The fitness industry now stands at $31 billion, and the franchise model is taking a healthy chunk of that. That share, however, is getting sliced and diced with every next-wave fitness concept that hits on some of the biggest trends.

The street taco concept's acquisition by Buffalo Wild Wings in 2014 was seen as a gift, but then activist investors came knocking, culminating in the recent sale to Roark Capital. R Taco is soldiering on amid the tumult.

Every year, 7-Eleven Inc. holds a giant convention and trade show meant to “recognize and celebrate our franchisees” at what's called the 7-Eleven Experience. This year, the presidents of all 43 franchisee owners associations voted unanimously to skip the event, planned for February, and want the 6,700-plus members they represent to stay away, too.

There's no one-size-fits-all model for Focus Brands as international expansion continues for Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon. Instead it's about adjusting to the local market—and the local challenges—to offer an indulgent snacking experience.

We'll follow DMK Burger Bar, Huey Magoo's Chicken Tenders and Digital Doc throughout the year as these emerging brands tackle the challenges of franchising. Up first: getting the model right.

Each component of the red flag with its large yellow star and four smaller yellow stars has a meaning. The color red symbolizes revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes—the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists)—united under the Communist Party of China.

In early October, I flew Down Under to attend the International Bar Association's annual conference. When I walked out of the Sydney Airport, I was greeted by a huge billboard advertising a pickup truck made by a Chinese car maker, Shanghai Automotive International Group (the joint venture partner of Volkswagen and GM in China, which never franchised its dealer network).

Anyone familiar with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, knows that Italy is one of the most decorated international soccer teams in the world. So it shocked the world when, for the first time in nearly 60 years, the four-time world champions did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Some business-owning families band together out of necessity. Others, like the Youngs of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, do so to keep family together. The franchise “was a great vehicle for my kids to help me grow a business—and to keep them close to home, selfishly speaking,” concedes dad Mike, a Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers franchisee since 2014 “We are now the epitome of a family-owned business.”

The activist hedge fund that assailed Buffalo Wild Wings made some money, but nowhere near what it projected.