2023 Top 100 Franchises Report

Since 2009, Franchise Direct has published its Top 100 Global Franchises Ranking, a snapshot of how a number of the most successful franchises in the world fared in the past year compared to the year before.

Through the ranking, we strive to present information on the franchises website visitors often want to see along with introducing some up-and-coming brands they should get to know. It’s one of the most well-known franchise rankings, having frequently been cited by industry professionals over the years.

The ranking is based on multiple data points. Main data points include longevity, system size, and growth over the past year. This year, however, we are changing it up slightly and moving forward with more of a focus on how prospective franchisees evaluate the opportunities before them. To that end, investment range, standard fees paid by franchisees, and revenue per unit have been included as criteria as well.

More on the methodology can be found here. Please note that the ranking is not exhaustive. It is also not meant to be taken as an endorsement of any of the franchise brands mentioned therein.

This is the accompanying Top 100 Franchises Report. It’s full of tidbits on selected Top 100 franchises and happenings within the franchise industry.

Factoring in the relative affordability of the franchise to start and the per unit success of the franchise system has resulted in a bit of a shake up, particularly in the top ten.

While some Top 100 mainstays weathered the change, these factors allowed a few franchises to make a big jump.

One of those franchises making a big jump is the new No. 1. Right now, it seems the only way a Chick-fil-A is closing outside of its signature Sunday is if it’s being torn down to make room for a bigger one.

With a comparatively less expensive initial investment than its competitors and dramatic sales growth over recent years, you would think that hundreds—if not thousands—of groundbreakings are in the pipeline.

However, true to the business’ roots, it’s known for taking a more conservative and methodical approach to growing its footprint—even in the face of strong demand. In its own words, owning a Chick-fil-A is a “life investment” with an “intensive and lengthy selection process.”

As a result, Chick-fil-A’s growth is slow(er) but steady. Those growth plans include expanding from six to 20 stores by 2025 in Canada. The chain also launched a limited-time only merch collection at the end of 2022 and anticipates more launches in 2023 following the quick sell out of the collection.

The UPS Store (No. 2) usually ranks high annually in our ranking, but it’s also another franchise buoyed by a comparatively more affordable franchise offering. The retail shipping, postal, print and business service center is also taking additional steps to promote entrepreneurship, including the introduction of its Start Small, Grow Big program in 2022, which collects funds to support Junior Achievement programming that provides school-aged children with lessons in financial literacy, work, and career readiness.

After opening over 840 stores in the last five years, No. 3 Ace Hardware has added more than 2.5 million square feet of warehouse space for its distribution network and plans to add 4.4 million square feet more through the opening three new warehouses in the next five years.

When it comes to franchising, McDonald's (No. 4) may be inevitable. Whichever way you decide to rank franchises, the fast-food franchise seems to find itself at or near the top. According to MarketWatch analystMark Kalinowski, the keys to McDonald's maintaining a high level of success lately has been its ability to stay popular with a younger audience and remaining agile with its drive-thru and digital service. In contrast to Chick-fil-A, McDonald's expects to open 1,900 new locations around the world this year.

No. 5 Wendy’s appears in the Top 10 once again with the burger franchise claiming it has “not seen global growth this accelerated in nearly 20 years.” In an end-of-year message posted in December 2022, Abigail E. Pringle, president, international & chief development officer, noted the company has a goal of 8,000 – 8,500 restaurants by the end of 2025. Currently, Wendy’s has over 7,000 locations in more than 30 countries.

The first of two tool distribution franchises to crack the Top 10 with its mobile franchise option is Snap-on Tools (No. 6). Why is this kind of franchise so popular with prospective franchisees? According to Snap-on Director of Franchise Systems Tom Kasbohm, it’s related to the degree of independence franchisees have within the franchise system itself.

“When you're a Snap-on Tools franchise business owner, every day is what you make it. We just give you the tools to make it great,” he says. “The customer enjoys the ultimate convenience in service and sales delivered by you directly from your showroom on wheels, while you will be your own boss and have a new level of freedom. A franchise business of this kind is a mobile store a franchisee owns, selling and servicing professionals on a protected list of calls in the proximity of where he or she lives. Snap-on franchisees control their own schedule and their future.”

No. 7 PIRTEK, a unique industrial B2B franchise, makes its debut in the Top 10 this year. It’s service of offering hydraulic and industrial hose replacements, is of great importance to its private and commercial customers who want to minimize downtime and get up-and-running again quickly.

As mentioned before there are two tool distribution franchises in the Top 10. The second is and Matco Tools (No. 8). Highlights from the past year include the launch of a remote diagnostic and programming support multi-tool as well as a partnership with a well-known tool brand on a cordless product line.

Per BrandSpark, No. 9 RE/MAX is the brand with the #1 Most Trusted Real Estate Agents in the USA and Canada. The real estate franchise has been voted most trusted Real Estate Agency brand in the market research firm’s annual program by American shoppers in 2019, 2022 and 2023, and by Canadian shoppers in the years 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Express Employment Professionals is the 10th largest staffing firm globally, which coincidentally is where it lands overall in our ranking. It recently has increased its global footprint with expansion into Australia and New Zealand. According to the company, Express has a long-term goal to employ a million people annually and to achieve $5.5 billion in sales by 2025.

Seven franchises are making their debut in the Top 100 in 2023. Here is a little about each of them.

Made in the Shade Blinds and More makes the ranking at No. 63 after adding 17 locations in the past year. The zero-royalty franchise concept also boasts its woman-owned and veteran-friendly status.

Taking care of the customer acquisition so franchisees can focus on their day-to-day operations is a big selling point for newbie Top 100 cleaning franchises No. 83 The Cleaning Authority and No. 97 OpenWorks.

Med spa Lash and Company (No. 85) offers prospective franchisees three different investment levels to suit their entry budget: The Silver Starter Model, The Express Gold Model, and The Full Line Platinum Model.

A significant shift towards remote work has been a boon to virtual assistant service No. 89 Cyberbacker. Nearly doubling your locations in one year doesn’t hurt either.

No. 91 Two Men and a Truck is diversifying its revenue streams through storage, long-distance moves, business to business, junk removal, national accounts, and more.

As Mordor Intelligence puts it, “swimming pools are becoming one of the most important lifestyle amenities.” ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Company makes the cut at No. 98 doing its part to help care for the approximately 10.7 million swimming pools in the United States. Among the brand's 2022 highlights is opening its first-ever territory in Michigan.

Here are some highlights over the past year for a number of other Top 100 franchises.

Wild Birds Unlimited flies up the ranking to No. 11 on the strength of multiple years of double-digit same store sales increases and an increased customer count since the beginning of the pandemic, and as the company tells us: “we have kept those customers.” The specialty pet store franchise also is appealing to multi-unit operators with nearly 40% of its system being under multi-unit ownership.

“We are on track to enter new markets and open a total of 64 units by the end of 2023,” said TJ Rogers, franchise sales manager of No. 16 Paris Baguette, in a press release. The bakery brand aims to eclipse the 1,000-unit mark within the states by 2030. Currently, over 120 of its 4,000+ worldwide locations are in the United States.

One of the franchises most impacted by the addition of investment criteria to the formula was last year’s No. 1 KFC. The chicken franchise remains solidly in the Top 100, however, settling in at No. 21.

Within the last year, No. 29 Transworld Business Advisors expanded its global footprint to the Middle East with the opening of a regional office in Dubai. Additionally, “in recognition of the professionals who play a vital role in protecting the economy’s health,” the business services franchise created National Business Broker’s Appreciation Day to be celebrated annually on May 4th.

Mimicking a move that has worked for other companies: performing a product revival to spark nostalgia for—and sales from—millennials and Gen Xers, No. 40 Pizza Hut is returning the Big New Yorker, a 16-inch pie, to its menu for the first time since 1999.

Wayback Burgers (No. 57) experienced “another record year in sales” for its restaurants. It’s
another franchise brand that is seeing growth via its existing franchisee base. According to the company, many of its existing franchisees have signed on to open additional restaurants.

A bounce back in travel following the shutdowns of the pandemic have benefited No. 58 CruiseOne/Dream Vacations. The travel franchise opportunity, which is making its first Top 100 appearance since 2020, has more than recovered the units lost in 2020-2021. It also scored high marks for its affordability as it has an estimated initial investment range that falls under $25,000.

While the company has appeared to turn a corner after a few significantly leaner years, No. 77 Subway is reportedly considering a sale, according to the Wall Street Journal. The sandwich franchise could be worth more than $10 billion, according to the news outlet, which stresses the company (as of January 2023) is in the early stages of the process, so a sale is not certain.

“Tremendous” is the exact word No. 92 Ace Handyman Services used to tell us about their growth over the past year. The word is appropriate. The home services franchise added over 100 franchisees to its network, who represent a third of the franchisor’s operating locations.

So many franchises, so little space!

Inevitably in ranking only 100 franchises there are going to be great concepts that don't make the cut.

Here are some more fantastic franchises that are making their mark in an incredibly diverse and ever-growing field of business operations.