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XP Factory’s franchised estate shrinks as owner-operated sites grow
08/09/2026XP Factory's audited results for the year to 29 March 2026 show group turnover up 3% to £59.6 million and adjusted EBITDA down to £5.5 million. For a franchise audience the figures underneath matter more: Escape Hunt's franchised sites fell…
7th Heaven confirms 13 more UK shops and 56 franchise agreements signed
08/09/20267th Heaven, the Indian bakery chain that opened its first UK shop in Reading in September 2025, now puts its UK estate at 13 shops trading, with 13 more in the pipeline and 56 franchise agreements signed. The next wave…
What Is a Franchise? A UK Guide to How Franchising Works
04/09/2026The British Franchise Association's 2024 National Franchise Survey put the sector's contribution to the UK economy at £19.1 billion across 1,009 systems and 50,421 units. Unlike France or the United States, the UK has no franchise-specific statute. This guide sets…
Fireaway Pizza opens its first convenience store concession
04/09/2026Fireaway Pizza has opened a concession inside a convenience store, launching a pizza counter within the Welcome Rickmansworth store run by Southern Co-op franchise partner Dilan Patel. Fireaway operates 160 UK restaurants and has opened more than 100 of them…
Caffè Nero owner posts record £670m sales
03/09/2026The Nero Group, owner of Caffè Nero, posted record sales of £670 million for the year to 31 May 2026, up 8% on the previous year, as its core coffee brand delivered like-for-like growth of 4.5%. The group opened 72…
Bunsik opens in Coventry and Birmingham, its first Midlands sites
03/09/2026Korean street food chain Bunsik will open two Midlands sites this autumn, in Coventry this month and at Birmingham's Bullring in October, extending its franchise partnership with ZK Group after the operator's earlier launch in Plymouth. The Midlands debut continues…
Raising Cane’s to open first UK restaurant in London
03/09/2026Raising Cane's, the American chicken fingers chain that has overtaken KFC to become the third-largest chicken restaurant business in the United States, has confirmed its first UK restaurant will open in Piccadilly Circus in late 2026. The London flagship will…
Dirt Coffee nears its first international master franchise deal
02/09/2026Dirt Coffee, the low-cost coffee and matcha franchise founded by Triple Two Coffee's David Hodgetts, is closing in on its first international master franchise agreement, trade title Propel reported this week. Hodgetts said he was confident of reaching 100 sites…
Franchise agreements in the UK: what you need to know
01/04/2026A franchise agreement contract is a legally binding contract between a brand owner, or the franchisor, and the operator, or the franchisee. This allows the franchisee to operate a business using the franchisor’s brand, intellectual property and business model. Understanding…
Explore Franchise Opportunities at the International Franchise Show 2026
11/03/2026The International Franchise Show 2026, the UK’s premier event for aspiring business owners, returns to ExCeL London on 17–18 April. The two-day event brings together over 250 vetted franchise brands across more than 25 industries, providing attendees with the insights,…
