“All the people that called the time of death on casual dining were wrong,” says Ray Blanchette, the CEO of TGI Fridays. The company this week…
Laura Michaels
Editor-in-chief of Franchise Times
About
Laura leads the overall editorial direction of Franchise Times. Her special emphasis on international franchise development provides a behind-the-scenes look at franchisees operating U.S. brands on a global scale.
• The brand’s founder will lead development efforts in the United Kingdom after signing a 400-unit franchise agreement, while in the U.S., CEO…
Playa Bowls was already growing at a healthy clip by the time Sycamore Partners acquired it from Tamarix Equity Partners and Pacific General i…
Shifting the consumer mindset from viewing stretching as a luxury to a “non-negotiable preventative health necessity,” is both the biggest cha…
Club Pilates crossed the 1,000-unit mark in 2024 and ended the year with 1,198 global studios. That’s a 45 percent increase from 2022, and Pre…
“Put patients first.” That’s the straightforward approach to growth for Vital Care CEO Steve Foreman, and a logical one for a company that pro…
Even though it dropped from its No. 3 spot on this ranking, Scooter’s is growing at an impressive rate, with systemwide sales up 81.5 percent …
In her monthly "Grab Bag" column, Editor in Chief Laura Michaels asks the tough questions—What superhero power would you most like to have? Wh…
The longest federal government shutdown in United States history—43 days—didn’t help the development outlook among franchisors who responded t…