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Red Robin Closes $115 Million Credit Facility as Refranchising Cycle Ends
07/10/2026Red Robin Gourmet Burgers completed a $115 million refinancing on October 2, 2026, closing a new five-year credit facility led by JPMorgan Chase that matures in October 2031. The casual-dining franchise chain says the refinancing provides greater financial flexibility to…
Wendy’s Files $146.9 Million Claim Against Meritage as Closures Accelerate
06/10/2026Wendy's International has filed a claim totaling $146.9 million against bankrupt franchisee Meritage Hospitality Group, as 10 of Meritage's restaurants have permanently closed since the September 17 Chapter 11 filing. At the heart of the dispute is a franchise termination…
Top 10 Most Profitable Franchises in the U.S. in 2026
05/10/2026The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Documents now cover a full year of 2025 results, and several brands disclose more than average sales. Some publish EBITDA, operating cash flow or store-level margins for franchised units. This guide looks at the most profitable…
El Pollo Loco Targets New York with Three Development Deals and 16 Committed Units
05/10/2026El Pollo Loco, a fire-grilled chicken franchise brand with more than 500 locations across 10 states, announced on September 29, 2026, three franchise development agreements targeting the New York market. The deals commit to 15 new restaurants over five years.…
Batteries Plus Signs 19 New Franchise Agreements in Q3 2026
05/10/2026Batteries Plus signed 19 new franchise agreements in the third quarter of 2026, the brand announced on October 2. Combined with 15 agreements finalized in the first half of the year, the specialty battery and device repair franchise brand has…
Senate Confirms Sonderling as Secretary of Labor: Franchise Joint Employer Rule Holds
02/10/2026The US Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as the 31st Secretary of Labor on September 30, 2026, in a 47-41 vote, ending a six-month period in which he had served in an acting capacity after his predecessor resigned in April. The…
Scooter’s Coffee Completes Second Capital Move in Four Months With M-One Capital Recapitalization
02/10/2026Scooter's Coffee, which has grown from a single drive-through in Bellevue, Nebraska in 1998 to more than 930 locations across 32 states with $875 million in systemwide sales, announced on October 1, 2026 that M-One Capital had completed an equity…
Choice Hotels Acquires RV Travel Network Harvest Hosts for $130 Million
01/10/2026Franchise brand Choice Hotels International announced on September 30, 2026, that it will acquire Harvest Hosts, the largest private RV camping network in North America, for approximately $130 million in cash. The transaction, which closed on October 1, expands Choice…
TGI Fridays Signs Its First US Franchise Development Deal in Over a Decade
01/10/2026TGI Fridays filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2024 and closed a net of over 200 US locations in two years, leaving the chain with just 69 domestic restaurants by mid-2026. On October 1, its new owner Sugarloaf Hospitality…
Franchise Times Top 400 2026: McDonald’s Leads the Pack at $139.4 Billion
01/10/2026The 2026 edition of the Franchise Times Top 400, the most closely watched annual ranking in the US franchise industry, places McDonald’s at the top among franchise brands, with $139.4 billion in global systemwide sales across 45,356 locations. The ranking…
