2016 Top 100 Global Franchises: Newcomers & Honorable Mentions

Top 100 Newcomers

Competition was fierce, but a number of franchise brands were able to push their way into the ranking for the first time this year.

Chili’s (#71): Inspired by the spices and flavors of the Terlingua Chili Cook-Off in Southwest Texas, Larry Lavine opened the first Chili’s Hamburger Grill & Bar in 1975. The Dallas-based franchise’s menu has obviously grown over the last 40 years. The menu now includes an array of Fresh Mex and Fresh Tex cuisine, including many of the restaurant’s original recipes.

Leadership Management International (#53): Founded in 1966, LMI helps its managerial and executive clients reach their potential. The franchise has outlets in over 70 countries and provides its services in over 25 languages.

Panera (#64): This fast casual food franchise has grown from serving approximately 420 customers per week at its first bakery-café over 30 years ago to a system that currently serves 7.8 million customers per week. The franchise only expands via multi-unit operators at this time, but that may change in the future.

Pressto (#91): A global leader in dry cleaning, Spanish franchise Pressto serves over 10 million customers in 24 countries across 6 continents. Pressto prides itself in being “much more hygienic than any other dry cleaning brand” through its process of distilling the dry cleaning solvent after each cycle.

ServPro (#86): The disaster restoration specialist makes its entry into the ranking following several years of slow, deliberate growth in Canada paired with its expansive presence and consistent growth in the United States.

Honorable Mentions

There are literally thousands of franchises that are worthy of recognition, but only so much space. Here are 50 franchise systems that came just short of the ranking for the 2016 edition.