Buddy's Home Furnishings : How Researching 300 Franchises Led Two Owners to Buddy's Home Furnishings

In this Buddy's Home Furnishings franchisee video, owner-operator Andrea Foley and financial backer Mark Zinn describe the research process that led them to Buddy's — and what stood out among the roughly 300 franchises they evaluated. Their criteria were specific. They wanted a model that was recession-resistant, with strong cash flow and repeatable customer behavior. The rent-to-own category checked both boxes. From there, the standout factor on the introductory calls with Buddy's was the level of assistance and support offered to new franchisees. Andrea's hospitality background also fit naturally with Buddy's emphasis on treating customers like family. Two operating signals reinforced the decision. First, the customer base: more than 50%, approaching two-thirds, are repeat customers — a metric that says customers are happy with the product and want to come back, which makes the next sale easier. Second, the system structure: at the time of the video Buddy's had roughly 330 stores with 280 of them franchised, and only about 30 franchisees in total — averaging around six stores per franchisee, a high retention signal that also gave Andrea and Mark direct access to existing operators during diligence. Every operator they spoke to was extremely happy with the system. What also surprised them was the cultural read. From Mitchell to Mr. Zagar to Tim Kathers, the people they encountered around the corporate office made the environment feel warm and inviting rather than cold or intimidating — the kind of franchise system a new owner can step into without feeling lost.