Franchise Times Names 10 Top Franchises to Buy

By Beth Ewen, Megan Glenn, Matthew Liedke, Laura Michaels and Emilee Wentland; Additional research by Matt Haskin

The hunt for the right franchise concept can prove complicated and overwhelming as prospective franchisees sift through thousands of brands in a multitude of industry segments. Even seasoned business professionals can find it daunting, and for first-time franchisees it can be hard to know where to start.

Should passion or practicality be the deciding factor? Is an emerging or mature system the way to go? Which franchise segments are seeing strong growth? The Franchise Times Zor Awards project is here to help navigate.

Designed to cut through the sales jargon and marketing speak, the Zor Awards, now in its seventh year, provides a top pick and two runners-up in each of 10 categories. We focus on return on investment in this project, which means profitability for the operator rather than top-line sales. (See page 33 for details on our methodology.)

Top-performing franchisees offer their honest insight and advice through interviews with the editorial team, and prospective owners can learn what it takes to drive sales and ultimately achieve success in each system. We also pull back the curtain on the franchisor-franchisee relationship as operators share what works and where they’d like to see improvement.

Do the research before you buy in and use the Zor Awards to uncover a treasure trove of information and wisdom from those who have traveled the path before.