Funding franchisees: How small Z's are finding big money
When Myron Allen wanted to open a Toppers Pizza franchise in Rochester, Minnesota, he turned to an old friend: his local banker.
Food
Customize it
Restaurants that provide what families want—speedy service, something kids will eat, healthy options to please parents and a willingness to customize—are gaining business as economic doldrums linger.
More than half of the restaurant industry’s $491 billion in sales come from the Top 500 chains. And these giants grew at a modestly stronger rate, both in terms of sales and store counts, than the industry overall. Restaurant Business focused on the leading 250 performers to identify trends for our first-ever special report delivering lessons from Technomic’s annual Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. This special package includes lessons for all operators from the largest chains by segment, menu category and more.
Give entrepreneurs a trend and they'll try to exploit it. Present them with a groundswell like America's heightened interest in eating better, and you could incite a gold rush. Why, then, with weight loss emerging as a major and potentially permanent consumer anxiety, are there so few health-focused concepts in this year's newcomer roundup?