Financing

How to avoid buying a bad restaurant franchise

This week’s edition of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Jeff Lefler, CEO of FranchiseGrade.com, to talk about the risks of buying a bad franchise.

As franchise sales pick up again while the coronavirus pandemic shutdown eases, how should would-be restaurant franchisees look at these companies?

This week’s edition of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jeff Lefler, the CEO of FranchiseGrade.com, to talk about franchising in the age of the coronavirus.
Lefler has more than 20 years of small business experience and more than 10 as a multi-unit franchisee and consultant. His company provides research and education about and for franchises and can tell what kind of red flags buyers should look for in a purchase.

He discusses whether franchises are selling more aggressively now or whether they’re pulling back. Lefler also talks about why franchises are usually sold more like toasters, rather than the long-term investments they really are.

Listen on Apple Podcasts.

Listen on Spotify.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Operations

Hitting resistance elsewhere, ghost kitchens and virtual concepts find a happy home in family dining

Reality Check: Old-guard chains are finding the alternative operations to be persistently effective side hustles.

Financing

The Tijuana Flats bankruptcy highlights the dangers of menu miscues

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual chain’s problems following new menu debuts in 2021 and 2022 show that adding new items isn’t always the right idea.

Financing

Malls are quietly making a comeback

Once left for dead as shoppers moved online and then the pandemic hit, malls are regaining lost traffic. And that has been a boon for restaurant chains like Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon and Chick-fil-A.

Trending

More from our partners