• Jersey Mike’s IPO pulls in $1 billion, although the stock lagged its target value of $23 per share.
• The franchise brand’s debut on the stock exchange is one of the year’s most high-profile IPOs, according to The Wall Street Journal.
• Jersey Mike’s has performed strongly for the past five-plus years, with impressive sales even in 2025, when inflation was a profit drag for most restaurants.
• The franchise has major expansion plans for the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Although Jersey Mike’s raised about $1 billion Thursday in its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, the share value dropped about 6%. The brand, whose locations are 99% franchises, had opened by offering 43.5 million shares it valued at $23 each, but the price opened at $21 per share. By the end of trading on Thursday, shares were going for $21.63 apiece. 

Jersey Mike’s said it will use the proceeds from the sale of over 13 million of those shares to pay off “certain indebtedness and for general corporate purposes,” according to an article on RestaurantDive.com. The submarine sandwich brand’s stock trades under the ticker symbol JMKE.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the restaurant company’s stock sale represents “one of this year’s most high-profile IPOs.” Jersey Mike’s had a valuation of close to $8 billion in November 2024 when Blackstone, a private equity firm, took a majority stake in the restaurant brand. 

Strong Sales Despite Economic Headwinds

As indicated in its regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Jersey Mike’s had same-store sales that increased by 50% from 2020 through 2025. The average unit volume of its locations was roughly $1.4 million in fiscal year 2025, QSR Magazine said. 

The brand reported about $55 million in net income across the entire Jersey Mike’s system last year. And the sub sandwich brand’s system-wide sales had jumped 13% in year-over-year totals to hit the $4.3 billion mark, according to a report posted by Yahoo Finance. 

How Jersey Mike’s Compares

The 2025 sales leap by Jersey Mike’s locations far surpasses what most restaurants reported for last year. Yahoo Finance said that average sales increases for restaurants that had been open for at least a year reached only 3% in 2025. 

CEO Charlie Morrison explained the brand’s strength by telling CNBC that Jersey Mike’s customer base typically skews “a little higher-income.” He said that factor protects his company from some of the recent consumer belt-tightening in response to inflation.

“We’re seeing the consumer come back,” CNBC quoted Morrison as saying. “Most of our same-store sales growth this year to date has been driven primarily by transaction growth.” 

Brought in by Blackstone after it took controlling ownership, Morrison is a veteran at shepherding IPOs, Nation’s Restaurant News noted in its Thursday report. The online publication pointed out that he held the reins at Wingstop when it went public in 2015.

Jersey Mike’s Then and Now

Jersey Mike’s has a long, storied history. It was founded in 1956 by then-teenage Peter Cancro, who still holds a significant ownership stake in the brand. Today Jersey Mike’s has approximately 3,300 restaurants in the United States, and they are spread throughout all 50 states. 

The Jersey Mike’s brand is boosted by having 12.5 million-plus active loyalty members and an advertising budget of more than $200 million, QSR Magazine said. 

Proof of its popularity was documented in the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index’s quick-service restaurant rankings. Jersey Mike’s came in at No. 1 in the recently released ACSI ratings, pulling ahead of Chick-fil-A, which had held the top spot for the previous 11 years.

Aggressive Expansion in the Works

Jersey Mike’s won’t be content to tread water. Yahoo Finance reported the company has ambitious growth plans that include:

• Another 7,500 restaurants in the United States.
• A significant presence in Canada. Jersey Mike’s already has secured an agreement for 300 stores to launch in Canada by 2034. 
• Expansion into the United Kingdom and Ireland. Jersey Mike’s has scored an initial development agreement for 300 stores in the U.K. and Ireland. 
• A long-term goal of reaching approximately 15,000 locations worldwide.

Franchise FastLane, a turn-key franchise sales organization (FSO), has named Heather Harris chief executive officer. She has almost three decades of leadership experience across franchising, retail and consumer brands, including Uni K Wax, CycleBar and Intelligent Office.

Harris said she had developed relationships with several leaders at Franchise FastLane and watched the FSO grow over the years. “Joining Franchise FastLane felt less like accepting a new position and more like joining a mission I already believed in. The alignment between my values, my experience and the company’s future made it feel like the right next chapter. Franchise FastLane already has tremendous momentum, exceptional people, deep consultant relationships and a reputation that has been earned through years of delivering results. My role isn’t to reinvent what works. It’s to help scale it, strengthen it and position it for even greater impact.”

She emphasized that technology is key to the FSO’s growth. “As technology evolves and candidates become more informed, our opportunity is to combine data-driven tools and innovation with a highly personalized approach. When we help the right brands connect with the right candidates through a process built on trust and transparency, everyone wins. Franchising doesn’t need more transactions. It needs more successful franchise owners, stronger brands and better outcomes. That’s where FastLane can continue to lead.”

Harris credited her experience as a collegiate athlete, basketball coach, mother and business leader with shaping her leadership philosophy. “To me, leadership is about helping people become more than they believed they could be,” she said. “It’s not about titles, authority or control. It’s about service, responsibility and creating an environment where people can do their best work. Great leaders create clarity during uncertainty, confidence during challenges and accountability during growth. I’m a huge believer that culture matters. You’ll often find me celebrating wins, recognizing great work and bringing energy to a room because I believe success should be both meaningful and fun.”

Tim Koch, president and chief operating officer of Franchise FastLane, praised Harris’ passion for helping others succeed. “She understands what it takes to build a brand because she has done it herself. More importantly, it’s who Heather is at her core that makes her such a natural fit for Franchise FastLane and the future we’re building. She leads with integrity, puts people first and cares deeply about helping others grow,” Koch said. 

About Franchise FastLane

Since its founding in 2017, Franchise FastLane has helped award 10,000-plus franchise units and place more than 3,800 entrepreneurs into franchise ownership through comprehensive development support, including lead registration, marketing, compliance oversight and operational support. The Nebraska-based FSO currently fosters the growth of The Brothers That Just Do Gutters, Cabinet IQ, Cascadia Pizza Co., Degree Wellness, EverLine Coatings and Services, The Tox, SPENGA, Speedy Freight, Southern Steer Butcher, Sourdough & Co., RealClean Aircraft Detailing, Puddle Pool Services, Property Sellwise, Joshua Tree Experts, The Exercise Coach, Training Mate, DDH Home Organizing & Move Management, Soccer Stars and Dakota London Hair Extensions. 

• Hammer & Nails makes men’s grooming more accessible through monthly memberships.
• Memberships encourage repeat visits while giving franchisees steady, recurring revenue.
• The model supports customer loyalty, predictable cash flow and multi-unit growth.
• CEO Aaron Meyers says experienced leadership and strong systems help franchisees succeed.

A trip to a day spa is a great way to pamper yourself and decompress from the world. But in terms of real wellness, it’s just a start. True self-care is more than a one-time indulgence — it’s an ongoing commitment. 

The team at Hammer & Nails knows that if wellness is going to be part of your routine, self-care needs to be accessible and affordable. That’s why the men’s luxury grooming franchise offers a membership model that encourages customers to make premium grooming services — haircuts, shaves, manicures and pedicures and skincare treatments — a regular thing. 

“We’re helping people feel incredible,” says CEO and franchise veteran Aaron Meyers. “We’re part of a brand that is, in many ways, the best part of a man’s week or month. We instill confidence in gentlemen, and I love that we bring that to the table.”

The Membership Model

Meyers loves what the brand’s membership model does for customers — and he’s just as enthusiastic about what it does for Hammer & Nails franchisees. Membership is an organic way to drive recurring revenue, customer retention and stronger cash flows. 

“Membership concepts are terrific because both the consumer and the franchisee benefit,” says Meyers. “For the consumer, members drive utilization and that utilization drives regular maintenance. At the same time, the recurring, consistent revenue benefits franchisees. Both sides of the equation win.”

Meyers would know. He brings decades of executive franchise experience with successful, well-known brands including FedEx and Massage Envy. Now, he’s leveraging Hammer & Nails’ membership model to attract experienced franchisees and multi-unit operators. The strategy is paying off. Today, Hammer & Nails has more than 70 shops open and more than 150 open or in development nationwide. To support its continued growth, the company has partnered with Limitless Franchise Growth, a franchise development organization, to introduce qualified candidates to the brand. 

“We’ve spent decades evaluating franchise concepts in service-based industries, and Hammer & Nails stands out,” says Lance Freeman, CEO of Limitless Franchise Growth. “The brand has built a membership-driven model that generates recurring customer engagement. Just as important, the leadership team understands franchising because they’ve lived it as successful operators themselves.”  

Along with great leadership and an innovative partner, Hammer & Nails has another thing going for it: The men’s grooming industry is gaining momentum. According to Kentley Insights, the U.S. barbershop industry has maintained a solid 6.5% annual growth over the past three years, expanding to $6.4 billion in 2025. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that men are increasingly booking services beyond basic haircuts.

The shift is also fueling membership-based businesses. Zenoti’s 2026 Beauty & Wellness Benchmark Report, which analyzes performance across salons, spas and barbershops in North America, found that barbershop membership sales grew 20% in 2025, even as the industry experienced the steepest decline in new customers (17%). The takeaway? The most successful businesses drove revenue through stronger customer loyalty and more frequent visits, proof that the membership model is helping power the industry’s momentum.

Recurring Revenue

The membership model’s recurring revenue sets franchisees up for success. 

“A membership model allows you to get a head start every day. Before you even unlock your doors, there’s revenue in your till. Consistent revenue enables our franchisees to be successful,” Meyers says. 

Along with predictable cash flow and less reliance on constantly acquiring new customers, membership models provide resilience during economic downturns, make staffing easier and create a faster path to growth. With predictable recurring revenue, franchisees are better positioned to open new locations and scale their businesses. 

“I wouldn’t operate a business that doesn’t have recurring revenue as a major percentage of income,” Meyers says.

In fact, Meyers sees recurring revenue as more than just a financial advantage — it’s an important way to support franchisees. His career has taught him that franchisees need support at every phase of growth, and membership-models are part of that foundation.

“My team and I have been to the top of franchising, and that’s enabled us to deliver the kind of support that typically wouldn’t be in place in a brand that’s just starting out,” says Meyers. “The fact that we’ve done this before enables us to build advanced processes, tools and systems to support our franchisees in a way that exceeds the typical franchise-franchisor growth cycle.”

Monthly membership fees motivate customers to come back again and again, while member discounts make the commitment to wellness and self-care easier to sustain. That’s one reason Meyers is so passionate about the brand. 

“Hammer & Nails is where high-performing men reset. We’re not only a place for haircuts or waxing or manicures or pedicures,” Meyers explains. “We’re helping men realize that a weekly or twice-monthly reset benefits you in more ways than you’d think. We’re helping guys improve their lives, and we’re excited by that.” 

Learn more about the Hammer & Nails franchise opportunity.

• Multi-unit, multi-brand operators, or MUMBOs, are a growing part of the Unleashed Brands franchise system.
• MUMBOs own multiple franchise locations, invest in more than one brand or do both.
• Unleashed Brands supports expansion through shared systems, technology and enterprise-level resources.
• The company’s portfolio of youth enrichment brands gives franchisees more opportunities to diversify and grow.

Multi-unit, multi-brand operators, better known as MUMBOs, are becoming a bigger part of the franchise world — and of the Unleashed Brands system. These franchisees grow by opening multiple locations and investing in more than one brand. For experienced operators, the model can create new revenue streams and more ways to scale.

Unleashed Brand’s portfolio of kid-friendly enrichment brands offers franchisees access to proven systems, shared resources and experienced support. Even better: it gives franchisees the opportunity to reinvest in their existing brand, or expand into another concept — all while leveraging the relationships and systems they already know. 

“At Unleashed Brands, we strive to build long-term partnerships where franchisees see continued opportunity to grow alongside us,” says James Franks, chief franchise officer. In fact, multi-unit, multi-brand operators — are the fastest-growing segment within the Unleashed Brands network. Today, 10% of the company’s franchisees are MUMBOs — and an additional 36% of are multi-unit franchisees of the same brand. 

“Multi-brand ownership has become one of the fastest-growing opportunities across our system because franchisees can leverage existing infrastructure, leadership teams and operational expertise while continuing to diversify their businesses,” says Franks. 

Long-Term Investing

Instead of chasing short-term gains, MUMBOs in franchising invest for the long haul. “They become trusted partners who shape the future of the brand through their experience, feedback and willingness to reinvest,” says Franks.

When franchisees choose to expand within the same organization — either by opening another location or investing in another brand — it signals that they have faith in the franchisor and in the business model. It’s one of the strongest signs that a franchise system is delivering on its promises.

“Franchisees reinvest when they have confidence in the leadership, the economics and the support behind the brand. If operators are achieving their goals, receiving exceptional operational support and believe the franchisor is continually investing in innovation, they naturally look for opportunities within that system,” says Franks. 

Unleashed Brands is well aware of how beneficial MUMBOs are to the franchise system and encourages franchisees to grow within the organization. “MUMBOs bring a level of business sophistication that benefits the entire franchise system,” says Franks. “They understand how to build teams, manage financial performance, develop leaders and execute consistently across multiple locations.”

Unleashed Brands sets the stage for MUMBOs to build relationships with families that can last for years. The company’s portfolio — Urban Air, The Little Gym, Water Wings Swim School, Class 101, Sylvan Learning, Premier Martial Arts, and Snapology — serves kids at different ages and stages. A toddler who starts at The Little Gym may later enroll in swim lessons or martial arts, explore STEM through Snapology, or eventually turn to Class 101 for college planning. As families’ needs evolve, the Unleashed Brands portfolio evolves with them. 

“We’ve intentionally built a portfolio of complementary brands that support children across a wide range of interests and developmental milestones. That creates opportunities for franchisees to serve them throughout multiple stages of their journey rather than through a single experience,” Franks points out.  

Unleashed Brands wide range of services also positions franchisees to meet growing demand from parents looking for ways to keep their children active, engaged and learning. The Afterschool Alliance’s 2025 America After 3PM survey found that parents of nearly 30 million children want afterschool programs for their kids. For franchisees, that demand creates opportunities to serve families with trusted programs that help children learn new skills, build confidence and reach important milestones.

Sharing Resources

Technology benefits MUMBOs, too. Instead of managing separate apps for each brand, parents can use KidHub to book classes, see schedules and track progress across the Unleashed Brands portfolio. Personalized recommendations introduce families to new brands based on a child’s interests, location and previous experiences. 

“Our goal is to build the industry’s leading youth enrichment platform, one that gives entrepreneurs multiple pathways to grow, diversity and create long-term value,” says Franks. “Through investments like KidHub, we’re making it easier for franchisees to scale while creating an even better experience for families.” 

Unleashed Brands offers franchisees the chance to expand into new brands easily without starting over. The company supports expansion with enterprise-level resources, from site selection and marketing analytics to established vendor relationships.

“That kind of purchasing power would be hard to obtain on their own,” notes Franks.

Plus, they know how the organization works. “They already know the people, the systems and the expectations,” says Franks. “That familiarity reduces complexity, accelerates growth and allows them to focus on serving families and building exceptional businesses.”

In any franchise system, franchisees want to trust that a franchisor will continue to innovate, communicate transparently and provide support. “They want to know that they will remain invested in their success long after the franchise agreement is signed,” says Franks.  

Unleashed Brands sets up a system where franchisees can find all of it — and build on what’s already working. 

Learn more at www.unleashedbrands.com.

AtWork, a Tennessee-based staffing franchise, has named Nancy Halverson vice president of professional services. Halverson is responsible for leading AtWork Professional, which was launched in early 2026 as a fully remote, low-cost franchise opportunity focused on specialized recruiting for contract staffing and direct-hire solutions. She spearheads development of the division’s franchise model, training programs, operational systems and market strategy. 

“AtWork Professional will thrive because we have a team that challenges one another while respecting each other’s ideas and experiences,” Halverson said. “We find that sweet spot of collaboration to build strong systems that support not only today’s needs, but also the brand’s continued growth. 

“AtWork’s commitment to brand diversification — combined with the time and due diligence invested in executing it at the right moment — reflects a disciplined, strategic approach. Its focus on securing appropriate funding and ensuring strong operational support further underscores a thoughtful foundation for long-term success.” 

Halverson began discussions in 2021 with the leadership team about the concept for AtWork Professional and her potential role. “After spending a day with the team, I was inspired by their passion for franchising and staffing, which reflected a culture I knew I wanted to be part of,” she said. “This experience reinforced the value of nurturing your network. Timing truly is everything, and when you believe in the company, its mission and its people, taking swift action becomes an easy decision.”

Jason Leverant, president and COO of AtWork, said Halverson’s extensive staffing and franchising experience make her ideal for this role. “AtWork Professional represents a natural evolution of our brand and the needs of today’s workforce,” Leverant said. “We’re confident this new offering will create meaningful opportunities for our franchise owners while delivering high-value talent solutions to clients.”

Halverson’s Approach to Franchising

Halverson credits leaders with whom she has worked throughout her career for preparing her for this role. “With each leader came new ideas, new approaches, new technology and new investments. All of that led to a solid launching pad at AtWork.”

Halverson’s time in franchising has also given her an appreciation for entrepreneurs who see business ownership as more than a job. “As owners, they pour their hearts, souls, time and investments into the business to be successful,” she said. “I find franchisees much more willing to listen, follow and invest emotionally, financially and operationally than those with the security of a corporate paycheck. Celebrating both successes and challenges as an extension of them is what energizes me.” 

About AtWork  

Founded in 1986, AtWork provides comprehensive workforce solutions, including temporary staffing, temp-to-hire and direct hire services. The company delivers its staffing solutions through AtWork Personnel, which focuses on commercial staffing, and AtWork Professional, which places skilled professionals in areas such as accounting and finance, engineering and information technology.

• Storm Guard, a full-exterior home services brand, has launched a strategic franchise expansion plan targeting key markets in Arkansas, including Little Rock and Fayetteville.
• Storm Guard’s exterior home services include roofing, siding, windows, gutters and exterior painting.
• Founded in 2003, Storm Guard meets growing demand for exterior home services and operates 34 franchised locations in 17 states.

Storm Guard, a full-exterior home services brand, is targeting key Arkansas communities in its strategic statewide franchise expansion. Little Rock and Fayetteville are priority markets for the franchise, which also seeks franchise owners throughout the state to meet increasing demand for exterior home services.

Founded in 2003 and franchising since 2011, Storm Guard operates 34 franchised locations in 17 states and has garnered awards including a ranking on Franchise Business Review’s Top Franchises list. The Arkansas growth strategy follows Storm Guard’s rebrand in 2025, which transformed the company into a unified full-exterior services provider. By consolidating its expertise under one national brand, Storm Guard enables homeowners to rely on one trusted partner for roofing, siding, windows, gutters and exterior painting, which reduces the complexity of coordinating multiple vendors and ensures a consistent, high-quality experience across every project.

“Arkansas is a natural fit for Storm Guard as we continue expanding in high-growth markets where homeowners need dependable, full-exterior support,” Storm Guard President Shane Lynch says. “Little Rock and Fayetteville are especially strong opportunities because of their size, continued development and need for trusted service providers who can help protect and restore homes with integrity.”

Demand for Exterior Home Services

The U.S. home services market is valued at $842 billion and projected to reach $989.22 billion by 2031, representing a 3.27% compound annual growth rate, according to Mordor Intelligence. Factors contributing to the market growth include:

• Aging housing stock: The median home purchased in 2024 in the U.S. was a decade older than a home bought in 2012, reflecting decreased construction of new homes, Mordor reports. Buyers of older homes often face issues resulting from deferred maintenance, creating greater demand for exterior home services.
• Higher mortgage rates: About 80% of homeowners with mortgages have rates below today’s levels, according to National Mortgage Professional, so, instead of relocating and paying higher mortgage rates, homeowners increasingly have chosen to stay put and remodel. Roughly 65% of recent renovators say they upgraded their existing homes instead of moving, while 71% planning renovations next year say they intend to remodel rather than buy a new home, NMP reports.
• Rebates: Energy-efficient upgrades, such as replacement windows, may qualify for state or utility company rebates, depending on location.
• Weather-related disasters: Spending on repairs caused by weather-related damage accounts for a growing share of all remodeling. In 2022 and 2023 combined, spending to repair damages caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, flooding and other catastrophic events represented 6% of all improvement expenditures nationally, up from less than 4% two decades earlier, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Homeowners spent an average of $23 billion annually in 2021–2023 repairing damages from disasters, which was up from less than $9 billion in 2003, after adjusting for inflation, the center reported.

Before and After the Storm

Storm Guard provides homeowners a single reliable partner dedicated to protecting, enhancing and restoring homes from the top down, before and after weather-related losses occur. Storm Guard meets the growing demand for exterior home services with expertise in roofing, siding, windows, gutters and exterior painting.

The brand’s model is designed for franchise owners who want to build scalable, community-focused businesses backed by national systems, operational support, marketing resources and a proven exterior services platform.

Storm Guard is seeking qualified single- and multi-unit owners in its franchise expansion throughout Arkansas. In addition to Little Rock and Fayetteville, other key Arkansas markets include Fort Smith, Springdale and Jonesboro.

Ideal franchise candidates are entrepreneurial, dedicated to providing exceptional service and committed to building lasting relationships within their communities. They plan to be owner-operators involved in the day-to-day business activities. Construction backgrounds are not needed, but experience working with structured systems is preferred.

To learn more about franchise opportunities, visit Storm Guard.

Born as a scrappy service business, Joshua Tree Experts has built a rock-solid franchise system around its culture and five core values. Those intangibles support employees, strengthen customer relationships and empower franchise growth, says founder Joshua Malik.  

As a teenager in 1992, Malik began learning the tree-care industry from the ground up. “When I launched Joshua Tree Experts in 2005, I used my three-car garage as a storage and maintenance facility. My equipment then was similar to each franchisee’s required startup package of a sales vehicle, a truck with a spray rig, a forestry truck and chipper.” 

By 2009, he had 20 employees and moved to a site that better accommodated the growing business, which aims to save rather than remove trees. The Pennsylvania-based company, which has 27 franchise partners in 16 states, added lawn care in 2017 and pest control in 2020. 

That broader service mix also positions Joshua Tree Experts to benefit from homeowners’ growing willingness to invest in the spaces outside their homes. Average spending on mid-to-large yard, garden and outdoor projects reached $13,447 in 2025, with a median spend of $7,000, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute. The research found that 63% of landscaping and hardscaping projects were motivated by appearance, while 47% were driven by comfort and livability and 47% by the desire to increase home value. The benefits are personal, too. The National Association of Realtors found that 68% of homeowners wanted to spend more time at home after completing an outdoor project and 60% enjoyed their homes more. For Joshua Tree Experts, that investment creates multiple opportunities to help customers protect, improve and enjoy their outdoor spaces.

A Winning Culture

Joshua Tree Experts had developed a great company culture, but Malik didn’t prioritize it until 2021, when franchising began. “Business culture exists whether the owner focuses on it or not. If the culture builds itself and it’s not right, the brand will be negatively affected,” he says. So Joshua Tree Experts identified five core values to guide its people-centric ethos:

1. Work hard/play hard.

2. Improve and adapt.

3. Be reliable.

4. Be a team player.

5. Find a way. 

Malik says the core values determine who’s hired, rewarded, terminated and retained. The franchise’s goal is to keep 90% of all employees year over year, and employee retention is tracked weekly. 

To reinforce employee engagement as a team, company-wide biannual meetings cover franchise status and goals, he says. “We talk about production numbers, profit numbers, reinvestment in the business via benefits, vehicles, equipment, training, etc.” Regarding “play hard,” Joshua Tree Experts holds end-of-day cookouts multiple times per year and a company picnic in May. Whitewater rafting is scheduled for August.

Core values apply to client interactions, too, with clear communication from project proposal to scheduling to completion. “We want to build rapport, educate clients and perform the additional services of plant health care, lawn care and pest control,” Malik says. “We focus on client count, client penetration and client retention.”

People-Oriented Culture

Joshua Tree franchisees readily adopt the brand’s people-oriented culture and core values. A prime example is Austin, Texas, franchise owner Katy Flores (above, left), whose career includes 20-plus years in corporate leadership and supply chain management. “I try to create an environment where every team member understands they make a difference,” says Flores, whose franchise opened in June 2025. “We don’t just remove or prune trees. We help families protect their homes, improve their properties and preserve the beauty of the Austin landscape. I invest in training, encourage professional development, and make safety and communication a priority every day.

“I believe in leading by example. Whether I’m meeting with clients, helping solve a challenge in the field, delivering lunch or Gatorade to the crew to say thank you on a brutally hot day, or sitting in the shop waiting on equipment repairs, I want my team to see that we’re all in this together.”

Flores invested in Joshua Tree Experts to build something of her own while serving her community. “Joshua Tree Experts focuses on proactive care rather than simply reacting to emergencies, which resonated with me. In Austin, people can be emotionally attached to a 100-year-old live oak in a way they never will be to a fence or roof. Trees hold memories, increase property value and shade us from the hot Texas sun.” 

For more information, visit Joshua Tree Experts’ franchise website.

EverSmith Brands, a business-to-business franchise platform focused on commercial services, has named Michael Abramson chief operating officer. Abramson utilizes more than 20 years of leadership experience with franchises, including Xponential Fitness, Waxxpot and D1 Training, to oversee operations across EverSmith Brands’ entire portfolio.

“EverSmith is a rare kind of platform. It brings together strong commercial service brands under one operating roof, with the backing to keep building,” Abramson said. “That combination is what drew me in. I have spent my career in multi-brand franchising, and I believe the next decade of value in this space comes from operating discipline applied across a portfolio, not just inside a single brand. EverSmith is built for exactly that.”

Abramson said he looks forward to building consistency across the EverSmith Brands portfolio. “When you standardize unit economics and hold every brand to the same operating discipline, you give franchise owners a clearer path to profitability and make the whole platform stronger. That is the work I find most rewarding,” he said.

“I am also excited about national account growth and the next phase of multi-brand expansion. There is a real opportunity to grow commercial revenue for our owners and to bring new brands into the system the right way. I am a coach at heart, so developing brand leaders and growing talent from within is the part of the job that keeps me energized,” he said. “If we keep franchisee success at the center, growth follows. That is the model I want EverSmith to be known for.”

Justin Ghadery, CEO of EverSmith Brands, praised Abramson’s ability to scale and strengthen franchise systems. “His experience leading large, multi-brand franchise organizations and his deep understanding of operational excellence make him an ideal addition to our leadership team. As we continue investing in our brands and franchisees, Michael’s leadership will be instrumental in helping us execute our long-term growth strategy,” Ghadery said. 

About EverSmith Brands

Backed by The Riverside Company, EverSmith Brands is a platform of B2B franchised brands in the commercial facilities sector. These concepts include 1-Tom-Plumber, U.S. Lawns, The SEALS, Kitchen Guard, MilliCare, Prism Specialties Restoration and Clintar. 

• Sickened customers sue Taco Bell over cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce.
• Five Star Franchising acquires Decorate With Lights; the restaurant franchisor Foodtastic adds the restaurant chain Kinton Ramen to its portfolio.
• A private equity firm has acquired Planet Fitness franchisee in Australia, and a second sale is announced for 23 bankrupt Popeyes locations in Orlando.
• The Minnie Bird fried chicken franchise and Hand & Stone spa celebrate their new multi-unit franchise agreements.
• Midas reveals two new building designs for units that will be built or renovated in the U.S. and Canada.
• Massage Envy expands its service offerings to include tension-reducing assisted stretching.

Taco Bell faces multiple lawsuits tied to the outbreak of the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis, according to RestaurantDive.com and Forbes. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tied the illness to shredded lettuce contaminated by the microscopic Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite, ABC News reported. The CDC has confirmed 4,100 cases and is investigating another 7,400 potential cases.  

Starting July 17, the Mexican-influenced fast-food giant, its produce supplier Taylor Farms and at least one franchisee have been targeted in legal actions related to the sickness, Restaurant Dive reported. Taco Bell was targeted in at least three filings, a franchisee was cited in another lawsuit, and Taylor Farms was named in four legal actions, the online publication said.  

Negligence and fraud are alleged in the lawsuits, which state that plaintiffs sustained economic losses for missed work; they also seek damages for pain and suffering. Two suits in California claim Taco Bell and Taylor Farms were negligent and sold products of no value, Restaurant Dive said, and Taylor Farms was singled out as fraudulently marketing products as fit for human consumption.

Franchise Brands under New Ownership

Five Star Franchising has expanded its portfolio to eight brands, and a Canadian restaurant franchisor will fold an Asian restaurant chain into its portfolio.

Five Star Franchising, an umbrella franchisor of home services brands, has added Decorate With Lights to its portfolio. Ten-year-old Decorate With Lights installs holiday, landscape, event and permanent roofline lighting on homes, businesses and municipal buildings. Other brands in Five Star’s portfolio are Bio-One, Card My Yard, Five Star Bath Solutions, Five Star Flooring, Gotcha Covered, Mosquito Shield and 1-800-Packouts.

Foodtastic has acquired its 30^th brand, Kinton Ramen, an Asian dining franchise born and based in Canada. Founded in 2012, Kinton Ramen operates 58 locations in five Canadian provinces as well as one U.S. state. Foodtastic is a Canadian restaurant franchisor with more than 1,200 establishments. 

Planet Fitness and Popeyes Deals

Two noteworthy sales involve an Australian Planet Fitness franchisee and 23 Popeyes restaurants that had been owned by a franchisee that declared bankruptcy.

On July 20, Planet Fitness Inc. and Franchise Equity Partners announced that the private equity firm is acquiring Bravo Fit, a Planet Fitness franchisee in Australia, from existing shareholders that included Planet Fitness. Planet Fitness exited its minority ownership position as a result of the transaction, a news release stated. The existing management team of Bravo Fit, which operates 32 Planet Fitness clubs, will remain in place.

SBH Foods will pay $2.7 million for 23 Popeyes locations in Orlando that were part of the bankrupt franchisee Sailormen’s portfolio, Nation’s Restaurant News reported on Friday. July 24 Initially RFI Ventures had agreed to buy the Orlando restaurants for $2.5 million but that deal unraveled. Sailormen formerly owned a total of 136 Popeyes units. Most have been sold and others have closed or will close, NRN said.

Multi-Unit Franchise Signings

The Minnie Bird restaurant franchise and Hand & Stone spa are growing their unit counts.

DiPasqua Brands signed on to bring 20 Minnie Bird restaurants to Orlando and Tampa. The first locations will open next year. Fried chicken, dirty sodas and free soft-serve ice cream headline Minnie Bird’s menu.

Eric Danver, owner and CEO of FGG Spa LLC, the largest franchisee in the Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa system, has signed an agreement to open 13 additional locations over the next five to six years. Danver currently has 63 Hand & Stone sites across eight states; most of FGG Spa’s new units will be located in Florida, according to a news release about the deal.

Midas Unveils New Store Designs

Midas has announced two new store designs: Contemporary Industrial and Urban Modern. Lenny Valentino Jr., president and chief operating officer of Midas International, said the new designs offer better bay visibility and larger waiting areas. The designs will apply to all new construction and renovations in the United States and Canada.

A Midas news release said Contemporary Industrial, with bold signage and branding, suits high-traffic suburban or highway-adjacent locations. A fit for denser markets, Urban Modern features large storefront windows and a retail-inspired interior. Both new designs have six bays.

Midas has more than 1,200 locations in the U.S. and Canada, plus another 900 in other countries. The company was founded in 1956.

Massage Envy Debuts Assisted Stretching

Massage and skincare franchisor Massage Envy has broadened its services with assisted stretching. Trained providers guide clients through stretches that address tension, a Massage Envy news release said. Three assisted stretching options are available:

• Relaxation – helping guests relax while decreasing muscle tightness. 
• Relief – focusing on sore, tight or overworked muscles.
• Mobility – increasing flexibility to improve range of motion and ease of moveme

Nikolaus von Solodkoff had lived and worked in the U.S. for about a decade, all the while craving the flavorful döner kebabs that were an enormously popular street food in his native Germany. Introduced by Turkish immigrants in the 1970s, the juicy, perfectly seasoned halal meat was slow-roasted on vertical rotisseries and served with vegetables and creamy garlic sauce in a crispy pide pocket.

Even as the döner craze had swept Europe, the Berlin-style kebabs remained unavailable in the U.S. “After 10 years of being in New York, I’m like, OK, I should just bring döner kebabs to the U.S. And that’s what we ended up doing,” von Solodkoff says. His goal from the outset wasn’t only to launch a quick service restaurant, but to build a franchise to scale.

The Döner Haus flagship store opened in 2023 in Manhattan’s East Village and did $1.9 million in sales the first year. Two more corporate locations followed, and the brand began its franchise push in late 2024. The Döner Haus franchise is now experiencing coast-to-coast expansion with 50-plus locations under contract, two of those open and more launching this year. Von Solodkoff shares how it happened.

Q: What was your vision for Döner Haus from the beginning?

A: When we started Döner Haus, the goal was never simply to open a successful restaurant. The goal was to build a nationally scalable franchise company.

From the beginning, every major decision was made with that larger ambition in mind. The menu, supply chain, operating model, equipment, technology, training, brand identity and store structure all had to work not just in one location, but eventually across many markets and with many different operators. That is also why we chose to launch in New York City.

Q: Why New York?

A: New York is one of the most difficult places in the country to run a restaurant. The costs are high, the competition is intense, the labor environment is complicated and the number of regulations can feel endless.

Nearly every operational mistake becomes more expensive in New York. For us, that was the point.

We believed that if we could build a compliant, profitable and repeatable restaurant system in one of the hardest business environments in America, we would have a much stronger foundation for national growth. We did not want to create a concept that only worked under ideal conditions. We wanted to create one that could survive pressure.

Choosing New York was a deliberate stress test. If we had started in a cheaper, easier or less regulated market, we might have built a model that looked successful but depended on favorable conditions. We wanted to know whether the concept could work while dealing with high rent, strict health requirements, labor rules, construction challenges, permits, inspections, delivery platforms and intense competition.

New York forces discipline. It exposes weak systems quickly. It punishes poor planning. It makes inefficiencies difficult to ignore. That environment helped us identify problems early, while we were still small enough to fix them. It also gave us confidence. If an operating model can survive New York, there is a reasonable chance that parts of the business will become easier in other markets.

That does not mean every city is simple. Every market has its own challenges. But New York gave us a demanding baseline.

Q: Would you advise other founders to launch in such a challenging environment?

A: The lesson for other prospective franchise founders is not necessarily that they must open in New York. The lesson is that they should test their concept under realistic pressure. Do not build a model that only works where rent is low, labor is easy, the founder is present every day and vendors are located nearby. Build a model that can withstand the conditions it will actually face as it grows.

Q: Why was it important to start with the end goal in mind?

A: There is a major difference between opening a restaurant and building a franchise system. A restaurant can depend heavily on the founder. The founder can solve problems personally, make judgment calls, train people informally and fill operational gaps through experience and instinct.

A franchise system cannot work that way. It must be understandable, teachable, repeatable and enforceable. It must function even when the founder is not physically present. The operator needs clear procedures, dependable vendors, consistent products, defined standards and a model that can be reproduced in another location.

Because our goal from the outset was to build a franchise to scale, we tried to make decisions that were not merely convenient for our first location. That often made the beginning more difficult and more expensive. But it also prevented us from building a business that would later need to be completely redesigned.

Many founders build one successful location and only then begin asking whether it can be franchised. We approached the problem in reverse. We asked what a national franchise system would require, then worked backward to build the first restaurant accordingly.

Q: What other lessons did you take from your start-up experience?

A: The restaurant industry is full of shortcuts. Some operators ignore requirements, delay compliance, use informal labor arrangements, improvise procedures or rely on the assumption that no one will notice. We made the opposite decision.

From the beginning, we wanted to do everything by the book. That meant accepting higher costs, more paperwork, more professional advice and sometimes a slower process. It was frustrating, especially when competitors appeared to be moving faster by ignoring rules we were taking seriously. But a franchisor cannot build a national system on shortcuts.

A single independent restaurant may survive for years through informal practices. A franchise company has more visibility, more legal exposure, more stakeholders and more responsibility. Problems do not remain isolated. They can spread across the system and damage the brand.

We understood that franchisees would eventually rely on us. They would invest their capital, sign leases, hire employees and operate under our name. We could not hand them a model built around exceptions, hidden risks or practices that only worked because no one had challenged them yet.

Compliance was not simply a legal obligation. It was part of the product we were building. The brand was not just the logo or the food. The brand included the systems behind the restaurants.

Q: How did you approach building a supply chain?

A: Another major decision we made from the beginning was to avoid building a supply chain that depended entirely on New York. Our most important supplies are shipped from Texas, and that was intentional from day one.

At first, sourcing critical products from another state can seem unnecessarily complicated. It would have been easier to find local substitutes and solve the immediate needs of one store. But local convenience was not the objective.

We wanted products and vendors that could eventually support national growth. If a key ingredient was only available from a small supplier near our first restaurant, that could become a major obstacle when opening in California, Florida, Texas or anywhere else.

A franchise system requires consistency. Customers should receive the same core product regardless of location. Franchisees should not be forced to recreate the supply chain independently in every market. The business needs suppliers that can grow, ship reliably, maintain specifications and support expansion.

That is why we made national scalability part of the supply-chain strategy before we had a national footprint. But this created challenges. Shipping is expensive. Logistics can be complicated. Minimum orders, storage, lead times and distribution all require planning. But those were exactly the problems we needed to solve.

It is better to discover supply-chain limitations while operating one or two stores than after selling franchises across the country.

Q: The pressure to succeed with the first store must’ve been enormous.

A: We always understood that the first store carried more weight than simply generating sales. It had to prove the franchise thesis. If the first Döner Haus location could not attract customers, produce consistent food, operate within the rules, manage its costs and survive in New York, then the national franchise vision would not be credible.

There was no point in selling a dream that had not been proven in reality. That put enormous pressure on the first location. Every mistake felt significant because we were not only trying to make one restaurant successful. We were testing whether the entire concept could become something much larger.

But that pressure was useful. It forced us to take customer feedback seriously. It forced us to study operational problems. It forced us to improve preparation, equipment, staffing, menu design, training and purchasing. The first store became a laboratory. Every challenge gave us information about what the larger system would require.

The lesson was clear: Before asking franchisees to believe in the model, the founder has to prove that the model deserves to be believed in.

Q: You had to be very disciplined about not taking shortcuts – how did you do that?

A: One of the most difficult parts of building a scalable system is refusing decisions that would make the current moment easier but damage the future. A local product might be cheaper today but impossible to source nationally. A more complicated menu item might increase sales at one location but make training and execution harder across 100 stores. A custom solution might work beautifully in one restaurant but be too expensive for franchisees. A talented employee might be able to perform a process that cannot realistically be taught to everyone else.

We repeatedly had to ask whether a decision made the business more scalable or merely solved a temporary problem. That does not mean every decision must be perfect from the beginning. No founder has that luxury. It means the direction must remain consistent.

When we made mistakes, we tried to correct them in a way that improved the system, not just the individual location. The objective was never to create one restaurant that looked impressive because the founders were constantly holding it together. The objective was to create a model that could be handed to another serious operator and reproduced.

Q: With your background in finance and technology – not restaurants or franchising – you had a steep learning curve. How did you approach that?

A: We had to learn quickly. Some of that learning came from advisors, lawyers, brokers, vendors and other experienced professionals. Some came from making decisions and seeing the results directly.

Even though our plan was always to build a franchise to scale, we still had to remember that operating restaurants was only one part of the job. Building a franchise company requires a different set of skills. A franchisor must understand franchise law, disclosures, registrations, training, support, territory planning, site selection, construction, supply-chain management, brand standards, technology, marketing, franchisee relations and long-term system economics.

One of the best things we did was remain closely involved. We did not assume that hiring an expert meant we no longer needed to understand the subject. Experts are essential, but the founder still owns the consequences of the decision.

A lawyer may understand the legal framework. A broker may understand the real estate market. A distributor may understand logistics. But the founder has to determine whether the recommendation fits the actual business.

The strongest advice we can give is to listen carefully, ask questions and never outsource your judgment.

Q: How did you keep franchisees top of mind while designing the system?

A: A scalable franchise system must work economically for the franchisee. That sounds obvious, but it is easy for franchisors to lose sight of it.

Every unnecessary equipment requirement, oversized location, excessive buildout feature, expensive vendor relationship or complicated operating procedure makes the franchisee’s job harder. At the same time, cost cutting cannot undermine product quality or brand consistency.

The real challenge is designing the simplest possible system that still protects what makes the brand valuable.

We have spent a great deal of time questioning assumptions. Does the store really need this much space? Is this equipment necessary? Can the process be simplified? Can the supply chain become more efficient? Can training reduce labor complexity? Can the operator reach profitability without unrealistic sales expectations?

These questions matter because a franchise system does not become powerful merely by opening many stores. It becomes powerful when franchisees have a realistic opportunity to succeed. Franchisees who succeed strengthen the brand, open additional locations, attract better candidates and create sustainable growth.

In making sure franchisees had the best chance for success, we also established the very low 3% royalty and 2% marketing fees, which still give us the resources to support the system, protect the brand and invest in growth. They also keep the economics healthy for the operator.

Q: How did you turn early challenges into opportunities?

A: Startup challenges are unavoidable. What the founder does with them makes the difference. A vendor failure can become a better purchasing process. A training failure can become a clearer manual. A construction problem can become a better site checklist. A staffing issue can become a more realistic labor model. A product inconsistency can become a stronger quality-control system.

We learned to stop viewing problems only as isolated frustrations. Each problem was evidence that showed us where the system was weak and where additional structure was required.

This is one of the most important mindsets for any founder who wants to franchise. The goal is not to avoid every mistake. The goal is to make sure the organization never pays for the same mistake repeatedly.

A mistake should produce a process. A challenge should produce knowledge. A failure should improve the next location.

Q: Overall, what are the most important lessons you learned in launching the Döner Haus franchise?

A: The biggest lesson we have learned is that scalability is not something you add later. It has to influence the business from the beginning. That does not mean the first version of the system will be perfect. It will not. It means the founder must make decisions with the future network in mind.

Choose suppliers that can grow with you. Build processes another person can learn. Test the economics honestly. Follow the rules. Document what works. Fix what does not. Avoid shortcuts that create hidden liabilities. Prove the concept before asking others to invest in it.

Most importantly, build the first location as though it will become the blueprint for everything that follows. That was our approach with Döner Haus.

We did not start with the ambition of owning one good restaurant. We started with the ambition of building a franchise juggernaut.

New York was not an obstacle to that plan. It was the test. The regulations, costs, operational pressure and competition forced us to become better. Doing everything properly created a stronger foundation. Building the supply chain for national growth from day one prevented us from thinking too locally. Making the first store work proved that the larger vision had a chance to work.

The path has not been easy, but that was never the expectation. The goal was to build a franchise to scale and eventually operate far beyond us. That requires more work at the beginning. It also creates the possibility of building something much bigger.

To learn more about franchise ownership opportunities, visit Döner Haus.

Nathan’s Famous is an iconic American franchise that is synonymous with hot dogs and summertime joy. From its annual Fourth of July hot dog eating contest to its packaged products that are sold in grocery stores and popular franchise locations, the brand has secured its place in American food culture since the opening of its original location at the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island in 1916.

The man behind the brand is Nathan Handwerker, who was born on June 14, 1892, into a poor Jewish family in Galicia, then part of Austria-Hungary (now in present-day Poland). According to his grandson Lloyd Handwerker’s biography “Famous Nathan,” Handwerker was one of 13 children and began working at a young age, apprenticing for his father, a shoemaker, and later working in a bakery and selling produce. At the age of 18, he left home to earn money to travel to America.

Handwerker arrived in New York in 1912 as a functional illiterate with little money, joining millions of immigrants who entered through Ellis Island to pursue the American dream. To support himself, Handwerker held a series of jobs before working at Feltman’s German Gardens in Coney Island, a famous restaurant credited with popularizing the hot dog. 

Legends and the Royal Treatment

Entertainers Eddie Cantor and Jimmy Durante encouraged Handwerker to open a competing hot dog stand and sell his franks for 5 cents — half the price of Feltman’s. In 1916, using a $300 loan and his wife’s secret hot dog recipe, Handwerker opened what would become Nathan’s Famous, according to The New York Times.

To alleviate fears that his hot dogs were only 5 cents due to poor quality, Handwerker used a clever bit of showmanship. He hired college students to wear white coats with stethoscopes hanging out of their pockets, while eating the franks, creating the impression that doctors trusted the food, according to The Times.

The stories surrounding Nathan’s only grew more colorful from there. For decades, the company claimed that its famous hot dog eating contest began on July 4, 1916, when four immigrants competed to prove who was the most patriotic. The company later acknowledged that the story was a publicity myth. The first well-documented Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest took place in 1972 and has become a beloved annual tradition.

Nathan’s reputation, however, did not depend on legends alone. The brand received a very real stamp of approval in 1939, when President Franklin Roosevelt served Nathan’s hot dogs to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during their visit to the United States.

As Nathan’s fame spread, so did its menu and footprint. Nathan’s eventually expanded its offerings with seafood and opened its well-known clam bar in 1946 before growing beyond Coney Island with additional locations in Oceanside, Yonkers and Times Square over the following decades, according to the hot dog franchise’s official history. 

An Enduring Legacy

Handwerker and his wife, Ida (pictured together in the main photo), raised three children — Murray, Sol and Leah. Murray and Sol both worked in the family business, eventually serving as president and vice president, respectively. 

Following Handwerker’s death in 1974, the business continued to expand. Its hot dogs entered grocery stores in 1983, and the Handwerker family sold the company to private investors in 1987, paving the way for broader national franchise growth.

Today, the hot dog brand has expanded to more than 220 locations, according to Market Inference. Nathan’s Famous products — including hot dogs, sausages and corned beef — are sold nationwide through grocery stores, restaurants and other retailers. In early 2026, Nathan’s Famous agreed to be acquired by Smithfield Foods for approximately $450 million. 

To keep the business model fresh, Nathan’s has expanded its menu to include burgers, chicken, heroes, onion rings, shakes and more. The brand has also modernized its restaurant design.

Pursuing the American Dream

Nathan Handwerker is the epitome of the American dream. He rose from humble beginnings to becoming the founder of an iconic business that is still beloved more than a century after its founding. 

That is a story that any aspiring entrepreneur can get behind. 

Photo credit: Nathan’s Famous

Every franchise leader would like a little more certainty right now.

Instead, we’re navigating stubborn inflation, changing consumer behavior, labor shortages that refuse to disappear, technology that’s evolving faster than most organizations can absorb, and a news cycle that seems determined to rewrite tomorrow’s priorities before today’s decisions have had time to take hold.

It’s tempting to believe the answer lies in better forecasting.

I’m not convinced it does.

While conducting research for my doctoral studies, I interviewed several presidents leading large franchise organizations across different sectors. I wasn’t interested in comparing restaurant brands with home services or exploring which operating model was superior. I wanted to understand something far more practical: how experienced executives make sound decisions when the future is anything but clear.

The conversations challenged some of my own assumptions.

The executives who appear calm in uncertain times aren’t necessarily more confident than everyone else. They haven’t discovered a better crystal ball, nor are they waiting for conditions to stabilize before they act.

They’ve simply developed better judgment, and that’s an important distinction.

Judgment isn’t about being right every time. It’s the ability to make thoughtful decisions without having every answer. In franchising, where one decision can affect hundreds of franchisees, thousands of employees, and an entire brand, waiting for perfect information is often a decision in itself.

In my discussions, one pattern surfaced almost immediately.

These leaders don’t confuse speed with urgency.

From the outside, experienced executives often look decisive because their organizations move quickly. What most people don’t see is the discipline behind those decisions. Before making significant calls, they test assumptions, seek out opposing viewpoints and spend time listening to the people closest to customers, operations and franchisees. By the time a decision is made, much of the real work has already happened.

That same discipline showed up in another way.

Active Leadership

None of these executives lead primarily through reports or dashboards.

They spend time in restaurants, on job sites, with franchisees, with operators and alongside frontline employees because that’s where small problems first become visible. Financial reports explain what happened last month. Conversations in the field often reveal what’s likely to happen next.

For growing franchise systems, that lesson is easy to overlook.

As organizations become larger and more sophisticated, leadership naturally becomes further removed from day-to-day operations. Layers are added. Reporting becomes more detailed. Calendars become fuller. Yet the greater the distance between the executive office and the front line, the easier it becomes to make decisions that look right in a boardroom but create friction in the field.

The strongest leaders work deliberately against that drift.

They shorten the distance.

Honest Communication

Another assumption that didn’t hold up was the idea that leaders need to project certainty.

None of the executives I interviewed suggested that their role was to have all the answers. In fact, several argued the opposite. During periods of uncertainty, people don’t expect perfection. They expect honesty. They want to know what’s changing, what leadership is watching, what remains uncertain and what happens next.

Silence rarely creates confidence.

People will always write their own story when leaders stop communicating, and that story is almost never better than the truth.

One executive shared an observation that stayed with me long after our conversation ended.

“Organizations don’t lose confidence because leaders admit they don’t know everything. They lose confidence when leaders pretend they do.”

Perhaps the strongest common thread, though, had nothing to do with strategy, technology or operations.

It was talent.

Every executive described leadership development as part of the weekly rhythm of the business, not an annual exercise tucked into an HR calendar. Coaching conversations weren’t squeezed in when time allowed. They were protected. Succession planning wasn’t treated as a document. It was treated as an ongoing responsibility.

That makes sense to me.

Growth eventually exposes every weakness in leadership capacity.

The strongest franchise organizations aren’t built around exceptional leaders. They’re built around systems that consistently produce them.

Developing Leaders

As I reflected on these conversations, I realized none of these executives had uncovered a secret formula for navigating uncertainty. Markets will continue to shift. Consumer expectations will keep evolving. New technologies will continue to reshape how franchise organizations operate.

Those variables aren’t going away.

What remains remarkably consistent is the quality of leadership required to navigate them.

Curiosity before certainty.

Proximity before assumptions.

Dialogue before directives.

Thoughtful judgment before reactive decisions.

Those aren’t personality traits, they’re disciplines. And disciplines can be developed.

Franchising has always excelled at building systems. We document operational standards, customer experience, brand execution and financial controls with remarkable precision. Yet one capability receives far less intentional attention than it deserves: developing leaders who consistently exercise good judgment when the playbook runs out.

I suspect that will become the next competitive advantage.

Not because better judgment removes uncertainty but because it allows leaders to move through uncertainty without transferring their anxiety to everyone around them.

Every franchise system has an operations manual, but far fewer have a judgment manual.

Over the next decade, I believe the organizations that separate themselves won’t simply be the ones with the best technology, the strongest brand or the most sophisticated operating systems. They’ll be the ones that intentionally develop leaders who know how to think, how to decide, and how to lead when nobody knows what’s coming next.

That may prove to be the most valuable franchise system they have ever built.

Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa has named Carrie Walsh chief executive officer. She has extensive experience leading consumer and franchise brands, including Subway, Pizza Hut, PepsiCo and Michaels.

“I love working with brands that truly make a positive impact on people’s lives, and this is at the center of what Hand & Stone does — providing relaxing, impactful services to its members,” Walsh said. “I can’t wait to make an impact on even more people, allowing them to take a moment to pause and just relax. When I was thinking about what could come next in my career, this opportunity immediately resonated with me not only because of how powerful the brand’s promise is, but also because of how our franchisees are executing it with excellence. When I visited the spas and reviewed the customer data, it was clear that the foundation at Hand & Stone is very strong, and I wanted to be a part of continuing its growth story.” 

She plans to foster Hand & Stone’s growth by taking a customer-centric approach to evolving the brand experience and supporting franchise owners. “Leadership is all about listening and learning, not just with the direct team, but also with our franchisees to help identify and unlock the biggest opportunities to drive growth for the brand. I want our franchisees to feel supported and to remain in lockstep, working truly as our partners to help achieve the brand’s goals.”

Todd Leff, who has served as interim CEO and chairman, expressed confidence in Walsh’s ability to take the company to the next level. “Carrie brings an impressive combination of brand-building expertise, operational leadership and experience in leading brands through digital transformation,” Leff said.

Walsh, a Hand & Stone member herself, said that as a working wife and mother of three, she understands the importance of taking a moment for self-care.

“Stress undoubtedly takes over our daily lives,” she said. “Self-care is no longer a once in-a-while treat, but something people are taking seriously. The wellness industry is booming, and I love that Hand & Stone provides easy access to wellness and relaxation.”

About Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa  

Founded in 2004, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa offers a wide range of services tailored to clients’ individual needs and skin concerns. Treatments are performed by licensed estheticians. The wellness brand has expanded across 36 states and Canada.

• Weed Man Multi-Unit Franchisees Terry and Andy Kurth built a successful father-son family business.
• The lawn care franchise grew from one Madison market to nearly 40 locations.
• Strong leadership, franchise systems and a people-first culture fueled the company’s growth.
• Today, Epic3 is Weed Man’s largest multi-unit franchise ownership group.

Rent and beer money might seem like a common must-have among college students, but it hardly qualifies as a career path to leading a multimillion-dollar company. Yet that simple motivator propelled Andy Kurth on a journey from summer job to running a family business that has grown into one of the largest multi-unit franchise ownership groups in the Weed Man franchise system. 

In those early days, Andy was a college student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a degree in soil science, turf management and agribusiness. In 2005, to make some extra money, he joined Weed Man’s Madison location, working in sales and as a lawn-care technician. He had a connection. His dad, Terry, was a franchise developer instrumental in helping the Weed Man brand migrate from Canada to the U.S. and expand throughout the Midwest. As Andy grew more familiar with the business model, he started to see the Weed Man lawn-care franchise as a real career opportunity. He worked his way up to general manager, co-owner and eventually, CEO. Today, he’s leading a $100 million operation.

The magnitude of Weed Man’s success has surprised even Terry, who had been in the lawn-care business before. “I figured we could get Madison to $4 to $5 million and then add Milwaukee and Appleton/Green Bay to eventually reach $15 to $20 million,” he says. “But Weed Man systems, along with recruiting great leaders, managers and frontline teams, have enabled us to transcend my original goals and dreams.”

Multi-Unit Franchise Ownership

Starting with that Madison location, Terry scaled the business, eventually establishing the holding company, Epic3, which has become one of the industry’s premier examples of multi-unit franchise ownership and Weed Man’s largest ownership group. Under the Kurths, the company has grown from one market to nearly 40 locations. 

Today, Andy serves as the CEO of Epic3, while Terry remains a mentor and sounding board on high-level strategy. “It’s been a great fit professionally as well as for our personal relationship,” says Andy. 

One secret to their success? No micromanaging.

“Most driven entrepreneurs are heavy on wanting control,” says Terry, who acknowledges that letting go can be difficult. “Andy and I have had a great mentoring relationship as he’s seen my way of management, and I kept feeding him more and more decision-making over the years.” The strategy has worked so well that, at times, their roles have reversed. “Now the student may have become the teacher in so many ways,” Terry beams. 

While Andy’s initial career motivation stemmed from financial gains, as the company grew, his focus shifted to creating opportunities for their team members. 

“My dad was integral in that process as he challenged us to develop a culture that people wanted to be part of,” says Andy. “Partnering with our people and creating a place where team members feel they can contribute ideas and make an impact were the driving forces in all of our growth. We strive to be an ‘employer of choice,’ a place where people want to work.” 

He reinforces that vision by fostering what he calls a “hand-raiser culture,” where people can speak up, share ideas and ask for opportunities to further their personal and professional growth.  

A People-First Culture

Even as the company has grown into one of the largest ownership groups in the Weed Man system, it still operates like a family business. A people-first culture is as much a Kurth family value as it is a company priority. Treating customers, staff members and colleagues well is paramount. 

“My dad has often said, ‘Money can buy a lot of things, but respect isn’t one of them,’” says Andy. “Our mission is ‘People. Opportunity. Community.’ Everything revolves around those pillars.”

Terry agrees, “You can’t expect your team members to treat customers well if you don’t value your team members.”

The Kurths also embrace competition. “Being involved in athletics as a participant or a booster all my life, I know one tenet is true: You either get better or worse. You never stay the same. We choose to constantly get better,” says Terry.

To that end, Andy employs a “scoreboard culture.” “It ensures high levels of healthy competition in our organization and in the Weed Man system,” he says. 

Andy is transparent about his expectations — he believes it’s the only way to succeed. He makes his standards clear through a company-wide employee evaluation system. 

“Our team is made aware of projected growth, and they can see how they might grow within the company and have fun along the way,” says Terry.

Recognition is shared publicly, too. When customers say that an employee has exceeded expectations, the entire organization hears about it. The exposure doubles as a business strategy. “Winning is contagious,” Andy says. 

Could more generations of Kurths be in the cards for the Weed Man lawn-care franchise? It’s possible. 

“We have a grandson, Andy’s nephew, who will be a junior in college is working an internship this summer at the Madison branch. He’s shown great interest in joining the company after graduating,” says Terry. 

There’s no pressure, of course. 

“I’d love to see my kids get involved in the family business,” says Andy, “but I don’t want to force anything. I want them to choose their own paths.” 

And why wouldn’t he? After all, that philosophy worked out pretty well for Andy. 

Learn more about the Weed Man franchise opportunity.

Bumble Roofing, a fast-growing roofing repair and installation brand, began the way most new businesses do: through frustration. Founder and Brand President David Bitan was in the home services industry when he realized that homeowners didn’t trust roofers and contractors didn’t build value. He set out to change that.

“The idea for me was simple,” he says. “What if roofing felt like Apple meets Chick-fil-A? Clean branding, process driven, customer-obsessed and tech-forward.” Bitan marketed Bumble like any consumer brand, with catchy visuals, strong messaging and a community-first mindset. He prioritized honesty and transparency in every transaction — “trust wins jobs,” he says — and added unique touch points such as the gift box with a honeycomb given to every customer.

“Bumble wasn’t built to be a roofing company,” he says. “It was built to be a customer service company that happens to sell roofing. It was built to be a brand people love and remember and to become the household name.”

Empowering Success

The idea was innovative, but the brand’s early days in Los Angeles were gritty, with a lot of trial and error. “The issue in our early franchising year is that I did not know of all of the different things we’d run into market by market,” Bitan says. That’s when Bumble Roofing joined Empower Brands, a franchise platform company of industry-leading commercial and residential brands serving homes and businesses. The partnership provided Bumble with strong national vendor relationships, shared systems and leadership that had helped other brands to flourish.

“They’ve scaled businesses before, but they’ve done it without losing sight of the human element, and that alignment mattered to me,” Bitan says. “When you combine strong systems with strong values, you don’t just grow, you grow the right way.” Since being under the Empower umbrella, Bumble has grown to 59 franchise units sold with $5 million in annual sales.

“From a growth perspective, Empower helps us think bigger and helps open doors that were locked for years prior,” Bitan says. “That infrastructure accelerates growth in a way that would take years to build independently.”

Sky’s the Limit When it Comes to Roofing

For those looking to get into the home services market, roofing has almost no limit. An aging housing stock coupled with record-breaking storms and natural disasters has accelerated the demand.

The median age of the U.S. housing stock reached a record 44 years in 2023, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Homes built before 1980 also generated 24% more improvement spending and 76% more maintenance spending than homes built since 2010.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recorded 27 U.S. weather and climate disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion in 2024, the second-highest annual total on record.

Together, these trends help explain why the U.S. roofing market is projected to grow from $34 billion in 2026 to $46 billion by 2031, according to Mordor Intelligence.

Bumble Roofing’s business model offers a quick start with a low-investment, low-overhead plan. “We are a 100% subcontractor model, which allows us not to carry massive in-house labor crews,” Bitan explains. “Our franchisees focus on sales, marketing, customer experience and brand execution. This helps us keep overhead lean and margins scalable.”

No prior construction experience is required, but owners should be financially disciplined and willing to follow a system. “Funny enough, the best franchisee isn’t a roofer,” Bitan says. “We look for people who are persistent and understand that it takes time to win.” Case in point, former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Damiere Byrd recently opened a franchise in Charlotte, N.C. after retiring from the NFL.

‘Bee’ the Change

Bitan says Bumble’s bee branding is intentional: the hive represents the collective power and potential of its franchisees. “Bees represent work ethic, team structure, systems, community and scale,” he explains. “A hive only works when everyone plays their role.” For franchisees, that translates into an atmosphere that prioritizes collaboration and communication.

It’s also the foundation of the brand’s mission to give back to the community by donating a portion of proceeds to nonprofits dedicated to protecting bees. “We’re not only helping protect these essential pollinators, but also contributing to the health and sustainability of our environment,” Bitan says.

Empower Brands

Bumble Roofing is part of Empower Brands, whose portfolio also includes Archadeck Outdoor Living, Canopy Lawn Care, Conserva Irrigation, FRSTeam, JAN-PRO, Koala Insulation, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, Superior Fence & Rail and Wallaby Windows. These residential and commercial service brands share resources, proven systems and experienced support teams while maintaining their own distinct identities.

Empower Brands’ mission is to grow world-class brands while championing the success of franchise owners. Its culture is grounded in putting people first, working hard, leading with empathy and doing the right thing. For Bumble Roofing, that means keeping the personality and purpose that make it memorable while gaining the experience and infrastructure of a larger franchise family.

For more information, visit Bumble Roofing’s franchise website.

BrightStar Care, a home care, skilled care and medical staffing services provider, has named Josh Wall chief executive officer. Wall aims to foster the brand’s growth by expanding strategic healthcare partnerships and investing in innovation and technology. He has more than 20 years of leadership experience with franchises, including Unleashed Brands and Christian Brothers Automotive. 

Wall said he was long aware of BrightStar Care’s reputation for putting franchisees first and building a people-first culture, and he strongly believes in the senior care franchise’s mission to provide families with quality healthcare services.

“We brought caregivers into our home to help care for my father during his cancer battle and support my mother, and they truly became an extension of our family,” Wall said. “That experience gave me a deep appreciation for the important work being done across the senior care industry. When the opportunity to lead BrightStar Care came about, it felt like a chance to combine my passion for franchising with a mission that genuinely matters. I look forward to listening and learning by spending time with franchise owners, caregivers, nurses and our support center team to understand what’s working well and where we can continue to improve.”

Wall said BrightStar’s parent company, Peak Rock Capital, provides an important foundation for the brand’s future growth. “They bring significant operational expertise, resources and experience helping businesses to scale strategically,” he said. “What excites me is the alignment around long-term value creation. Peak Rock understands that sustainable growth comes from investing in people, supporting franchise owners, strengthening operations and maintaining the high standards that have made BrightStar Care successful.”

Spencer Moore, BrightStar Care board member, praised Wall’s franchise expertise, strategic vision and leadership skills. “His passion for supporting franchisees, developing people and building scalable organizations aligns perfectly with BrightStar Care’s mission and long-term growth strategy. We are excited to welcome Josh and look forward to the future under his leadership,” Moore said. 

Wall said developing trust as a servant leader is essential. “I’ve learned throughout my career that trust isn’t given, it’s earned. That applies to employees, franchise owners and business partners. My approach is to listen first, learn from the people closest to the work and then help create clarity, alignment and momentum. Ultimately, leadership is about serving people well, developing leaders, and creating an environment where individuals and teams can do their best work.”

In his downtime, Wall enjoys spending time with family, skiing, hiking and listening to live music.  

About BrightStar Care

Founded in 2002, BrightStar Care provides skilled and non-skilled home care, healthcare staffing and partnership solutions to businesses and health systems. The brand has expanded to 420-plus franchised locations nationwide.