrs. Bill Stewart have been very diligent in finding this location in Greensburg to start the development for obee’s soups, salads & subs locations in Pennsylvania. The Greensburg workplace profile which I understand doubles the city’s population during work hours is an excellent match for our operational model. We strongly cater to the lunchtime crowd with a menu that features both healthy, light eating choices, as well as a variety fresh sub sandwiches that sell well with the hearty eater categories.” (more…)

Through the end of July, Signs Now, A Division of Allegra Network LLC, has signed ten new franchise agreements, nearly outpacing the new store growth for the whole of 2006. Moving into 2007, the sign and graphics franchise company set a goal to develop 18 to 20 new centers throughout the country—Signs Now is over half-way complete in their yearly projection. The company is paced to gain nearly 30 new owners, with center re-sales included.

As of July 31, new owners have signed on to open franchise locations in California, Louisiana, Virginia, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri and Arizona. Following a recent trend in Signs Now owner backgrounds, these new franchisees have varied business backgrounds that are beneficial in the development and management of a successful Signs Now franchise, including store management, engineering, sales and marketing and information technology. (more…)

Vapiano, named the “Future of Fresh Casual” by Foodservice Europe, secured its first U.S. franchise this week. Vapiano KFC veteran franchisee Konrad Woest and his daughter will develop multiple Vapiano restaurants in Southwest Florida (Naples, Ft. Meyers, Sarasota, etc) and the father-daughter duo expects to open their first franchise restaurant by spring of 2008.

“I have seen first hand Vapiano’s amazing success and popularity in one major European markets after another,” says Woest. “It is a very unique and exciting concept that I know will be well received here in Florida.” (more…)

Spectrum Solutions Inc., a Dallas based market research company today announced the launch of ZeeProbe, a new company that will serve the franchise, food and retail establishments. With more than 50 programmers already on staff and growing, the firm has a proven infrastructure to support client needs.

“Since 1998, we have been serving organizations and market research companies around the globe by providing technology enabled, full service market research, online survey programming, data processing and web solutions,” said Sudheesh Thampi, President and CEO of ZeeProbe. “Forming ZeeProbe to specialize in the franchise and retail community focuses on much needed solutions with a dedicated team to a large population of franchisors, retailers and home-based businesses.” (more…)

Ken Kovalik won’t force anyone to believe in God if they want to open a franchise of Friends & Family Pizza Buffet, the restaurant he and two partners launched in 2005.

But franchisees will have to put up posters in their restaurants stating the company’s goals and values, which include “To honor God in all we do.”

“We know that we want it to be more inclusive and not exclusive. We don’t say a person has to believe a certain faith, but it really is more for us in terms of how we want to conduct ourselves in business,” said Kovalik, president of the parent company, Friends & Family Enterprises in Langhorne, Bucks County. (more…)

Why would a successful business executive up and quit to take on the uncertainty and risk that comes with owning and running his own business?

For the security.

“Wanting to run my own show wasn’t about ego as much as financial security,” says Rob Brunhild, who left a job as a technology sales director to run a battery franchise store with his brother.

“Working in corporate America I had seen over and over that there’s no loyalty anymore,” the 45-year-old West Bloomfield man says. (more…)

Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. today celebrated the opening of the first store under the Little Caesars Veterans Program, as U.S. military veteran and Little Caesars franchisee Martin Lorenz opened his doors for business at 11600 Gladiolus Dr. in Gladiolus Gateway Plaza, Ft. Myers, Florida.

“I’m proud to be a franchisee with a company that recognizes the contributions veterans have made to our country,” said Lorenz. “Little Caesars has given me incredible support and a unique opportunity to open the company’s first Little Caesars Veterans Program store. I am honored to be part of such an important program and look forward to seeing several more veterans open their stores this year.” (more…)

Fueled by a series of success stories within its franchise system, Closets by Design, the nation’s leader in the closet organizing and storage remodeling industry, is concentrating efforts to recruit independent business operators in the closet segment for conversion to its proven franchise model. This strategy complements the 31-unit chain’s traditional franchisee recruitment efforts.

The move to reach out to the owners of independent home organization companies was fueled by a series of successful conversion case studies within the Closets by Design franchise system. In one case, an independent operator in Washington, DC who had run his own closet business for 10 years, converted to the Closets by Design franchise model. Within the first six months of franchise operation, he tripled his revenues and, in five years, grossed nearly $6 million annually before selling the franchise to his partner. (more…)

What began with one mother’s frustration of traveling to multiple destinations for her young children’s gymnastics, art and music activities has emerged as one of the hottest tickets in today’s fast-growing children’s services franchise segment. With slogans such as “Nurture the Genius. Unleash the Goofball,” Romp n’ Roll’s understanding and appreciation of the individuality of children is filling a niche and exploding in the marketplace as the only one-stop-shop children’s enrichment center with the widest variety of classes for young children. (more…)

Molly Maid of Placer County is moving its headquarters to the owners’ hometown.

Roseville City Councilman John Allard and his wife, Lisa, purchased the house-cleaning franchise in June 2005 and are moving it from Rocklin to Roseville to be closer to a majority of their customers. (more…)

Clay McGee was soon to graduate from Arizona State University with a degree in marketing when he realized that the corporate world wasn’t for him. He wanted to be his own boss and run a business, though he had little experience or cash.

Then it hit him: franchising.

“I pretty much knew I didn’t want to go and apply for jobs and fight against the rest of the working class and try to stand out above it,” Mr. McGee, 24, said. “So I started shopping for a franchise because I figured it would be a good opportunity for someone to hold my hand through the whole thing.” (more…)

The third new national home-care franchise company to target the Sacramento area this year has signed its first local franchise.

Toria Dahl, who worked for a home-care agency in Southern California before she went on to work for an international staffing company in Modesto, will open Northern California’s first Synergy HomeCare franchise next week at 777 Campus Commons Road. (more…)

EmbroidMe, the world’s largest embroidery franchise, has a new store at 442 State Rd., Route 6, Ste. 500 in the Dartmouth Towne Center, under the ownership of local residents, David and Jessica Govoni.

David, a sales manager for a medical device company, and Jessica, previously a teacher, says that the opportunity to own their own business has made a tremendous difference in their lives. “Discovering EmbroidMe came at a perfect time in our lives because we were looking for a franchise opportunity that would allow us to own a business and be more involved in our community,” says David. (more…)