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Choice Hotels Acquires RV Travel Network Harvest Hosts for $130 Million
Franchise 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
TGI 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
The 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…
ValorBuilt Fence Expands Its Fence Distribution Business Through Franchising
ValorBuilt Fence, a residential fencing brand backed by a fence distributor with eight Midwest distribution centers, is recruiting its first franchisees. The company lists more than 50 available territories in ten regions. As of late September 2026, it does not…
Village Inn Franchisee Files 5th Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in Florida Since June 2026
A Village Inn location in Oldsmar, Florida filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 18, 2026, marking the fifth such filing by franchisees managed by Lloyd D. Lehan IV since June of this year. The Oldsmar filing lists liabilities of…
Gold’s Gym Returns to Southern California With 15-Unit Franchise Development Agreement
Gold's Gym is returning to Southern California with a 15-unit franchise development agreement signed with Roknipour Investment Group, covering Los Angeles and Orange County. The deal marks a formal re-entry into a market the Venice Beach-born gym franchise brand vacated…
Wendy’s Cuts Dividend to $0.28 and Its Largest Franchisee Files Chapter 11
Wendy's cut its annualized dividend to $0.28 per share when it reported Q2 2026 results in August, citing deep pressure across its franchise system. Six weeks later, the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Meritage Hospitality Group, its largest franchisee with 314…
New SBA Lending Rules for Franchise Acquisitions Take Effect October 1, 2026
New SBA lending rules taking effect October 1, 2026, will raise the financial requirements for franchise financing and acquisition deals involving existing franchise brands across the United States. Under SOP 50 10 8.1, debt-service coverage thresholds increase for change-of-ownership transactions,…
Jamba Franchise System Records 130 Terminations Over Three Years
Jamba, the smoothie franchise chain owned by GoTo Foods, terminated, did not renew, or reacquired 130 franchise agreements over a three-year period ending in 2026, according to figures published in the brand's current Franchise Disclosure Document. The termination rate is…
“We Buy Ugly Houses” Former Franchisee Sentenced to 15 Years for $39M Fraud
Charles Carrier, former president of a Dallas-based HomeVestors franchise operating under the "We Buy Ugly Houses" brand, was sentenced on September 24, 2026, to more than 15 years in federal prison for a $39 million investment fraud that defrauded more…
