QSR September 2022

BEST FRANCHI SE DEALS

14 BEST FRANCHISE DEALS

METHODOLOGY: QSR magazine’s Best Franchise Deals for 2022 were selected from a nomination process that ran from mid-May to mid-June. Finalists were reviewed by the Franchise Council, which selected their top choices from shared information and FDD data. Their top choices comprise the final list. Brands cannot appear on Best Franchise Deals for back-to-back years, but can return after a year off. And just as COVID allowed franchisors to prove their mettle, the industry in 2023 and beyond will ref lect the strength both ways. “Relationships are more important post-COVID than ever before,” Friedman says. “Relationships not just with consumers, but between franchisor and franchisees; franchi sees and their teams, managers, and customers. And let’s not forget sup pliers. Trust is not an entitlement and it takes intentionality to earn it and keep it.” » As consumers begin to dine at full-service brands again, Rabo bank expects franchising valuations to suffer. In the U.S., unit econom ics will remain strong relative to competitors, the company noted, but perhaps not quite as robust as we’ve seen over the last five years. So 2022 could be a year for some franchisees to exit as well. Meanwhi le, Rabobank sees signif icant franchise whitespace overseas as restaurants seek joint development deals. Between 2016 and 2021, units in the rest of the world grew to twice the number of those in North America. “For franchisors in the U.S., more focus wi l l need to be put into maintaining share, margins, and smart growth than absolute growth,” Rabobank said. “This will be done through innovation, tech advancements, and optimiz ing existing tools to allow operators to be more effective and to keep up with the increasingly capricious consumer. This may include the deployment of ghost kitchens, host kitchens, and smart limited-time offering management.”

These brands are well-positioned to capitalize on amarket rife with potential. / B Y D A N N Y K L E I N And now, on to this year’s Best Franchise Deals, the 12 TH in QSR’ s history. For 2022, we reconnected with our Franchise Council of industry experts to get their insight and picks. Here are the 14 Best Franchise Deals (in no particular order). ➺

THE FRANCHISE COUNCIL:

GRAHAM CHAPMAN EVP of account services, 919 Marketing

STAN FRIEDMAN president, FRM Solutions

ALEX OSWIECINSKI co-founder and CEO, Prospect Direct

ROBIN GAGNON

CEO and co-founder, We Sell Restaurants

ADOBE STOCK / OLEKSANDR, 919 MARKETING, FRM SOLUTIONS, PROSPECT DIRECT, WE SELL RESTAURANTS

www.qsrmagazine.com | QSR | SEPTEMBER 2022

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