franchise times 2009 top 200

2009 Franchise Times

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Our annual ranking of the country’s largest franchise systems by systemwide sales has changed remarkably little over the past decade, especially at the top where some of the same, familiar names hold onto their places. Yet this year’s list shows where franchising is going—mostly across the border. While domestic growth has been stagnant, restaurants, retailers, hotels and other franchises are finding plenty of international markets that are ripe for growth.

October 2009 Franchise Times 3 n

Franchise Times Top 200 Overview

By Jonathan Maze

T he Franchise Times Top 200 collec-tively demonstrated a remarkable ability to withstand the economic turmoil of the

past year. All told, the franchisors took in $474 billion last year, 7 percent more than the year before. That equals the typical growth pattern for the Franchise Times 200.

Look deeper into the numbers, however, and the companies’ success was more modest. For one thing, some large franchisors have been added to this year’s rankings, like No. 12, Re/Max International, a real estate franchise.

Participation in the Franchise Times Top 200 is largely voluntary, so companies appear and disappear from the rankings from one year to the next—making annual comparisons dif-ficult. The addition of franchisors is a reason the revenue numbers were higher this year.

Another reason: Success at the top. The four companies that sit atop this year’s list—McDonald’s, 7-Eleven, KFC and Subway—together added $15.4 billion in systemwide revenue. Indeed, McDonald’s and 7-Eleven continued their dominance as the world’s two largest franchisors—a place

they’ve held each year since the ranking was first compiled. Illinois-based McDonald’s, with an estimated $73.7 billion in system-wide revenue, was easily No. 1, and 7-Eleven, at $53.7 billion, was nearly $35 billion ahead of third-place KFC. No. 4 Subway, meanwhile, continued its steady march up the Top 200. The world’s third-largest franchisor by unit count saw 14.2 percent systemwide revenue growth last year, leapfrogging Burger King (No. 5) and Ace Hardware (No. 6)—Subway was 16th a decade ago.

The rest of the top 10, remains largely unchanged aside from a few internal moves, including Pizza Hut (No. 7), Circle K (No. 8), Marriott Hotels (No. 9) and Wendy’s (No. 10). Seven of those top companies were in the top 10 in 2000.

A franchise system had to take in more than $235 million in system sales to make the Top 200 this year, compared to $204 million a year ago. Some companies toward the bottom fell off even though they grew last year, such as Baymont Hotels, which dropped off despite gaining 3 percent more in sales.

An international flavor

A big reason many large franchisors suc-ceeded in 2008 was the growth of international operations. This trend has been clear for years but seems to have accelerated in the past year. When the ranking was first published, 24 percent of franchisors’ units were outside the U.S. This year that figure was up to 32 percent. Franchisors added 10,000 international units last year and added 5,000 domestic units. Even so, the additional domestic unit count is mis-leading, considering the entire difference can be traced to the addition of Re/Max and its 3,750 units and No. 21 HealthMart with its 2,039 domestic stores.

In simple terms: Franchisors were fortunate to avoid a drop in U.S. business last year—a clear sign of the credit crunch and of concerns that the domestic market in many franchise-heavy industries, such as restaurants, is largely tapped.

Not so in other countries. It’s hardly a secret that the top franchisors on the list are also doing well overseas, and have for years. McDonald’s is everywhere. KFC has more units overseas than it does in the U.S.—and its parent, Yum! Brands, is now trying to replicate its KFC China model in the U.S. 7-Eleven, meanwhile, is owned by a Japanese company and more than three-quarters of its units are in other countries.

Other companies are also performing bet-ter overseas, particularly hotels, many of which have been hurt by declining revenue num-bers in the U.S. Minneapolis-based Radisson Hotels saw an estimated $150 million in rev-enue growth last year even though it has 16 fewer U.S. units—a loss more than made up for by the addition of 25 international hotels. Even companies toward the bottom of the

Changing LandscapeThere’s more to the Franchise Times Top 200 than in years pastOver the past decade, franchisors have become larger and more global. They’re concentrated in hospitality, but represent a surprisingly broad array of industries, like elder care and medicine. And franchise companies are more likely to rely on franchisees to carry out their operations. Much of that has been generally assumed in franchise circles, but the latest edition of the Franchise Times Top 200 provides proof. The list, our ranking of the nation’s largest franchise systems by total sales, is now in its 10th year. An analysis of those rankings provides an intriguing look at the trends affecting the largest franchisors and, by extension, the entire franchise.

Top 200 continued on 17

n 4 Franchise Times October 2009

Top 200 Franchise Chains by Worldwide Sales

RankPrior Rank Franchise Concept Parent Company

Worldwide Sales ($M)

Domestic Units

Intl Units Total Units

Percent Franchised

1 1 McDonald’s McDonald’s Corporation 70,693 13,918 18,049 31,967 80%

2 2 7-Eleven Seven and I Holdings Co. Ltd.

53,700 6,378 29,225 35,603 95%

3 3 KFC Yum! Brands, Inc. 17,800 5,166 7,293 12,459 86%

4 6 Subway Doctor’s Associates, Inc. 12,900 21,881 8,376 30,257 100%

5 4 Burger King Burger King Holdings Inc. 12,789 7,534 4,391 11,925 88%

6 5 Ace Hardware Ace Hardware Corp. 12,500 4,410 220 4,630 100%

7 7 Pizza Hut Yum! Brands, Inc. 10,400 6,119 4,949 11,068 83%

8 8 Circle K Stores Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

9,148 3,324 3,753 7,077 60%

9 9 Wendy’s Wendy’s/Arby’s Group 9,000* 5,905 725 6,630 79%

10 10 Marriott Hotels, Resorts & Suites

Marriott International 8,539* 348 183 531 41%

11 11 Hilton Hilton Hotels Corporation 7,700* 253 273 526 44%

12 Re/Max International Re/Max International, Inc. 7,500 3,745 2,807 6,552 100%

13 15 Taco Bell Yum! Brands, Inc. 7,000 5,142 203 5,345 75%

14 13 Blockbuster Blockbuster, Inc. 6,200* 4,585 2,820 7,405 22%

15 14 Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts

InterContinental Hotels Group

5,840* 920 433 1,353 100%

16 16 Sheraton Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

5,650* 208 201 409 50%

17 12 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation

Realogy Corporation 5,510* 2,903 605 3,508 79%

18 19 Dunkin’ Donuts Dunkin Brands, Inc. 5,500* 6,395 2,440 8,835 100%

19 18 Domino’s Pizza Domino’s, Inc. 5,428 5,047 3,726 8,773 94%

20 Health Mart McKesson Corp. 5,100 2,039 - 2,039 100%

21 20 Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar

DineEquity, Inc 4,700 1,897 100 1,997 78%

22 17 Tim Hortons Tim Hortons Inc. 4,555 520 2,917 3,437 99%

23 22 H&R Block Tax Services H&R Block, Inc. 4,500* 12,923 1,571 14,494 41%

Worldwide sales are in millions. * Franchise Times Estimate





Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

24 26 Holiday Inn Express InterContinental Hotels Group

4,260* 1,722 210 1,932 100%

25 24 Hampton Inn & Hampton Inn & Suites

Hilton Hotels Corporation 4,200* 1,666 44 1,710 98%

26 21 Chili’s Grill & Bar Brinker International 4,000* 1,312 183 1,495 40%

27 23 RadioShack RadioShack Corp. 3,941* 5,864 200 6,064 27%

28 25 Sonic, America’s Drive-In Sonic Corp. 3,800* 3,475 - 3,475 80%

29 29 ampm BP 3,668 1,123 2,001 3,124 90%

30 28 Courtyard Marriott International, Inc. 3,600* 728 80 808 61%

31 30 Comfort Inn & Comfort Suites

Choice Hotels International 3,437* 2,012 545 2,557 100%

32 27 Arby’s Wendy’s/Arby’s Group 3,372* 3,633 123 3,756 69%

33 32 Radisson Hotels Carlson Hotels Worldwide 3,100* 141 266 407 94%

34 34 Jack in the Box Jack in the Box Inc. 3,050* 2,158 - 2,158 38%

35 36 Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A, Inc. 2,960 1,197 - 1,197 100%

36 33 T.G.I. Friday’s Carlson Restaurants Worldwide Inc.

2,900 609 314 923 57%


TOP 200#29 Contacts: Franchise Development Team

Phone: 888-894-2676

am/pm Too Much Good Stuff

The BP gasoline and ampm business includes fuel and convenience store franchises offered in the states of IL, IN, OH, GA, FL, PA. The ARCO gasoline and ampm convenience store franchises are offered in the states of CA, AZ, NV, WA and OR. Powerful, distinctive branding is the cornerstone of our high visibility in the convenience-store industry.

ampm sites produce about 24 million transactions a month with shop sales exceeding $1.0 Billion in the U.S. in 2008. A key element of ampm’s convenience strategy is the delivery of a differentiated and distinctive offer focused on meeting the needs of its target customer segments.

The ampm brand has meaning to its customers (irreverent, fun, satisfies urgent wants, indulgent...TOO MUCH GOOD STUFF). At ampm, there is always something more to get - it is okay to indulge yourself and give into your natural cravings.

This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for information purposes only. Currently, the following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises: CA, HI, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, VA, WA and WI. If you are a resident of one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your state. In addition, in NY an offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. © 2009 BP West Coast Products LLC All Rights Reserved. © 2009 BP Products North America Inc. All Rights Reserved.

E-Mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.arcoampmfranchise.com or www.bpampmfranchise.com





Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

37 39 Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts

InterContinental Hotels Group

2,800* 187 155 342 100%

38 43 Panera Bread Panera, LLC 2,650* 1,325 2 1,327 58%

39 37 Dairy Queen International Dairy Queen, Inc.

2,600 4,584 1,116 5,700 99%

40 42 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)

2,560* 55 104 159 95%

41 38 Westin Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

2,500* 109 53 162 43%

42 40 Denny’s Denny’s Corporation 2,366 1,463 77 1,540 80%

43 Medicine Shoppe Cardinal Health 2,354 902 472 1,374 97%

44 46 Residence Inn Marriott International, Inc. 2,347* 555 18 573 76%

45 50 Spherion Spherion Corporation 2,338 504 32 536 32%

46 31 Century 21 Real Estate Realogy Corporation 2,300* 3,729 4,772 8,501 100%

47 47 Papa John’s Pizza Papa John’s International, Inc.

2,263 2,792 588 3,380 82%

48 44 IHOP Restaurants DineEquity, Inc 2,200 1,387 15 1,402 99%

49 41 Keller Williams Realty Keller Williams Realty 2,122 676 14 690 100%


TOP 200

Contacts: Greg Tanner

Phone: 678-402-3778


Web site: www.aaronsfranchise.com

Aaron’s is North America’s largest least-to-own retail franchise opportunity. Ranked #49 among franchise chains in worldwide sales by Franchise Times, Aaron’s is NYSE-listed with a 50+ year proven track record and over $2 billion in systemwide revenues. We’re reinventing the way a growing and underserved market acquires necessities like furniture, appliances, electronics and computers.

#66

Aaron’s

TOP 200

AlphaGraphics

Contacts: Brandi Raddatz

Phone: 800-528-4885

E-Mail: opportunity @alphagraphics.com

Web site: www.alphagraphicsfranchise.com

AlphaGraphics has been the leader in print and visual communications for more than 35 years. With over 260 locations in the U.S. and eight countries, we set the standard for solutions in printing, marketing communications, graphic design and document management. AlphaGraphics business centers average more than $1,131,000 in annual revenues while the industry average is approximately $650,000, and a median gross margin of over 70%. There’s never been a better time to explore joining the print and visual communications industry’s #1 brand, AlphaGraphics.

#178





Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

50 48 Quiznos Sub The Quiznos, Master LLC 2,000 4,381 641 5,022 100%

51 52 Renaissance Hotels Marriott International, Inc. 2,000* 76 65 141 37%

52 65 Hilton Garden Inn Hilton Hotels Corporation 1,980* 439 33 472 97%

53 57 Days Inn Wyndham Hotel Group 1,911* 1,704 176 1,880 100%

54 51 Dollar Thrifty Automotive Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc.

1,900* 563 1,093 1,656 79%

55 61 Doubletree Hotels Hilton Hotels Corporation 1,900* 201 16 217 77%

56 55 Embassy Suites Hotels Hilton Hotels Corporation 1,900* 192 8 200 64%

57 53 GNC General Nutrition Centers, Inc.

1,876 3,568 1,350 4,918 44%

58 56 Hardee’s CKE Restaurants, Inc. 1,821 1,713 195 1,908 75%

59 72 Express Employment Professionals

Express Services, Inc. 1,797 527 42 569 100%

60 58 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen AFC Enterprises, Inc. 1,740 1,582 340 1,922 97%

61 60 Ramada Wyndham Hotel Group 1,718* 556 341 897 100%

62 ServiceMaster Clean The ServiceMaster Co. 1,675 3,020 1,560 4,580 100%


TOP 200

Contacts: Franchise Development Coordinator

Phone: 866-277-8721

E-Mail: franchisesales @bostonpizza.com

Web site: www.bostons.com

Boston Pizza Restaurants is the franchisor of Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza, a casual dining restaurant concept with a full service sports bar. BP has been in business for over 40 years with over 350 locations across North America. Our menu has a strong pizza and pasta focus as well as favorites in categories such as appetizers, sandwiches, salads and desserts. We are seeking qualified developers to franchise units in territories all across the United States.

Boston Pizza Restaurants

#83





Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

63 54 Ruby Tuesday Ruby Tuesday, Inc. 1,623 891 54 945 24%

64 63 Quality Inn & Suites Choice Hotels International 1,613* 926 362 1,288 100%

65 64 Super 8 Wyndham Hotel Group 1,593* 1,894 216 2,110 100%

66 49 Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership

Aaron’s, Inc. 1,593 1,500 22 1,522 33%

67 68 Carl’s Jr. CKE Restaurants, Inc. 1,520 1,074 121 1,195 65%

68 62 Golden Corral Family Restaurants

Golden Corral Corp. 1,518 483 - 483 79%

69 67 Midas Auto Service Experts Midas International Corporation

1,500* 1,471 1,011 2,482 96%

70 69 La Quinta Inns & Suites LQ Management LLC 1,470* 741 2 743 50%

71 66 Jiffy Lube Pennzoil Quaker State 1,437 1,989 45 2,034 100%

72 70 Baskin’ Robbins Dunkin Brands, Inc. 1,400 2,692 3,321 6,013 100%

73 71 Curves Curves International, Inc. 1,297 6,247 3,430 9,677 100%

74 78 Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar

Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. 1,240 598 - 598 64%

75 73 Whataburger Whataburger Restaurants, LP

1,173 713 - 713 24%

76 75 Church’s Chicken Friedman Fleischer & Lowe 1,150 1,199 426 1,625 86%

77 74 Red Robin Red Robin Gourmet Burgers 1,140* 423 18 441 33%

78 77 Fairfield Inn Marriott International, Inc. 1,100* 560 9 569 100%

79 79 Hooters Restaurants Hooters of America 997 386 64 450 73%

80 80 Motel 6 Accor North America 985* 908 10 918 26%

81 82 1-800-Flowers 1-800-flowers.com 919 110 - 110 96%

82 85 SERVPRO Servpro Industries, Inc. 918 1,459 - 1,459 100%

83 87 Boston Pizza Restaurants Boston Pizza International 830 53 333 386 98%

84 98 Homewood Suites by Hilton

Hilton Hotels Corporation 820* 267 9 276 84%

85 81 Perkins Restaurant & Bakery Perkins & Marie Callendar’s LLC

807 464 17 481 66%






Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

86 84 Long John Silver’s Yum! Brands Inc. 800 1,022 38 1,060 100%

87 88 Country Inn & Suites Carlson Hotels Worldwide 788* 469 30 499 98%

88 86 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.

773 225 298 523 82%

89 184 Big O Tires TBC Corporation 743 498 - 498 95%

90 89 Great Clips Great Clips, Inc. 727 2,681 57 2,738 100%

91 90 Sbarro the Italian Eatery Sbarro, Inc. 715 753 338 1,091 52%

92 Steak n’ Shake The Steak n’ Shake Company

700 490 - 490 15%

93 97 Jani-King Jani-King International, Inc.

682* 9,734 2,253 11,987 100%

94 94 Roto-Rooter Chemed 680 548 30 578 81%

95 96 Four Points By Sheraton Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

675* 93 41 134 82%

96 107 Zaxby’s Zaxby’s Franchising Inc. 664 461 - 461 82%

97 110 Home Instead Senior Care Home Instead, Inc. 660 604 268 872 100%

98 92 Checkers & Rally’s Hamburgers

Checkers 660* 827 3 830 70%


TOP 200

Checkers Drive In Restaurants & Rallys Hamburgers

Contacts: Sharon Williston Franchise Sales

Phone: 813-283-7133


Web site: www.checkersfranchise.com

Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. is the largest double drive-thru restaurant chain in the United States. The Company franchises, develops, owns and operates quick-service Checkers® and Rally’s® double drive-thru restaurants. In addition to our double drive-thru building, Checkers has recently introduced end-cap and in-line versions of the concept. Both offer lobby seating areas and the end-cap features a single drive-thru window.

#98TOP 200

Contacts: Larry France

Phone: 888-329-1368

E-Mail: larryfrance @comfortkeepers.com

Web site: www.comfortkeepers franchise.com

In just a decade, Comfort Keepers, a leading brand in the burgeoning in-home senior care industry, has grown from a single office to over 550 franchised territories in North America. With the number of seniors and adults requiring care expected to double within the next several decades, Comfort Keepers has built a system to allow franchisees to live the dream of owning a business while giving back to the community. Be part of this opportunity.

Comfort Keepers

#172





Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

99 114 SpringHill Suites Marriott International, Inc. 651* 207 1 208 88%

100 93 Jackson Hewitt Tax Service

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.

650* 6,763 - 6,763 85%

101 95 Friendly’s Friendly Ice Cream Corporation

646 505 - 505 39%

102 103 Culver’s Frozen Custard & Butterburgers

Culver Franchising System, Inc.

644 394 - 394 98%

103 138 Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centres

Nestle’ Nutrition 630* 590 156 746 30%

104 100 Supercuts Regis Corporation 630 2,080 194 2,274 45%

105 104 El Pollo Loco Trimaran Pollo Partners LLC

627 413 - 413 60%

106 101 CARSTAR CARSTAR Franchise Systems, Inc.

627 269 131 400 100%

107 108 Bojangles’ Restaurants Bojangles’ Restaurants, Inc. 608 423 6 429 64%

108 83 ERA Real Estate Realogy Corporation 600* 953 1,837 2,790 99%

109 91 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Wyndham Hotel Group 586* 57 25 82 100%

110 102 J.D. Byrider J.D. Byrider 586 132 - 132 89%

111 117 Papa Murphy’s Take ’N’ Bake

Papa Murphy’s International, Inc.

585 1,119 16 1,135 93%


TOP 200

Contacts: Michael Vogel

Phone: 952-607-8619


Web site: www.deltacofranchise.com

High Growth Mexican QSR brand with Multi-Unit Development Opportunities available in select geographic markets through out the U.S.A. Be sure to check out our 2009 Development Incentive Program! Del Taco currently has over 500 Units operating in the US (just over half are corporately owned and operated). Come see why America loves Del Taco!

Del Taco

#115TOP 200

Denny’s, Inc.

Contacts: Franchise Development

Phone: 800-304-0222

E-Mail: franchisedevelopment @dennys.com

Web site: www.dennys.com

For over 50 years, Denny’s has been the trusted leader in family dining. We enjoy a brand awareness of almost 100%! We cheerfully serve over 26 million customers a month in our 1500+ restaurants worldwide. We are proud to serve America’s most loved foods 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are an experienced restaurateur or businessman, we invite you to contact us and learn more about growth opportunities within our great brand.

#42





Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

112 109 Clarion Inn and Clarion Suites

Choice Hotels International

584* 150 125 275 100%

113 106 CiCi’s Pizza CiCi Enterprises, LP 580* 641 - 641 97%

114 112 Ruth’s Chris Steak House Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.

570* 117 13 130 49%

115 111 Del Taco Sagittarius Restaurants LLC 563 513 - 513 44%

116 105 SIGN*A*RAMA United Franchise Group 549 635 326 961 100%

117 118 Howard Johnson International


118 Interiors by Decorating Den

Decorating Den Systems, Inc.

520 425 30 455 93%

119 113 ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings

CCA Global Partners 520 161 3 164 98%

120 115 Sizzler Restaurants Pacific Equity Partners 502 200 82 282 78%

121 129 Travelodge Wyndham Hotel Group 499* 380 99 479 100%

122 121 Econo Lodge Choice Hotels International 498* 821 45 866 100%

123 142 Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches

Jimmy John’s Franchise, LLC

497 805 - 805 98%

124 123 Uno Chicago Grill Centre Partners Mgt, LLC 491 198 9 207 42%


TOP 200

Contacts: Erin Venuti

Phone: 781-737-5136

E-Mail: DunkinFranchising @dunkinbrands.com

Web site: www.DunkinFranchising.com

Dunkin’ Donuts is the country’s #1 retailer of hot and iced coffee, selling more than one billion cups of coffee a year and earning the #1 ranking for Customer Loyalty in the Coffee Category by Brand Keys for three years running. While Dunkin’ Donuts boasts more than 6,000 locations in the U.S., a majority of it’s restaurants are found in the Northeast. This is changing as Dunkin’ continues its steady and strategic expansion in the Southeast and Midwest. To learn more, visit: DunkinFranchising.com

Dunkin’ Donuts

#18





Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

125 124 Pet Supplies “Plus” Pet Supplies “Plus” USA, Inc.

485 225 - 225 100%

126 139 Paul Davis Restoration Paul Davis Restoration, Inc. 480 217 - 217 100%

127 119 Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen Sagittarius Restaurants LLC 477 548 - 548 47%

128 149 Pollo Campero Campero USA Corp. 475 52 265 317 23%

129 116 Cold Stone Creamery Kahala Corp. 470 1,282 138 1,420 98%

130 130 Linc Network The Linc Group 469 129 19 148 84%

131 136 Jason’s Deli Deli Management Inc 469 204 - 204 44%

132 135 Famous Dave’s Famous Dave’s of America, Inc.

463 170 - 170 72%

133 On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina

Brinker International 462* 160 5 165 22%

134 126 Minuteman Press Minuteman Press Intl. 460 766 207 973 100%

135 132 Jamba Juice Jamba, Inc. 450* 728 1 729 30%

136 127 Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

Stanley Steemer Int’l. 439 302 - 302 75%

137 141 Krystal The Krystal Company 435 383 - 383 38%

138 134 Sleep Inn and Sleep Inn & Suites

Choice Hotels International

433* 366 17 383 100%

139 131 Round Table Pizza Round Table Pizza, Inc. 433 496 - 496 73%

140 125 Sylvan Learning Centers Educate, Inc. 424 961 102 1,063 90%

141 140 Meineke Car Care Centers Driven Brands, Inc. 421 860 71 931 98%

142 128 MAACO Collision Repair & Auto Painting

MAACO Enterprises, Inc. 415 438 29 467 99%

143 150 G.J.Gardner Homes Netdeen Pty Ltd 410 15 83 98 100%

144 133 Fantastic Sams Hair Salons Fantastic Sams International Corporation

408 1,335 - 1,335 100%

145 137 Valpak Direct Marketing Cox Target Media, Inc. 406 182 7 189 96%

146 122 Red Roof Inns Accor North America 402* 381 - 381 44%

147 Cartridge World Cartridge World International

400 642 1,009 1,651 99%






Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

148 165 A&W Restaurants Yum! Brands Inc. 400 363 264 627 100%

149 151 Qdoba Mexican Grill Jack in the Box Inc. 399 454 - 454 76%

150 144 Staybridge Suites InterContinental Hotels Group

390* 150 2 152 99%

151 145 TAF/The Athlete’s Foot NexCen Brands, Inc 378 232 377 609 100%

152 Einstein Bros. Bagels Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc.

362 496 - 496 30%

153 167 TownePlace Suites Marriott International, Inc. 361* 163 - 163 79%

154 146 Slumberland Furniture Slumberland Inc. 360 113 - 113 68%

155 147 Sir Speedy Franchise Services, Inc. 357 326 107 433 99%

156 148 Allegra Network Allegra Network LLC 353 549 44 593 100%

157 152 Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System

CNA Holding Corporation 351 8,723 377 9,100 100%

158 163 McAlister’s Deli McAlister’s Corporation 343 280 - 280 88%

159 162 Auntie Anne’s Pretzels Auntie Anne’s, Inc. 337 792 199 991 99%

160 153 Fuddruckers Fuddruckers International, LLC

337 229 5 234 62%


TOP 200

Hungry Howies

Contacts: Franchise Development Department

Phone: 800-624-8122

E-Mail: franchiseinfo @hungryhowies.com

Web site: www.hungryhowies.com

Hungry Howie’s Pizza was named the 2004 chain of the year by Pizza Today Magazine. Our flavored crust pizza is the reason for our appeal and the foundation of our success. Menu includes 8 different flavored crust pizzas, oven baked subs, bread, chicken tenders, chicken wings and salads. The Hungry Howie’s commissary provides volume purchasing and discounting on all food and paper products. We provide comprehensive classroom and an in-store training program.

#190TOP 200

Contacts: Bob Morena

Phone: 217-356-9900

E-Mail: bmorena @jimmyjohns.com

Web site: www.jimmyjohns.com

High-energy, upscale, gourmet sandwich restaurant that features a limited menu made up of the highest quality meats, cheese and vegetables available! Our signature seven-grain wheat bread and French bread rolls are baked fresh in the store every day! All meats and produce are sliced daily and all sandwiches are served cold – no grills or fryers – made to order in less than 30 seconds. Emphasis placed on quality, lightning fast service and delivery.

Jimmy John’s

#123





Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

161 156 Tony Roma’s Romacorp, Inc. 337 49 140 189 93%

162 164 Candlewood Suites InterContinental Hotels Group

335* 204 - 204 100%

163 109 Clarion Hotels Choice Hotels International 332* 155 126 281 100%

164 161 Proforma Proforma 325 650 50 700 100%

165 159 Unishippers Unishippers Global Logistics, LLC

325 298 - 298 98%

166 169 Moe’s Southwest Grill FOCUS Brands 318 394 5 399 99%

167 143 Village Inn Restaurants Vicorp Restaurants, Inc. 313 226 - 226 40%

168 158 Fastsigns Fastsigns International, Inc. 311 460 79 539 100%

169 171 Goddard School (The) Goddard Systems, Inc. 300 330 - 330 100%

170 166 Wingate by Wyndham Wyndham Hotel Group 298* 160 4 164 100%

171 173 One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning

Clockwork Home Services, Inc.

297 245 5 250 82%

172 182 Comfort Keepers CK Franchising, Inc. 297 526 41 567 100%

173 211 Five Guys Burger & Fries Five Guys Enterprises, LLC 295 377 - 377 86%


TOP 200

Contacts: Deborah Allen

Phone: 419-720-3074


Web site: www.marcos.com

Even now wonderful opportunities exist with this authentic Italian pizza brand. Marco’s Pizza is in the midst of a nationwide rollout and welcomes qualified individuals and/or groups who want to join our family and be on the ground floor of a truly rewarding franchise opportunity. Marco’s Pizza, is interested in experienced Franchisees (single and multi- units), Operators, and Area Representatives who want to control an entire market/DMA. Explore the Marco’s Pizza franchise opportunity, call: 800-262-7267.

Marco’s Pizza

#281TOP 200

McAlister’s Deli

Contacts: Bill McClintock

Phone: 601-519-8985


Web site: www.mcalistersdeli.com

Since 1989, McAlister’s Deli has been a leader in the fast growing “quick casual” restaurant category. Great food in a relaxed family friendly atmosphere has driven the brand to almost 300 locations in 22 states. No fryers, no grills and no mixers. End cap locations are preferred.

Solid training, operational support and marketing make McAlister’s an excellent franchise opportunity. We are seeking experienced food operators in many new DMA’s to develop minimum 3 locations.

#158





Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

174 204 Edible Arrangements Edible Arrangements, LLC 295 742 45 787 99%

175 35 Travel Leaders Travel Leaders Group 295* 480 - 480 94%

176 170 Taco John’s Taco John’s Int’l. Inc. 291 423 - 423 98%

177 172 Johnny Rockets Redzone Capital Fund II 290* 236 44 280 85%

178 168 AlphaGraphics Pindar 290 226 33 259 100%

179 189 Petland Petland, Inc. 289 132 55 187 96%

180 157 Marie Callendar’s Perkins & Marie Callendar’s LLC

288 132 1 133 32%

181 155 Labor Finders Labor Finders International, Inc.

286 256 - 256 93%

182 120 Matco Tools NMTC 285 1,443 35 1,478 100%

183 Volvo Rents Volvo Construction Equipment North America, Inc.

281 83 80 163 98%

184 160 Mr. Rooter The Dwyer Group 280 241 119 360 100%

185 178 Microtel Inns & Suites Franchising


186 179 Houlihan’s Houlihan’s Restaurants, Inc. 270* 103 - 103 66%


TOP 200

Contacts: Rhonda McGrew, Business Development Manager

Phone: 877-777-5062


Web site: www.papamurphys.com

Papa Murphy’s is 5th largest pizza company in the US with over 1,100 stores. We offer our customers the unique experience of watching their pizza being made fresh before them and then taken home to bake to perfection. Papa Murphy’s limited hours of operation and the take-n-bake concept without the hassles of dining or delivery, provide a great franchise opportunity. We do all this while offering the lowest investment of any national pizza chain.

#111

Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza

TOP 200

Contacts: Brett Miller

Phone: 800-854-0819


Web site: www.tacojohns.com

Taco John’s new look supports their brand icons like Taco Tuesday® and Potato Olés®. Stone-accented buildings reflect the quality of the food inside. Comfortable dining rooms feature fresh salsa bars where patrons customize their favorite menu items. The re-imaging program for Taco John’s over 400 restaurants has customers and operators raving. A contemporary new image, hometown hospitality, and bold fresh flavors, that’s The Fresh Taste of West-Mex®.

#176

Taco John’s International, Inc.





Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

187 154 Kwik Kopy Printing ICED 270 120 345 465 100%

188 187 Primrose Schools Primrose Holdings, Inc. 269 199 - 199 99%

189 45 Results! Travel Travel Leaders Group 266* 911 - 911 100%

190 175 Hungry Howie’s Pizza Hungry Howie’s Pizza Inc. 265 575 - 575 100%

191 272 Four Seasons Sunrooms Four Seasons Marketing Corp. 265 171 12 183 90%

192 176 Tuffy/Car-X Tuffy Associates Corp. 265 413 - 413 91%

193 199 Wingstop Wingstop Restaurants, Inc. 255 408 - 408 96%

194 181 Cinnabon FOCUS Brands 254 449 333 782 99%

195 188 El Chico Cafe Consolidated Restaurant Operations

251 111 3 114 25%

196 186 Schlotzsky’s FOCUS Brands Inc 244 345 27 372 94%

197 Fazoli’s Sun Capital Partners, Inc. 241 246 1 247 49%

198 177 Budget Blinds Home Franchise Concepts 240 909 85 994 100%

199 205 Batteries Plus Batteries Plus, LLC 237 348 - 348 94%


The News aNd INformaTIoNsource for fraNchIsINg

subscribe or renew your subscription to franchise Times online at www.franchisetimes.com or by calling (800)528-3296.





Domestic Units


Percent Franchised

200 183 Play It Again Sports Winmark Corporation 235 313 43 356 100%

200 196 The Melting Pot The Melting Pot Restaurants Inc.

235 140 - 140 96%


ranking, such as Mr. Rooter (No. 184) and Cinnabon (No. 194) have substantial presences overseas. A decade ago, 60 chains on the Top 200 had no international units, this year 50 remains U.S.-focused.

Franchises versus company stores

Franchisors also appear to be focusing more on franchising rather than company-owned stores. Over the years, the Franchise Times Top 200 has slowly but steadily shifted toward fewer company units and more franchised units. That shift appears to be accelerating—more than 84 percent of the units on the ranking are franchise-owned, compared with 82 percent last year. A decade ago, that figure was 79 percent.

It’s possible that growth could slow next year as the credit crunch keeps franchisees from opening more units while the recession leads to more closures. Or it could increase along with a handful of re-franchising efforts among siz-able franchise companies. DineEquity, owner of IHOP and Applebee’s, is selling company-owned Applebee’s stores to move to the pure franchise model of IHOP. Yum! Brands is likewise refranchising many of its units—the company in late 2007 announced that it wanted to cut its company store count in half, from 20 percent to 10 percent, by the end of 2010. Other companies, such as Sonic and Jamba Juice, have also announced refranchis-ing plans.

Numerous franchisors have held to the belief of keeping a certain percentage of stores them-selves, if for no other reason than to show to franchisees that they have “skin in the game.” The percentage has generally varied, but the growth in franchisee ownership is an indica-tion that franchisors are focusing more and more on franchising, where profit margins are

higher. Indeed, it at least appears as if newer fran-

chisors are intent on operating brands, rather than stores. Consider that a third of the top 100 franchise systems are 98 percent or more franchisee-owned. That figure increases to nearly 50 percent for the next 100 companies. And fully 70 percent of franchisors that didn’t make the 200, but for which we have informa-tion, are nearly all franchisee-owned. In other words: The smaller—and perhaps newer—the company, the more likely it is to be fully fran-chised.

As franchising has grown over the years it has expanded into more industries and dif-ferent sectors. Yet over the past decade the hospitality industry—namely hotels and res-taurants—has solidified its presence in our Top 200 list. A decade ago, food and lodging franchises comprised 110 of the 200 spots on the list. This year, that’s up to 123. All of that growth has come from restaurants and other food-related franchises. In 2000, eateries and take-out places took 71 of the 200 spots on the list. This year, 83 systems serve food as their main product.

Much of the growth has come in casual dining—30 family- and casual-dining res-taurants are on the list, compared with 23 a decade ago. Several casual dining chains grew over the past decade, particularly after the 2001-2002 recession as credit flowed freely and banks’ standards loosened. Chains like Famous Dave’s, Johnny Rockets, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Uno Chicago Grill appeared on the ranking. Others, like Applebee’s and Chili’s, grew substantially.

Many of those chains, incidentally, saw drops in revenue last year, or they struggled to maintain sales—Ruth’s Chris, Chili’s and Ruby Tuesday, most notably. At the same time, fast-casual chains have been making their move. Seven fast-casual restaurants are on the

ranking, including Panera Bread, Jason’s Deli and Moe’s Southwest Grill. And Five Guys Burgers and Fries, currently the fastest-grow-ing restaurant chain in the U.S., according to restaurant industry researcher Technomic, made its debut on the ranking at 173. In 2000, three fast-casual chains made the Top 200.

A few other industries

Some industries showed broad weakness last year—like real estate agencies, where every company on the Top 200 saw a substan-tial drop in sales amid the U.S. housing market collapse. Many retailers declined, both in sales numbers and in their places on the ranking, thanks to the oncoming recession.

All told, 32 industries are represented on the Franchise Times Top 200, from auto and truck rentals to travel agencies. A few of these indus-tries are less well-represented than they used to be—auto services chains took 15 spots on the 200 a decade ago. Today they hold eight. Retailers, which numbered 17 a decade ago, take 14 spots on the ranking.

Others have grown. Seven companies this year focus on commercial maintenance ser-vices, like ServiceMaster Clean and ServPro. These types of companies had little presence in the Top 200 in 2000. Likewise, there are eight home services companies on the ranking this year, double the number of a decade ago.

Only two companies are listed as elder care providers. Not a big number, but no such com-panies were on the ranking a decade ago and it’s widely believed that elder-care focused franchises could be on a growth track as the population ages and demand for such services increases. Perhaps not surprisingly, both those companies—Home Instead Senior Care (97) and Comfort Keepers (172) both moved up several spots on the Top 200.

Top 200 continued from 3

©2008 JIMMY JOHN’S FRANCHISE, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

AMERICA’S #1SANDWICHDELIVERYFRANCHISE™

LIMITED AREAS AVAILABLE800.546.6904

JIMMYJOHNS.COM

25.89%* $264,546*$1,117,661*

AVERAGE FOOD AND PAPER COSTS

AVERAGE NET PROFIT FROM OPERATIONS (IN $)

AVERAGE GROSS SALES

*Figures refl ect averages for sixteen (16) affi liate-owned stores that opened before January 1, 2004 as published in Item 19 of our April 2009 Franchise Disclosure Document. These averages are based on a 52-week annual period from January 2, 2008 through December 30, 2008. Of these sixteen (16) restaurants, 7 (44%) had higher gross sales, 8 (50%) had higher food and paper costs and 7 (44%) had higher net profi t during the reported period. The fi nancial performance representation contained in Item 19 of our April 2009 Franchise Disclosure Document also includes (1) average systemwide gross sales, average franchise gross sales, and the number and percentage of outlets exceeding these averages during the referenced period and (2) average gross sales, food and paper cost, and net profi t information during the referenced period for affi liate-owned restaurants that were opened after January 1, 2004 and before January 1, 2008.

A new franchisee’s results may differ from the represented performance. There is no assurance that you will do as well and you must accept that risk. This offering is made by prospectus only.

Aaron's:Franchise Times Reprint Issue 9/21/09 12:28 PM Page 1


Top 200 Franchise Chains by Units

1 7-Eleven 35,603 2 McDonald’s 31,967 3 Subway 30,257 4 H&R Block Tax Services 14,494 5 KFC 12,459 6 Jani-King 11,987 7 Burger King 11,925 8 Pizza Hut 11,068 9 Curves 9,677 10 Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System 9,100 11 Dunkin’ Donuts 8,835 12 Domino’s Pizza 8,773 13 Century 21 Real Estate 8,501 14 Blockbuster 7,405 15 Circle K Stores 7,077 16 Jackson Hewitt Tax Service 6,763 17 Wendy’s 6,630 18 Re/Max International 6,552 19 RadioShack 6,064 20 Baskin’ Robbins 6,013 21 Dairy Queen 5,700 22 Taco Bell 5,345 23 Quiznos Sub 5,022 24 GNC 4,918 25 Ace Hardware 4,630 26 ServiceMaster Clean 4,580 27 Arby’s 3,756 28 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation 3,508 29 Sonic, America’s Drive-In 3,475 30 Tim Hortons 3,437 31 Papa John’s Pizza 3,380 32 ampm 3,124 33 ERA Real Estate 2,790 34 Great Clips 2,738 35 Comfort Inn & Comfort Suites 2,557 36 Midas Auto Service Experts 2,482 37 Supercuts 2,274 38 Jack in the Box 2,158 39 Super 8 2,110 40 Health Mart 2,039 41 Jiffy Lube 2,034 42 Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar 1,997 43 Holiday Inn Express 1,932 44 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen 1,922 45 Hardee’s 1,908 46 Days Inn 1,880

47 Hampton Inn & Hampton Inn & Suites 1,710 48 Dollar Thrifty Automotive 1,656 49 Cartridge World 1,651 50 Church’s Chicken 1,625 51 Denny’s 1,540 52 Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership 1,522 53 Chili’s Grill & Bar 1,495 54 Matco Tools 1,478 55 SERVPRO 1,459 56 Cold Stone Creamery 1,420 57 IHOP Restaurants 1,402 58 Medicine Shoppe 1,374 59 Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts 1,353 60 Fantastic Sams Hair Salons 1,335 61 Panera Bread 1,327 62 Quality Inn & Suites 1,288 63 Chick-fil-A 1,197 64 Carl’s Jr. 1,195 65 Papa Murphy’s Take ’N’ Bake 1,135 66 Sbarro the Italian Eatery 1,091 67 Sylvan Learning Centers 1,063 68 Long John Silver’s Restaurants 1,060 69 Budget Blinds 994 70 Auntie Anne’s Pretzels 991 71 Minuteman Press 973 72 Signarama 961 73 Ruby Tuesday 945 74 Meineke Car Care Centers 931 75 T.G.I. Friday’s 923 76 Motel 6 918 77 Results! Travel 911 78 Ramada 897 79 Home Instead Senior Care 872 80 Econo Lodge 866 81 Checkers & Rally’s Hamburgers 830 82 Courtyard 808 83 Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches 805 84 Edible Arrangements 787 85 Cinnabon 782 86 Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centres 746 87 La Quinta Inns & Suites 743 88 Jamba Juice 729 89 Whataburger 713 90 Proforma 700 91 Keller Williams Realty 690 92 CiCi’s Pizza 641 93 A&W Restaurants 627 94 TAF/The Athlete’s Foot 609

95 Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar 598 96 Allegra Network 593 97 Roto-Rooter 578 98 Hungry Howie’s Pizza 575 99 Residence Inn 573 100 Express Employment Professionals 569 101 Fairfield Inn 569 102 Comfort Keepers 567 103 Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen 548 104 Fastsigns 539 105 Spherion 536 106 Marriott Hotels, Resorts & Suites 531 107 Hilton 526 108 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts 523 109 Del Taco 513 110 Friendly’s 505 111 Country Inn & Suites 499 112 Big O Tires 498 113 Round Table Pizza 496 114 Einstein Bros. Bagels 496 115 Steak n’ Shake 490 116 Golden Corral Family Restaurants 483 117 Howard Johnson International 482 118 Perkins Restaurant & Bakery 481 119 Travel Leaders 480 120 Travelodge 479 121 Hilton Garden Inn 472 122 MAACO Collision Repair & Auto Painting 467 123 Kwik Kopy Printing 465 124 Zaxby’s 461 125 Interiors by Decorating Den 455 126 Qdoba Mexican Grill 454 127 Hooters Restaurants 450 128 Red Robin 441 129 Sir Speedy 433 130 Bojangles’ Restaurants 429 131 Taco John’s 423 132 El Pollo Loco 413 133 Tuffy/Car-X 413 134 Sheraton 409 135 Wingstop 408 136 Radisson Hotels 407 137 CARSTAR 400 138 Moe’s Southwest Grill 399 139 Culver’s Frozen Custard & Butterburgers 394 140 Boston Pizza Restaurants 386 141 Krystal 383


Top 200 Franchise Chains by Units

142 Sleep Inn and Sleep Inn & Suites 383 143 Red Roof Inns 381 144 Five Guys Burger & Fries 377 145 Schlotzsky’s 372 146 Mr. Rooter 360 147 Play It Again Sports 356148 Batteries Plus 348 149 Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts 342 150 Goddard School (The) 330 151 Pollo Campero 317 152 Microtel Inns & Suites Franchising 308 153 Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner 302 154 Unishippers 298 155 Sizzler Restaurants 282 156 Clarion Hotels 281 157 McAlister’s Deli 280 158 Johnny Rockets 280 159 Homewood Suites by Hilton 276 160 Clarion Inn and Clarion Suites 275 161 AlphaGraphics 259 162 Labor Finders 256 163 One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning 250 164 Fazoli’s 247 165 Fuddruckers 234 166 Village Inn Restaurants 226 167 Pet Supplies “Plus” 225 168 Doubletree Hotels 217 169 Paul Davis Restoration 217

170 SpringHill Suites 208 171 Uno Chicago Grill 207 172 Jason’s Deli 204 173 Candlewood Suites 204 174 Embassy Suites Hotels 200 175 Primrose Schools 199 176 Valpak Direct Marketing 189 177 Tony Roma’s 189 178 Petland 187 179 Four Seasons Sunrooms 183 180 Famous Dave’s 170 181 On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina 165 182 ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings 164 183 Wingate by Wyndham 164 184 TownePlace Suites 163 185 Volvo Rents 163 186 Westin 162 187 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts 159 188 Staybridge Suites 152 189 Linc Network 148 190 Renaissance Hotels 141 191 The Melting Pot 140192 Four Points By Sheraton 134 193 Marie Callendar’s 133 194 J.D. Byrider 132 195 Ruth’s Chris Steak House 130 196 El Chico Cafe 114 197 Slumberland Furniture 113

198 1-800-Flowers 110 199 Houlihan’s 103 200 G.J.Gardner Homes 98 201 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts 82

FT 200 by Industry

0 10 20 30 40 50

Auto/Truck RentalAutomotice Services

EducationElder Care

EmploymentFinancial Services

Hair salonsHealth/Fitness

Home Services

MailingCommercial Maintenance

Medicine/PharmacyPets

Printing/GraphicsReal Estate

Retail-Convenience StoresRetail-Hardware

Retail-RentalRetail-Sporting GoodsRetail-Electronics/Video

SalesSignsTravel

Lodging

Informed franchIsees make the best brand partners

www.franchisetimes.com

To find out how you can arm your prospective franchi-sees with the informa-tion they need to make an informed decision to join your system, call 800-528-3296.

Julie Bennett has been writing about franchis-ing for a number

of publications, including Franchise Times and The Wall Street Journal. Franchise Times is the publication both franchi-sees and franchisors turn to for insights and information on business-format franchising and the success stories of the high-power people who make up the franchise community.

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©2009 Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc.

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Quick Reference: Top 200 Alphabetical Listing

Franchise Concept

WorldwideSalesRank

TotalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

1-800-Flowers 81 198 190 N/A7-Eleven 2 1 9 1A&W Restaurants 148 93 134 50Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership 66 52 44 116Ace Hardware 6 25 19 51Allegra Network 156 96 95 99AlphaGraphics 178 161 156 108ampm 29 32 56 17Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar 21 42 37 78Arby’s 32 27 23 71Auntie Anne’s Pretzels 159 70 73 58Baskin’ Robbins 72 20 30 11Batteries Plus 199 148 136 N/ABig O Tires 89 112 104 N/ABlockbuster 14 14 17 13Bojangles’ Restaurants 107 130 120 135Boston Pizza Restaurants 83 140 198 41Budget Blinds 198 69 65 80Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar 74 95 88 N/ABurger King 5 7 6 7Candlewood Suites 162 173 163 N/ACaptain D’s Seafood Kitchen 127 103 97 N/ACarl’s Jr. 67 64 58 72CARSTAR 106 137 145 68Cartridge World 147 49 83 25Century 21 Real Estate 46 13 22 6Checkers & Rally’s Hamburgers 98 81 70 141Chick-fil-A 35 63 55 N/AChili’s Grill & Bar 26 53 52 62Church’s Chicken 76 50 54 33CiCi’s Pizza 113 92 84 N/ACinnabon 194 85 115 42Circle K Stores 8 15 26 8Clarion Hotels 163 156 177 69Clarion Inn and Clarion Suites 112 160 178 70Cold Stone Creamery 129 55 53 67Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation 17 28 28 28

Comfort Inn & Comfort Suites 31 35 35 30Comfort Keepers 172 102 99 104Country Inn & Suites 87 111 110 110Courtyard 30 82 78 83Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System 157 10 5 35Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts 37 149 169 65

Franchise Concept

WorldwideSalesRank

TotalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

Culver’s Frozen Custard & Butterburgers 102 139 125 N/A

Curves 73 9 10 10Dairy Queen 39 21 18 22Days Inn 53 46 41 63Del Taco 115 109 101 N/ADenny’s 42 51 46 86Dollar Thrifty Automotive 61 48 91 23Domino’s Pizza 19 12 16 9Doubletree Hotels 54 168 164 122Dunkin’ Donuts 18 11 8 15Econo Lodge 122 80 71 96Edible Arrangements 174 84 76 97Einstein Bros. Bagels 152 114 106 N/AEl Chico Cafe 195 196 189 143El Pollo Loco 105 132 122 N/AEmbassy Suites Hotels 55 174 168 133ERA Real Estate 108 33 61 18Express Employment Professionals 58 100 98 102Fairfield Inn 78 101 92 130Famous Dave’s 132 180 172 N/AFantastic Sams Hair Salons 144 59 50 N/AFastsigns 168 104 113 85Fazoli’s 197 164 149 150Five Guys Burger & Fries 173 144 131 N/AFour Points By Sheraton 95 192 193 103Four Seasons Sunrooms 191 179 171 128Friendly’s 101 110 102 N/AFuddruckers 160 165 154 137G.J.Gardner Homes 143 200 201 81GNC 56 24 24 21Goddard School (The) 169 150 138 N/AGolden Corral Family Restaurants 68 116 108 N/AGreat Clips 90 34 31 90H&R Block Tax Services 23 4 3 19Hampton Inn & Hampton Inn & Suites 25 47 42 98

Hardee’s 57 45 40 59Health Mart 20 40 34 N/AHilton 11 107 148 46Hilton Garden Inn 52 121 116 107Holiday Inn Express 24 43 39 53Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts 15 58 63 32Home Instead Senior Care 97 79 87 47



Franchise Concept

WorldwideSalesRank

TotalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

Homewood Suites by Hilton 84 159 146 131Hooters Restaurants 79 127 127 89Houlihan’s 186 199 192 N/AHoward Johnson International 117 117 133 74Hungry Howie’s Pizza 190 98 90 N/AIHOP Restaurants 48 56 49 125InterContinental Hotels & Resorts 40 187 197 76Interiors by Decorating Den 118 125 118 112J.D. Byrider 110 194 182 N/AJack in the Box 34 38 32 N/AJackson Hewitt Tax Service 100 16 7 N/AJamba Juice 135 88 79 148Jani-King 93 6 4 16Jason’s Deli 131 172 162 N/AJenny Craig Weight Loss Centres 103 86 89 64Jiffy Lube 71 41 36 95Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches 123 83 72 N/AJohnny Rockets 177 158 152 100Keller Williams Realty 49 91 81 126KFC 3 5 14 4Krispy Kreme Doughnuts 88 108 157 45Krystal 137 141 128 N/AKwik Kopy Printing 187 123 186 37La Quinta Inns & Suites 70 87 77 145Labor Finders 181 162 147 N/ALinc Network 130 189 185 117Long John Silver’s Restaurants 86 68 59 105MAACO Collision Repair & Auto Painting 142 122 117 113

Marie Callendar’s 180 193 184 149Marriott Hotels, Resorts & Suites 10 106 135 61Matco Tools 182 61 48 106McAlister’s Deli 158 157 144 N/AMcDonald’s 1 2 2 2Medicine Shoppe 43 57 67 31Meineke Car Care Centers 141 74 69 87Microtel Inns & Suites Franchising 185 152 143 124Midas Auto Service Experts 69 36 45 24Minuteman Press 134 71 74 54Moe’s Southwest Grill 166 138 126 138Motel 6 80 76 66 129Mr. Rooter 184 146 151 73On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina 133 181 175 136

Franchise Concept

WorldwideSalesRank

TotalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning 171 163 150 139Panera Bread 38 60 51 144Papa John’s Pizza 47 31 29 29Papa Murphy’s Take ’N’ Bake 111 65 57 123Paul Davis Restoration 126 169 159 N/APerkins Restaurant & Bakery 85 118 111 120Pet Supplies “Plus” 125 167 158 N/APetland 179 178 183 91Pizza Hut 7 8 11 5Play It Again Sports 200 147 140 101Pollo Campero 128 151 199 49Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen 59 44 43 39Primrose Schools 188 175 166 N/AProforma 164 90 82 94ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings 119 182 174 142Qdoba Mexican Grill 149 126 114 N/AQuality Inn & Suites 64 62 62 36Quiznos Sub 50 23 20 27RadioShack 27 19 13 57Radisson Hotels 33 136 180 48Ramada 60 78 93 38Re/Max International 12 18 21 14Red Robin 77 128 119 119Red Roof Inns 146 143 129 N/ARenaissance Hotels 51 190 195 88Residence Inn 44 99 94 118Results! Travel 189 77 64 N/ARoto-Rooter 94 97 96 111Round Table Pizza 139 113 105 N/ARuby Tuesday 63 73 68 92Ruth’s Chris Steak House 114 195 187 127Sbarro the Italian Eatery 91 66 75 40Schlotzsky’s 196 145 137 114ServiceMaster Clean 62 26 27 20SERVPRO 82 54 47 N/ASheraton 16 134 160 56Signarama 116 72 85 43Sir Speedy 155 129 139 75Sizzler Restaurants 120 155 165 82Sleep Inn and Sleep Inn & Suites 138 142 132 121Slumberland Furniture 154 197 188 N/ASonic, America’s Drive-In 45 106 102 109Spherion 45 105 103 109


Franchise Concept

WorldwideSalesRank

TotalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

SpringHill Suites 99 170 161 147Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner 136 153 141 N/AStaybridge Suites 150 188 179 146Steak n’ Shake 92 115 107 N/ASubway 4 3 1 3Super 8 65 39 38 52Supercuts 104 37 33 60Sylvan Learning Centers 140 67 60 77T.G.I. Friday’s 36 75 86 44Taco Bell 13 22 15 55Taco John’s 176 131 121 N/ATAF/The Athlete’s Foot 151 94 153 34The Melting Pot 200 191 181 N/ATim Hortons 22 30 100 12Tony Roma’s 161 177 200 66TownePlace Suites 153 184 173 N/A

Franchise Concept

WorldwideSalesRank

TotalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

Travel Leaders 175 119 109 N/ATravelodge 121 120 130 79Tuffy/Car-X 192 133 123 N/AUnishippers 165 154 142 N/AUno Chicago Grill 124 171 167 132Valpak Direct Marketing 145 176 170 134Village Inn Restaurants 167 166 155 N/AVolvo Rents 183 185 194 84Wendy’s 9 17 12 26Westin 41 186 191 93Whataburger 75 89 80 N/AWingate by Wyndham 170 183 176 140Wingstop 193 135 124 N/AWyndham Hotels & Resorts 109 201 196 115Zaxby’s 96 124 112 N/A


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The Next 100 Top Franchises

Rank Franchise Concept Parent Company Worldwide Sales ($M)

Domestic Units Total Units

Percent Franchised

202 Old Chicago Pasta & Pizza Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc. $233 98 98 35%

203 Baymont Inn & Suites Wyndham Hotel Group 232* 227 227 100%

204 Blimpie Subs & Salads Kahala Corp. 228 1090 1090 100%

205 Huddle House Griddle Holdings, Inc. 227 424 424 96%

206 PostNet PostNet International Franchise Corporation

227 412 867 100%

207 Max & Erma’s G&R Management Services 225 110 110 28%

208 Molly Maid Service Brands Int’l. 221 424 601 100%

209 Wireless Zone Automotive Technologies Inc. 221 296 296 100%

210 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s FSC Franchise Co., LLC 217 266 266 100%

211 Cost Cutters Regis Corporation 216 851 851 57%

212 Rainbow International The Dwyer Group 211 190 344 100%

213 Peter Piper Pizza Peter Piper, Inc. 208 96 134 72%

214 Advance Realty Advance Realty 204 18 18 100%

215 Western Sizzlin Western Sizzlin Corp. 199 110 110 95%

216 Martinizing Dry Cleaning Martin Franchises Inc. 193 279 529 100%

217 Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems JAN-PRO Franchising International, Inc.

190 8874 8888 100%

218 AmericInn AmericInn International, LLC 190 220 220 100%

219 Certa ProPainters The Franchise Company 189 348 375 100%

220 Bruegger’s Bagels Sun Capital Partners, Inc 189 286 286 35%

221 Oreck Clean Home Center Oreck Direct, LLC 189 450 450 80%

222 Two Men and a Truck Two Men and a Truck International, Inc.

188 173 180 99%

223 Firehouse Subs Firehouse Restaurant Group 183 366 366 92%

224 Hawthorn Suites Wyndham Hotel Group 177 86 90 100%

225 Rodeway Inn Choice Hotels International 177* 352 356 100%

226 Hot Stuff Foods Hot Stuff Foods 176 1168 1176 100%

227 CruiseOne WTH - World Travel Holdings 172 570 571 100%

228 TacoTime Kahala Corp. 171 242 367 100%

229 Granite Transformations Rocksolid Granit USA Inc. 168 79 156 100%






Percent Franchised

230 Huntington Learning Centers Huntington Learning Centers, Inc.

165 368 368 91%

231 Plato’s Closet Winmark Corporation 164 243 243 100%

232 Stockade Companies Stockade Companies 164 68 92 99%

233 Precision Tune Auto Care Precision Franchising LLC 162 277 377 98%

234 Anytime Fitness Anytime Fitness, Inc. 160 950 980 99%

235 Sport Clips Sport Clips, Inc. 152 623 623 98%

236 ColorTyme ColorTyme, Inc. 151 206 206 100%

237 The Original Pancake House The Original Pancake House Franchising, Inc.

150 111 111 99%

238 PostalAnnex Annex Brands, Inc. 150 319 321 100%

239 Pizza Inn Pizza Inn, Inc. 149 253 321 99%

240 Gatti’s Pizza Mr. Gatti’s, LP 149 137 137 85%

241 Togo’s Togo’s Eateries, Inc. 148 243 243 98%

242 Comet Cleaners Comet Cleaners Franchise Group LLC

143 300 312 100%

243 Glass Doctor The Dwyer Group 140 163 165 100%

244 Back Yard Burgers Back Yard Burgers, Inc. 140 150 150 70%

245 Pita Pit Pita Pit USA, Inc. 137 170 282 98%

246 Once Upon A Child Winmark Corporation 136 206 230 100%

247 HobbyTown USA Hobby Town Unlimited, Inc. 136 166 166 99%

248 Steamatic Steamatic, Inc. 136 272 372 100%

249 Fox’s Pizza Den Fox’s Pizza Den, Inc. 135 306 306 100%

250 Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Clockwork Home Services, Inc. 134 249 249 95%

251 Knights Franchise Systems Wyndham Hotel Group 132* 285 301 100%

252 Maids Home Services, The The Maids International 131 1034 1066 98%

253 Carvel Ice Cream FOCUS Brands 131 462 505 96%

254 Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers Raising Cane’s USA, LLC 130 79 79 16%

255 Villa Pizza/Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen

Villa Enterprises Management 128 225 250 35%

256 Express Oil Change Express Oil Change, LLC 128 180 180 62%






Percent Franchised

257 Pak Mail Pak Mail Centers of America, Inc.

125 355 490 100%

258 PIP Printing & Marketing Services

Franchise Services, Inc. 123 139 145 100%

259 Wild Birds Unlimited Wild Birds Unlimited, Inc. 119 266 279 100%

260 Adventures in Advertising AIA Holding 118 302 302 100%

261 Nathan’s Famous Nathan’s Famous Inc. 117 236 254 98%

262 First Choice Haircutters Regis Corporation 113 443 443 42%

263 Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc.

112 279 326 98%

264 Penn Station East Coast Subs Penn Station Incorporated 112 200 200 99%

265 1-800-GOT-JUNK? 1-800-GOT-JUNK? LLC 111 235 239 100%

266 Grease Monkey Grease Monkey Intl. 108 194 246 99%

267 Right at Home Right at Home Inc. 108 155 155 99%

268 Mrs. Fields Mrs. Fields Famous Brands 105 289 385 100%

269 CleanNet USA CleanNet USA 104 3963 3963 100%

270 Great American Cookies NexCen Brands, Inc. 103 298 299 100%

271 The Little Gym The Little Gym International 102 267 315 100%

272 Tropical Smoothie Cafes Tropical Smoothie Franchise Development Corp.

102 266 296 99%

273 Pizza Ranch Pizza Ranch Inc. 101 145 145 100%

274 Foot Solutions Foot Solutions, Inc. 101 199 243 99%

275 Rita’s Italian Ice Rita’s Water Ice Franchise Company

100 555 555 100%

276 Planet Fitness Planet Fitness 99 251 251 96%

277 Link Staffing Services Franklink, Inc. 98 59 59 83%

278 Fitness Together Fitness Together Franchise Corp. 97 410 417 100%

279 Kiddie Academy Kiddie Academy International 97 101 101 94%

280 Great Harvest Bread Co. Great Harvest Franchising Inc. 95 209 209 100%

281 Marco’s Pizza Marco’s Franchising, LLC 93 182 182 100%

282 Great Steak & Potato Kahala Corp. 93 191 199 99%

283 Marble Slab Creamery NexCen Brands Inc. 90 300 358 100%






Percent Franchised

284 Golf USA Golf USA, Inc. 90 70 110 95%

285 Liberty Tax Service JTH Tax, Inc. 88 2872 3117 98%

286 Lawn Doctor Lawn Doctor 87 478 478 100%

287 Closets By Design Home Organizers, Inc. 86 43 45 93%

288 Relax the Back Relax the Back Corporation 86 120 122 100%

289 EmbroidMe United Franchise Group 85 351 442 100%

290 Quaker Steak & Lube Lube Holdings 85 31 31 81%

291 Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network (CRDN)

Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network, LLC

82 124 145 100%

292 Bruster’s Real Ice Cream Bruster’s Real Ice Cream 80 241 241 98%

293 Pretzel Time NexCen Brands 80 241 241 98%

294 Signs Now Allegra Network 78 190 205 100%

295 Value Place Value Place Franchise Services, LLC

75 123 123 70%

296 Green Mill Restaurants Green Mill Restaurants, Inc. 75 30 30 100%

297 Maid Brigade Maid Brigade, Inc. 70 418 493 100%

298 TCBY Mrs. Fields Famous Brands 70 477 664 100%

299 PuroClean PuroSystems, Inc. 69 230 231 100%

300 Saladworks Saladworks, LLC 67 110 110 96%

301 Fatburger Fog Cutter Capital Group, Inc. 67 82 92 61%


To find out what’s going on in the world of franchising in between issues, check out our Facebook page, as well as our Tweeting.

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Texas .................................................27California ..........................................23Georgia .............................................16New Jersey ........................................12Minnesota .........................................10Florida ..............................................10

New York ........................................... 8Colorado ............................................ 8Maryland ........................................... 8New York ........................................... 8Ohio ...................................................7District of Columbia ...........................7

Pennsylvania .......................................5North Carolina ...................................5Kentucky ............................................5Massachusetts .....................................5Oklahoma ...........................................4Illinois .................................................4

Top Franchisors by Home StateEverything is bigger in Texas, and apparently the same holds true for franchising. The Lone Star State is home to the largest number of franchisors on the Top 200. Following is a list of the states where the most top franchisors call home. As you can see, franchisors don’t necessarily start where the people live—though that helps.

Be part of Franchise Times’ new twice-annual

SuperBook of Franchise Opportunities.

Contact Kevin Pietsch at [email protected]

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Franchise Times Top 200 Methodology

The Franchise Times 200 is an annual ranking of the 200 largest franchise systems in the U.S. by worldwide sales for the previous calendar year. The numbers come from a combination of companies’ voluntary reports and Franchise Times estimates based on publicly available data.

To qualify, a company must be a legal, U.S. franchise. At least 15 percent of the company’s total units must be owned or operated by independent franchisees. The company must also be based in the United States, or have at least 15 percent of its total units located in the U.S.

Systemwide sales is defined as the total sales, worldwide, for both franchise and company units. Those sales figures should represent sales

to customers, and not corporate sales to franchisees or prospective franchisees—such as royalty revenue or franchise fees. Other revenues not directly related to franchising are also not included.

If two companies have reported the same amount in systemwide sales, the higher ranking is given to the company with the most units Play It Again Sports and The Melting Pot were both included in the list at 200. Both reported $235 million in revenue.

Franchise Times estimated revenues for hotels is based on a formula multiplying reported RevPar numbers (revenue per available room) by the number of rooms and the number of days in the year. The estimate is reduced a certain percentage if the

company opened units during the year, and is increased if it had a net reduction. RevPar comes either from companies’ own reports or industry estimates.

Franchise Times estimates for real estate companies is based on 2.5 percent of the companies’ reported sales volume. Real estate companies report sales based on total volume of homes sold. So a home sold for $200,000 would be listed as $200,000 in revenue. FT’s estimate would count $5,000 in revenue earned from the sale.

Estimates for travel agencies is based on 10 percent of total sales volume.

How the Top 200 Were Selected

www.aafd.org

Franchising is like golf...

ranchising is a crowded field. Before you can bring

franchisees through your door, you have to help them

over an enormous hurdle: trust. They won’t sit down to

consider your franchise until they know that yours is a stand-up

organization.

That’s why the Fair Franchising Seal is so important. It’s a clear

sign that says integrity. Fair play. And commitment to a business

model in which all players win.

The Fair Franchising Seal comes from only one source, the

American Association of Franchisees & Dealers, an independent

trade association dedicated to promoting collaborative franchise

cultures that embrace equitable franchising practices. As an

objective third-party, we’re uniquely qualified to review your

franchise’s practices, policies and contracts. If your organization

meets the standards required for fair franchising, the AAFD can

honor you with credibility -- a Fair Franchising Seal that helps you

stand out among your competitors.

Visit www.aafd.org/golf to learn more about the AAFD and Total Quality Franchising. Then take a step towards Fair Franchising Seal accreditation by calling Cynthia Ritchie at 1-800-733-9858 Ext. 120 or email [email protected]

“Earning the AAFD Fair Franchising Seal gets the attention of our franchisee

prospects and validates our franchise culture that fosters a genuine working relationship

between us and our franchises.”Terry L. Kline, Senior

Vice President Franchise Development Settle Inn

and Guest House Franchise Systems LLC

Unless you’re playing the fairway...it’s going to be rough.and... your prospects are looking for the AAFD Fair Way

Looking for a Total Quality franchise opportunity? Limit your search to AAFD Accredited Franchisors.

©2007 American Association of Franchisees & Dealers

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