Franchise Times 2008 Top 200

2008 Franchise Times

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Worldwide Sales

Total Operating Locations

—Domestic

—International

International %

Company Locations

Franchise Locations

Franchised %

$443.8 B

403,532

280,727

122,805

30%

72,313

331,219

82%

$423.6 B

405,056

284,749

120,307

30%

71,611

333,445

82%

$20.2 B

(1,524)

(4,022)

2,498

4.76%

-0.38%

-1.41%

2.08%

2007 2006 Dollars Percent

INSIDE THE FT 200Sales Ranking ...................... Pages 29-43Units Ranking...................... Pages 44-45Alphabetical List ................ Pages 46-49Companies on the Verge ....Pages 50-55

28 October 2008

By Jonathan Maze

T o get a sense of how the U.S. economy performed last year, don’t just look at the Franchise Times 200

as a whole, even though its sales kept pace with overall economic trends. Instead, look for the indi-vidual companies, and the sectors in which they operate.

In those numbers are a handful of key insights, some of which you might expect: The housing market hammered real estate companies, and high gas prices buoyed conve-nience store sales.

A few others may come as a sur-prise: Hotels performed well, and casual-dining chains not only kept their places on the list, they remarkably added to their num-ber despite analysts’ near-universal views that the sector is in the dol-drums.

The list also says that the big-gest of the biggest U.S. franchisors continue to flex their muscles. The top 20 remains mostly intact from a year ago, and the two largest franchisors put even more dis-tance between them and the rest of the pack.

McDonald’s remains firmly entrenched at the top. Its system-wide sales increased 12 percent after a year in which it could seemingly do no wrong. Despite that, No. 2, 7-Eleven, managed to reduce the distance between it and the top spot by increasing its worldwide sales an astonishing 27 percent. (See our cover story for more on this brand.)

Nearly all the remaining top 10 saw sales growth, even if it wasn’t as strong as the two giants. No. 3 KFC ($1.8 billion in system-wide sales growth), No. 4 Burger King ($1.2 billion growth), No. 6

Subway ($1.3 billion growth) and eighth-ranked Circle K ($1.4 bil-lion growth) can look back on 2007 with notable fondness.

Circle K, along with 7-Eleven and another chain, ampm, all demonstrated the strong sales growth in the convenience-store sector. Led in part by high gas prices, the nation’s gas stations saw sales increase 6 percent last year, according to federal numbers—though the stores themselves note that increased gas sales don’t usu-ally result in bigger profits. Ampm, the BP-owned franchise, contin-ued its solid showing, jumping up 10 spots from 39 to 29 on the strength of systemwide sales growth of nearly 30 percent.

While they may not have had the sales strength of the conve-nience stores, many other retailers on the list grew strongly despite some burgeoning economic prob-lems that took hold at the end of the year. Among the surprises: Blockbuster was No. 13 on the list, up from No. 16 a year ago, thanks largely to 18-percent growth in systemwide revenue at a time when competition from all sides has been eating away at much of its typical customer base. Other retailers, like Matco Tools, General Nutrition Centers and The Athlete’s Foot also saw reve-nue growth. Retailers added one name to the top 100: the grow-ing floral company 1-800 Flowers, debuting at No. 82.

Some retailers could not shake the challenges facing their busi-ness. Radio Shack, which is facing a decline in mall traffic and intense competition from bigger electronic retailers, fell to 23rd from No. 20 after a 16-per-cent decline in revenue.

Elder care companies don’t

have nearly the presence on the list that retailers do—only two—but they may become more common. Or at least those on the list should continue to grow as the popula-tion ages. Home-based senior-care company Comfort Keepers moved up to 182 from 198. And sector leader Home Instead Senior Care shot up to No. 110 thanks to nearly 25-percent revenue growth.

That growth isn’t a surprise. This is: Casual dining restau-rants fared well in 2007. The list includes several new additions of casual-dining chains, such as Peter Piper Pizza (198), The Melting Pot (196), Old Chicago (195) and El Chico Café (188). And others grew substantially, led by Chili’s, now No. 21 on the 200 after sys-temwide revenue grew 15 percent to $4.3 billion—it’s now threaten-ing No. 20 Applebee’s, which saw revenues fall to $4.6 billion from $4.7 billion, for the right to call itself the nation’s largest casual-dining chain.

T.G.I. Friday’s, meanwhile, moved up to No. 33 from No. 40 thanks to an additional $318 million in revenue. Several oth-ers showed growth, even if it was more modest.

Incidentally, all four of the companies in the Top 200 that are listed as “fast-casual,” Panera Bread, McAllister’s Deli and Moe’s Southwest Grill, grew sub-stantially. And Jason’s Deli made its first appearance on the list. It had $427 million and showed up at No. 136.

There are far more (35) quick-service restaurants on the list, and once again they dominated the top spots and the biggest ones contin-ued to grow.

Yet QSR results were also mixed. Systemwide revenues at No.

15 Taco Bell fell 7.7 percent—the chain was hit hard by a combina-tion of public relations nightmares in the form of an East Coast e-coli outbreak, and competition from a fast-casual sector that is heavy on the Mexican food. Several other QSRs had more modest or stag-nant growth even though the declining economy would tend to favor them.

The economy didn’t hurt hotels last year—the effects of the econ-omy likely won’t show up until next year’s list. There’s one more hotel in the Top 200 thanks to the appearance of fast-growing Baymont at No. 191, and most of the 42 lodging companies on this year’s list boosted sales and their places among the 200. The top hotel franchise continued to be Marriott, which inched its way into the No. 10 spot with $8 billion in revenue. Among the notable jumps: Holiday Inn Express went from No. 33 to No. 26 after boosting revenue 20 per-cent; Red Roof moved up 24 spots to 122 after increasing sales 21 percent, and Travelodge moved up 27 spots to 129 after its reve-nues grew 26 percent.

On the other end of the spec-trum is the real-estate industry. Four real-estate franchisors are on the list, and each of them saw rev-enue declines last year thanks to the one of the worst housing mar-kets since the Great Depression. Century 21, which two years ago was 16th, fell nine spots to No. 31 this year. Revenues fell by nearly $1 billion at No. 12 Coldwell Banker, which still held onto its spot. Both Keller Williams (No. 41) and ERA (83) saw revenue declines, too.

Economic insightFT200 shows where the economy is going

Insight continued on 37

October 2008 29

RankPrior Rank Chain PaRent ComPany

Worldwide Sales ($m)

Domestic Units total Units

Percent Franchised

1 1 McDonald's McDonald's Corporation $63,554 13,862 31,377 65%

2 2 7-Eleven Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. $48,800 6,273 33,818 94%

3 4 KFC Yum! Brands, Inc. $16,000 5,273 13,639 76%

4 6 Burger King Burger King Holdings Inc. $13,908 7,482 11,395 89%

5 5 Ace Hardware Store Ace Hardware Corp. $12,500 4,410 4,630 100%

6 7 Subway Doctor’s Associates Inc. $11,300 21,195 28,546 100%

7 8 Pizza Hut Yum! Brands, Inc. $10,000 6,144 11,222 76%

8 10 Circle K Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. $9,530 3,075 6,712 61%

9 9 Wendy's Wendy's International, Inc. $9,000 5,936 6,645 79%

10 11 Marriott Hotels, Resorts & Suites

Marriott International $8,000 342 520 40%

11 13 Hilton Hilton Hotels Corporation $7,500 237 505 43%

12 12 Coldwell Banker Real Estate

Realogy Corporation $6,600 3,333 3,913 79%

13 16 Blockbuster Blockbuster Inc. $6,499 4,854 7,829 22%

14 15 Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts InterContinental Hotels Group $6,028 952 1,381 100%

Worldwide sales are in millions. * Franchise Times Estimate

Top 200 Franchise Chains by Worldwide Sales

TOP 200

Aaron’s Sale & Lease Ownership Contacts: Greg Tanner

Phone: 678-402-3629

E-Mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.aaronsfranchise.com

Aaron’s is North America’s lease-to-own franchise opportunity. Ranked #49 among franchise chains in worldwide sales by Franchise Times, Aaron’s is NYSE-listed with a 50+ year proven track record and over $2 billion in systemwide revenues. We’re reinventing the way a growing and underserved market acquires necessities like furniture, appliances, electronics and computers.

#49TOP 200

AlphaGraphics

Contacts: Jenny Langfeld

Phone: 800-528-4885

E-Mail: opportunity @alphagraphics.com

Web site: www.alphagraphics.com

AlphaGraphics has been the leader in print and visual communications for more than 35 years. With over 260 locations in the U.S. and eight countries, we set the standard for solutions in printing, marketing communications and document management. At AlphaGraphics, our mission is to work with people to plan, produce and manage their visual communications, helping them to achieve their goals more confidently and effectively.

#168

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Percent Franchised

15 14 Taco Bell Corp. Yum! Brands, Inc. $6,000 5,108 5,306 75%

16 17 Sheraton Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

$5,700 205 404 49%

17 21 Tim Hortons Tim Horton's Inc. $5,439 398 3,221 98%

18 18 Domino's Pizza Domino's Pizza, Inc. $5,428 5,155 8,624 93%

19 19 Dunkin' Donuts Dunkin Brands, Inc. $5,300 5,769 7,988 100%

20 22 Applebee's DineEquity, Inc. $4,600 1,980 2,080 78%

21 26 Chili's Grill & Bar Brinker International, Inc. $4,300 1,259 1,418 39%

22 24 H&R Block Tax Services H&R Block, Inc. $4,050 13,038 14,547 43%

23 20 RadioShack RadioShack Corp. $3,955 5,895 6,107 27%

24 27 Hampton Inn & Hampton Inn & Suites

Hilton Hotels Corporation $3,950 1,450 1,478 98%

25 29 Sonic Sonic Corp. $3,700 3,342 3,343 80%

26 33 Holiday Inn Express InterContinental Hotels Group $3,700 1,615 1,808 100%

27 28 Arby's Triarc Companies, Inc. $3,500 3,564 3,688 70%

28 32 Courtyard Marriott International, Inc. $3,500 693 767 60%


TOP 200

Contacts: Franchise Development Team

Phone: 888-894-2676

am/pm Too Much Good Stuff

The BP gasoline and ampm business includes fuel and convenience store franchises offered in the states of IL, IN, OH, GA, FL, PA. The ARCO gasoline and ampm convenience store franchises are offered in the states of CA, AZ, NV, WA and OR. Powerful, distinctive branding is the cornerstone of our high visibility in the convenience-store industry.

ampm sites produce about 18 million transactions a month with shop sales exceeding $1.0 Billion in the U.S. in 2007. A key element of ampm’s convenience strategy is the delivery of a differentiated and distinctive offer focused on meeting the needs of its target customer segments.

The ampm brand has meaning to its customers (irreverent, fun, satisfies urgent wants, indulgent...TOO MUCH GOOD STUFF). At ampm, there is always something more to get - it is okay to indulge yourself and give into your natural cravings.

This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for information purposes only. Currently, the following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises: CA, HI, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, VI, WA and WI. If you are a resident of one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your state. In addition, in NY an offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. © 2008 BP West Coast Products LLC All Rights Reserved. © 2008 BP Products North America Inc. All Rights Reserved.

#29 E-Mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.arcoampmfranchise.com or www.bpampmfranchise.com

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October 2008 31





Percent Franchised

29 39 ampm BP $3,490 926 2,854 92%

30 31 Comfort Inn & Suites Choice Hotels International $3,400 1,915 2,467 100%

31 23 CENTURY 21 Realogy Corporation $3,200 4,208 8,321 100%

32 35 Radisson Hotels Carlson Hotels Worldwide $2,950 157 398 94%

33 40 T.G.I.Friday's Carlson Restaurants Worldwide Inc.

$2,908 596 906 57%

34 36 Jack in the Box Jack in the Box Inc. $2,900 2,142 2,142 35%

35 3 Travel Leaders1 Travel Acquisitions Group $2,800 555 555 96%

36 45 Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A, Inc. $2,641 1,356 1,356 100%

37 44 Dairy Queen American Dairy Queen Corporation

$2,500 4,660 5,695 99%

38 34 Westin Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

$2,500 104 158 41%

39 49 Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts InterContinental Hotels Group $2,475 172 299 100%

40 43 Denny's Denny's Corporation $2,446 1,471 1,546 75%

41 42 Keller Williams Realty Keller Williams Realty $2,444 659 672 100%

42 55 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts

InterContinental Hotels Group $2,415 50 149 95%


TOP 200

Boston Pizza Restaurants, LP Contacts: Nick Booras

Phone: 972-484-9022


Web site: www.bostonsgourmet.com

Boston Pizza Restaurants is the franchisor of a full service casual dining restaurant concept with full service sports bar. BP has been in business for over 40 years with over 350 locations accross North America. Our menu has a strong pizza-pasta focus as well as favorites such as wings, burgers, and salads. We are seeking qualified developers to franchise units all accross the US.

#87

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1 Formarly Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates and no longer includes data from its sister company CWT

32 October 2008




Percent Franchised

43 52 Panera Bread Panera, LLC $2,271 1,167 1,167 57%

44 47 IHOP Restaurants DineEquity, Inc. $2,200 1,353 1,367 99%

45 38 Results! Travel Travel Acquisitions Group $2,200 924 924 100%

46 50 Residence Inn Marriott International, Inc. $2,180 528 546 75%

47 48 Papa John's Papa John's International, Inc. $2,149 2,760 3,208 79%

48 53 Quiznos Quiznos Master LLC $2,100 4,639 5,214 100%

49 58 Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership

Aaron Rents, Inc. $2,024 1,498 1,510 33%

50 51 Spherion Staffing and Recruiting

Spherion Corporation $2,017 721 721 22%

51 30 Dollar Rent a Car Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc.

$1,950 264 629 66%

52 63 Renaissance Marriott International, Inc. $1,950 71 141 37%

53 59 General Nutrition Centers GNC Franchising, LLC $1,900 3,576 4,801 43%

54 54 Ruby Tuesday Ruby Tuesday, Inc. $1,867 879 933 27%

55 62 Embassy Suites Hotels Hilton Hotels Corporation $1,850 181 189 62%

56 57 Hardee's CKE Restaurants, Inc. $1,802 1,751 1,926 71%



City Looks

Contacts: Alan Story

Phone: 1-888-888-7008


Web site: www.regisfranchise.com

City Looks customers have come to expect the luxury of a high-end salon experience. Its stylists pride themselves on excellent customer service, knowledge of up-to-the-minute hair trends and exceptional haircutting, coloring and styling skills. Offering a full array of salon and spa services in convenient strip-mall and open-air center locations, City Looks continues to successfully serve new and loyal customers.

TOP 200#92

Contacts: Sharon Williston Franchise Sales

Phone: 813-283-7133


Web site: www.checkers.com

Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. is the largest double drive-thru restaurant chain in the United States. The Company franchises, develops, owns and operates quick-service Checkers® and Rally’s® double drive-thru restaurants. In addition to our double drive-thru building, Checkers has recently introduced end-cap and in-line versions of the concept. Both offer lobby seating areas and the end-cap features a single drive-thru window.

Checkers Drive In Restaurants & Rallys Hamburgers

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October 2008 33




Percent Franchised

57 61 Days Inns Worldwide Wyndham Hotel Group $1,800 1,706 1,876 100%

58 60 Popeyes AFC Enterprises, Inc. $1,731 1,583 1,905 97%

59 64 ServiceMaster Clean The ServiceMaster Company $1,708 3,042 4,597 100%

60 68 Ramada Worldwide Wyndham Worldwide Corp. Hotel Group

$1,675 555 865 100%

61 71 Doubletree Hilton Hotels Corporation $1,575 179 183 77%

62 65 Golden Corral Family Restaurants

Golden Corral Corp. $1,530 482 482 78%

63 67 Quality Inn and Quality Suites

Choice Hotels International $1,525 828 1,210 100%

64 70 Super 8 Motels Wyndham Worldwide Corp. $1,500 1,899 2,095 100%

65 76 Hilton Garden Inn Hilton Hotels Corporation $1,500 330 349 97%

66 69 Jiffy Lube Pennzoil Quaker State Co. $1,470 2,122 2,165 89%

67 66 Midas Auto Service Experts Midas International Corporation $1,450 1,620 2,464 96%

68 72 Carl's Jr. CKE Restaurants, Inc. $1,449 1,037 1,141 64%

69 74 La Quinta Inns & Suites LQ Management LLC $1,400 631 633 39%

70 75 Baskin Robbins Dunkin Brands, Inc. $1,300 2,763 5,874 100%



TOP 200

Comfort Keepers

Contacts: Jim Brown

Phone: 888-801-1121

E-Mail: jimbrown @comfortkeepers.com

Web site: www.comfortkeepers.com

In just a decade, Comfort Keepers, a leading brand in the burgeoning in-home senior care industry, has grown from a single office to over 550 franchised territories in North America. With the number of seniors and adults requiring care expected to double within the next several decades, Comfort Keepers has built a system to allow franchisees to live the dream of owning a business while giving back to the community. Be part of this opportunity.

#182TOP 200

Cost Cutter’s


Phone: 1-888-888-7008

E-Mail: franchiseleads @regiscorp.com


Our concept responds to the universal desire: to get more, pay less and save time. Our insight into customer’s needs has helped us to become a dominant force in this lucrative value-salon sector – making Cost Cutters an extremely strong brand and a household name. Our convenient locations make us especially appealing to busy families and men. We employ expertly trained stylists who provide current hairstyles at an affordable price without the need for an appointment.

#193

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34 October 2008




Percent Franchised

71 73 Curves Curves International, Inc. $1,289 7,092 10,260 100%

72 56 Express Employment Professionals

Express Services, Inc. $1,195 560 604 99%

73 82 Whataburger Whataburger, Inc. $1,101 706 706 23%

74 81 Red Robin Red Robin Gourmet Burgers $1,100 366 384 35%

75 80 Church's Chicken Arcapita, Inc. $1,092 1,196 1,609 100%

76 85 Disaster Kleenup International

DKI Services Corporation $1,081 150 221 100%

77 84 Fairfield Inn Marriott International, Inc. $1,050 529 537 100%

78 87 Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar

Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. $1,017 493 493 67%

79 86 Hooters Restaurants Hooters of America $963 383 439 72%

80 83 Motel 6 Accor North America $950 908 918 26%

81 88 Perkins Restaurant & Bakery Perkins & Marie Callendar's LLC

$917 468 485 67%

82 1-800-Flowers 1-800-flowers.com $916 109 109 95%

83 79 ERA Realogy Corporation $900 1,275 2,971 99%

84 89 Long John Silver's Yum! Brands Inc. $800 1,081 1,118 71%



TOP 200

Dunkin’ Donuts

Contacts: Pam Gore

Phone: 781-737-3432

E-Mail: DunkinFranchising @dunkinbrands.com

Web site: www.DunkinFranchising.com

Dunkin’ Donuts is the country’s #1 retailer of hot and iced coffee, selling more than one billion cups of coffee a year and earning the #1 ranking for Customer Loyalty in the Coffee Category by Brand Keys for two years running. While Dunkin’ Donuts boasts more than 6,000 locations in the U.S., a majority of it’s restaurants are found in the Northeast. This is changing as Dunkin’ continues its steady and strategic expansion in the Southeast and Midwest. To learn more, visit: DunkinFranchising.com

#19TOP 200

Dairy Queen

Contacts: Franchise Development

Phone: 952-830-0200


Web site: www.dairyqueen.com

Two Powerful Brands….Two Great Concepts…. DQ® Grill & Chill® and DQ® Orange Julius®

American Dairy Queen Corporation is actively seeking experienced food service professionals interested in building the DQ® brand. We currently have both single-unit and multi-unit opportunities available. Our franchisees enjoy the benefits of DQ’s strong brand recognition, award-winning national advertising and exceptional franchise support programs. Contact us today and discover for yourself what DQ has to offer!

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October 2008 35




Percent Franchised

85 SERVPRO Servpro Industries, Inc. $788 1,430 1,430 100%

86 90 Krispy Kreme Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. $775 245 449 77%

87 92 Boston's The Gourmet Pizza Boston Pizza Restaurants LP $734 52 355 97%

88 98 Country Inn & Suites Carlson Hotels Worldwide $721 407 436 98%

89 95 Great Clips Great Clips, Inc. $689 2,593 2,647 100%

90 104 Sbarro the Italian Eatery Sbarro, Inc. $683 764 1,030 51%

91 102 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Worldwide Corp. $675 57 91 90%

92 97 Checkers Drive In Restaurants & Rallys Hamburgers

Checkers Drive-In Restaurants & Rallys Hamburgers

$654 825 830 68%

93 93 Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. $650 6,763 6,763 85%

94 99 Roto-Rooter Chemed $650 557 587 82%

95 96 Friendly's Sun Capital Partners, Inc. $650 522 522 39%

96 103 Four Points by Sheraton Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

$650 92 130 82%

97 109 Jani-King Jani-King International, Inc. $640 10,006 12,209 100%

98 100 Homewood Suites by Hilton Hilton Hotels Corporation $640 211 218 81%



Foot Solutions

Contacts: Debbie Fiorentino

Phone: 1-866-338-2597


Web site: www.footsolutions.com

Health and Wellness Specialty Retail; focusing on the Baby Boomer and 40 plus Market.

“Using our certified experts and state-of-the-art-technology, we help our clients look, feel and perform better through customized FOOT SOLUTIONS.” We have no major competitors, low labor requirements, great hours, high referral rate and high margins. We provide solutions for people with foot or related problems. You will receive an intensive 2 &1/2 week training program at our Certified Pedorthic Training Center at the Foot Solutions World Headquarters in Marietta, Georgia. Store set-up and hands on opening support, training videos, manuals and monthly conference calls are all part of the ongoing training process.

TOP 200#265

TOP 200

Fuddruckers

Contacts: Kelly Noriega

Phone: 866-691-0404

E-Mail: kelly.noriega @fuddruckers.com

Web site: www.fuddruckers.com

Fast Casual build your own “World’s Greatest hamburger” restaurant that offers a variety salads, Chicken and much more.

#153

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Percent Franchised

99 101 Big Boy Big Boy Restaurants International, Inc.

$618 269 362 93%

100 108 SuperCuts Regis Corporation $612 2,128 2,272 44%

101 110 CARSTAR CARSTAR Franchise Systems, Inc.

$594 275 397 99%

102 94 JD Byrider JD Byrider Systems, Inc. $593 130 130 89%

103 115 Culver's Frozen Custard & Butterburgers

Culver Franchising System, Inc. $590 372 372 98%

104 116 El Pollo Loco Trimarin Pollo Partners, LLC & Company Management

$578 389 389 59%

105 122 Sign-A-Rama United Franchise Group $570 632 953 100%

106 111 CiCi's Pizza CiCi's Enterprises, LP $570 622 622 96%

107 128 Zaxby's Zaxby's Franchising Inc. $563 409 409 83%

108 121 Bojangles' Bojangles' Restaurants, Inc. $562 389 396 63%

109 113 Clarion Inn and Clarion Suites Choice Hotels International $560 167 282 100%

110 135 Home Instead Senior Care Home Instead, Inc. $558 560 803 100%

111 114 Del Taco Sagittarius Brands $550 516 516 43%

112 119 Ruth's Chris Steak House Ruth's Hospitality Group, Inc. $545 106 118 48%



TOP 200#158

FASTSIGNS International, Inc.

Contacts: Franchise Development

Phone: 214-345-5600


Web site: http://franchise.fastsigns.com/

FASTSIGNS® is celebrating 22 years as the industry’s leading sign and graphic franchise. Our track record in network growth, sales performance and most importantly — franchisee support — is unsurpassed. For the third year in a row, FASTSIGNS has been voted “Best in Category” by Franchise Business Review. Our network of retail stores has grown to include over 550 locations in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Brazil. FASTSIGNS offers the most advanced operational and marketing systems in the industry. “FASTSIGNS is a great business model, and the franchisees in the system have been professional, forthcoming and a pleasure to know. It’s truly a franchise with which you build a business for yourself but not by yourself.” Says Linda Fong - FASTSIGNS owner in Oakland, CA and Hayward, CA

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October 2008 37

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Percent Franchised

113 112 ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings

CCA Global Partners, Inc. $542 160 163 99%

114 130 Springhill Suites Marriott International, Inc. $525 176 177 86%

115 120 Sizzler Restaurants Sizzler USA, Inc. $512 222 304 80%

116 126 Cold Stone Creamery Kahala $508 1,384 1,437 98%

117 136 Papa Murphy's Papa Murphy's International, Inc. $502 1,057 1,067 92%

118 123 Howard Johnson International Wyndham Hotel Group $500 367 470 100%

119 118 Captain D's Seafood Kitchen Sagittarius Brands $496 565 565 48%

120 125 Matco Tools Danaher Corporation $494 1,479 1,505 100%

121 129 Econo Lodge Choice Hotels International $490 825 870 100%



O ver a l l , howe ve r, t he Franchise Times 200 managed to keep pace with the economy. Worldwide sales for the group grew nearly 4.8 percent, exceed-ing the 4.2-percent growth in U.S. retail sales.

Yet a bigger percentage of those sales are coming from outside the U.S., continuing a recent trend. While the total number of units in the 200 actually fell last year, the number of domestic units fell much faster, by 1.4 percent, while the number of international units remained steady.

Indeed, several of the largest franchisors on the Top 200 saw domestic unit declines, includ-ing 7-Eleven, Ace Hardware and the Yum! Brands-owned KFC and Pizza Hut. Nevertheless, the nation’s largest franchise by domestic units continues to find places to build stores: No. 6 Subway added more than 400 units in the U.S. last year and now has 21,195.

The numbers suggest that franchisors are finding the U.S. market saturated and increasingly competitive, and a growing num-ber of even smaller franchisors are relying on overseas markets for growth. Future Franchise Times 200s could very well see more companies like No. 154 Kwik Kopy Worldwide, which has more international locations (297) than U.S. units (287).

But that doesn’t mean some overseas companies aren’t find-ing some success here. Canadian import Tim Horton’s had 14.5-percent revenue growth to vault into the top 20, where it is the 17th-largest franchise. On the other side of the border, Pollo Campero makes its first appear-ance in the top 200, coming in at No. 149 thanks to $365 million in systemwide sales.

Insight continued from 28

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Percent Franchised

122 146 Red Roof Inns Accor North America $475 345 345 36%

123 131 Uno Chicago Grill Centre Partners Mgt., LLC $473 207 213 44%

124 134 Pet Supplies Plus Pet Supplies Plus $473 230 230 100%

125 107 Sylvan Learning Educate, Inc. $469 1,185 1,285 83%

126 133 Minuteman Press Minuteman Press International $460 775 981 100%

127 139 Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner Stanley Steemer International, Inc.

$454 294 294 78%

128 140 Maaco Auto Collision Repair and Auto Painting

Maaco Enterprises, Inc. $450 472 472 99%

129 156 Travelodge Hotels Wyndham Worldwide Corp. $440 387 490 100%

130 143 Linc Network The Linc Group, LLC $438 125 138 85%

131 124 Round Table Pizza Round Table Pizza, Inc. $438 507 507 72%

132 148 Jamba Juice Jamba, Inc. $435 706 707 29%

133 145 Fantastic Sams Hair Salons Fantastic Sams Franchise Corporation

$434 1,366 1,389 100%

134 132 Sleep Inn Choice Hotels International $430 346 370 100%

135 149 Famous Dave's Famous Dave's of America, Inc. $429 164 164 73%



TOP 200

Hungry Howie’s Pizza, Inc. Contacts: Brian Ognian, Vice President

of Franchise Development

Steve Jackson Jr., Director of Franchise Development

Phone: 248-414-3300


Web site: www.hungryhowies.com

Celebrating our 35th Anniversary ,serving great pizza since 1973, we have expanded to over 575 stores in 25 states. Our flavored Crust pizza is the reason for our appeal and the foundation of our success. We have combined the right ingredients with 35 years of successful experience to create a top-notch, growth orientated business. Nationwide multi-store markets available.

#175

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Percent Franchised

136 Jason's Deli Deli Management, Inc. $427 177 177 44%

137 138 Valpak Direct Marketing Cox Enterprises, Inc. $427 184 192 96%

138 144 Jenny Craig Nestlé Nutrition $425 548 699 31%

139 147 Paul Davis Restoration Paul Davis Restoration, Inc. $419 228 228 100%

140 142 Meineke Car Care Centers Driven Brands, Inc. $407 860 931 99%

141 137 Krystal Company Port Royal Holdings, Inc. $400 382 382 39%

142 173 Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich Shops

Jimmy John's Franchise, LLC $386 632 632 97%

143 152 Village Inn Restaurants VICORP Restaurants, Inc. $378 264 264 35%

144 166 Staybridge Suites InterContinental Hotels Group $377 122 122 98%

145 155 The Athlete's Foot NexCen Brands, Inc. $375 238 637 100%

146 151 Slumberland Furniture Slumberland Franchising Inc. $373 108 108 68%

147 157 Sir Speedy Printing & Marketing Services

Franchise Services, Inc. $372 391 437 100%

148 150 Allegra Network Allegra Network LLC $371 549 593 100%

149 Pollo Campero Corporación Multi Inversiones $365 40 282 23%

150 G.J. Gardner Homes Netdeen Pty Ltd $365 15 90 100%

151 168 Qdoba Mexican Grill Jack in the Box Inc. $350 423 423 77%

152 160 Coverall Cleaning Concepts Coverall North America, Inc. $347 8,827 9,201 100%

153 158 Fuddruckers Magic Brands, LLC $346 236 246 63%

154 159 Kwik Kopy Printing and Business Centers

Int'l Center for Entrepreneurial Development

$335 287 584 100%

155 153 Labor Finders Labor Finders International, Inc. $327 287 287 89%

156 154 Tony Roma's Romacorp, Inc. $320 68 186 91%

157 Marie Callendar's Restaurants Perkins & Marie Callendar's LLC $318 135 136 68%


October 2008 39

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40 October 2008

735 new stores signedin the past 24 months.

CALL 1-800-262-7267marcos.com

Franchise and Area Representative opportunities available.

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Percent Franchised

158 171 FASTSIGNS Roark Capital $316 473 538 100%

159 172 Unishippers Unishippers Global Logistics, LLC

$314 276 276 98%

160 165 Mr. Rooter The Dwyer Group, Inc. $311 230 348 100%

161 167 Proforma Proforma $310 600 650 100%

162 169 Auntie Anne's Pretzels Auntie Anne’s, Inc. $309 750 944 99%

163 182 McAlister's Deli McAlister's Corporation $307 246 246 91%

164 186 Candlewood Suites InterContinental Hotels Group $303 158 158 100%

165 164 A & W All-American Food Restaurants

Yum! Brands Inc. $300 371 625 99%

166 175 Wingate by Wyndham Wyndham Worldwide Corp. $300 153 156 100%



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October 2008 41

Ace is the place for ownership!

Learn more about our $195,000 new store incentive! Go to: www.myace.comBusiness Development Team: 630-990-6900

It’s the Ace Hardware ownership difference. You’re the owner...we work for you!

Why Ace?• World Class Brand ... Globally Trusted, Locally Embraced

• True Ownership ... A Retailer Owned Company

• Rock Solid Foundation – Fad Proof Future

We offer qualified individuals* a $195,000 incentive per store!

27_107357_0108

“We opened our first store, Logan

Hardware, in 2003. That year we

exceeded our forecast by 20% and

generated more than 1.5 million in

sales from over 100,000 customers.

Since then, we’ve added three stores

and continue to build wealth through

serving communities in need of

convenient home improvement

solutions.”

Gina Schaefer & Marc Friedman

Ace Hardware Multi-Store Owners

Washington, DC

*Qualified individuals or equity groups must be able to meet liquid capital requirements of $250,000 per store.Store must exceed 10,000 square feet of retail space. Certain other requirements apply.





Percent Franchised

167 178 Towneplace Suites Marriott International, Inc. $300 141 141 76%

168 170 AlphaGraphics Pindar $298 228 262 100%

169 176 Moe's Southwest Grill FOCUS Brands $290 382 385 99%

170 177 Taco John's Taco John's International Inc. $283 426 426 98%

171 189 The Goddard School Goddard Systems, Inc. $282 300 300 100%

172 190 Johnny Rockets Johnny Rockets Group, Inc. $280 211 245 80%

173 195 One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning

Clockwork Home Services, Inc. $278 232 237 82%

174 163 Blimpie Subs and Salads Kahala Corp. $271 1,233 1,237 100%

175 179 Hungry Howie's Pizza Hungry Howie's Pizza & Subs, Inc.

$269 574 574 100%


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42 October 2008




Percent Franchised

176 181 Tuffy/Car-X Auto Service Centers

Tuffy Associates/CarX Associates $265 406 406 92%

177 180 Budget Blinds Home Franchise Concepts $260 966 1,045 100%

178 188 Microtel Inns & Suites Wyndham Worldwide Corp. $260 287 301 100%

179 184 Houlihan's Houlihan's Restaurants, Inc. $260 96 96 67%

180 203 Hawthorn Suites Wyndham Worldwide Corp. $260 87 91 100%

181 194 Cinnabon FOCUS Brands Inc. $257 424 723 100%

182 198 Comfort Keepers CK Franchising, Inc. $256 563 599 100%

183 183 Play It Again Sports Winmark Corporation $250 333 374 100%

184 185 Big O Tires Big O Tires, LLC $249 541 541 97%

185 187 PostNet PostNet International Franchise Corporation

$244 482 845 100%

186 Schlotzsky's FOCUS Brands Inc. $237 334 357 94%

187 Primrose Schools Primrose Schools Franchising Company

$237 181 181 99%

188 El Chico Café Consolidated Restaurant Operations, Inc.

$231 116 119 29%

189 218 Petland Petland, Inc. $230 130 189 96%



TOP 200

Marco’s Pizza

Contacts: Deborah Allen

Phone: 419-720-3074


Web site: www.marcos.com

Prosper with the fastest growing pizza company in the US. Even now wonderful opportunities exist. Marco’s Pizza is in the midst of a nationwide rollout and welcomes qualified individuals and/or groups who want to join our family and be on the ground floor of a truly rewarding franchise opportunity. Marco’s Pizza, is interested in experienced Franchisees (single and multi- units), Operators, and Area Representatives who want to control an entire market/DMA. Explore the Marco’s Pizza franchise opportunity, call: 800-262-7267.

#266TOP 200

Jani-King International, Inc. Contacts: Gary Dick

Phone: 972-991-0900


Web site: www.janiking.com

Through its network of over 120 local regional support offices, Jani-King provides training, support and unlimited opportunity to its more than 13,000 franchisees across the globe. Founded in 1969, Jani-King has steadily grown to become the world’s largest commercial cleaning franchise company. It’s this experience and support that allows Jani-King to remain at the top of its industry and continue to grow every year.

#97

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October 2008 43





Percent Franchised

190 191 Huddle House Griddle Holdings, Inc. $230 433 433 96%

191 216 Baymont Franchise Systems Wyndham Hotel Group $225 210 210 100%

192 208 Max & Erma's Restaurants Max & Erma's Restaurants, Inc. $225 107 107 26%

193 192 Cost Cutters Regis Corporation $221 872 872 63%

194 Wireless Zone ATI $221 259 259 100%

195 204 Old Chicago Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc. $220 94 94 33%

196 201 The Melting Pot The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. $220 129 129 97%

197 196 Western Sizzlin Western Sizzlin Corp $212 117 117 95%

198 Peter Piper Pizza Peter Piper, Inc. $208 96 134 72%

199 223 Wingstop Wingstop Restaurants, Inc. $207 351 351 95%

200 205 Cruise Holidays Travel Acquisitions Group $204 81 115 100%


TOP 200

Contacts: John Hyduke VP of Franchise Development

Phone: 303-664-4096


Web site: www.oldchicago.com

We’ve been serving great tasting pizzas for over 30 years. Our 94 restaurants currently operate in 22 states. We also feature great tasting pastas, calzones, burgers, sandwiches and more. Our extensive and active bar features 30 beers on tap and another 80 varieties in bottles. Our food to beverage mix is 60%-40%. Our overall C.O.G.S is 25%. We allow conversions and end caps and we have great territories still available across the United States

#195

Old Chicago

TOP 200

Mellow Mushroom Contacts: Melissa McFarlin,

New Franchise Development

Phone: 404-505-2806

E-Mail: melissa @mellowmushroom.com

Web site: www.mellowmushroom.com

Sprouting in Atlanta in 1974, Mellow Mushroom currently has 89 restaurants (located throughout 12 states) in its growing collection. A menu of pizzas, hoagies, calzones and salads is served in a fun and funky atmosphere. Free-standing and end cap locations, ranging from 3500 - 6000 square feet accepted for site submittal. Individual (non territory) locations available across the United States. Own Your Slice of the Pie with Mellow Mushroom.

#246

SM

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44 October 2008

1 7-Eleven 33,818 2 McDonald's 31,377 3 Subway 28,546 4 H&R Block Tax Services 14,547 5 KFC 13,639 6 Jani-King 12,209 7 Burger King 11,395 8 Pizza Hut 11,222 9 Curves 10,260 10 Coverall Cleaning Concepts 9,201 11 Domino's Pizza 8,624 12 CENTURY 21 8,321 13 Dunkin' Donuts 7,988 14 Blockbuster 7,829 15 Jackson Hewitt Tax Service 6,763 16 Circle K 6,712 17 Wendy's 6,645 18 RadioShack 6,107 19 Baskin Robbins 5,874 20 Dairy Queen 5,695 21 Taco Bell Corp. 5,306 22 Quiznos 5,214 23 General Nutrition Centers 4,801 24 Ace Hardware Store 4,630 25 ServiceMaster Clean 4,597 26 Coldwell Banker Real Estate 3,913 27 Arby's 3,688 28 Sonic 3,343 29 Tim Hortons 3,221 30 Papa John's 3,208 31 ERA 2,971 32 ampm 2,854 33 Great Clips 2,647 34 Comfort Inn & Suites 2,467 35 Midas Auto Service Experts 2,464

36 SuperCuts 2,272 37 Jiffy Lube 2,165 38 Jack in the Box 2,142 39 Super 8 Motels 2,095 40 Applebee's 2,080 41 Hardee's 1,926 42 Popeyes 1,905 43 Days Inns Worldwide 1,876 44 Holiday Inn Express 1,808 45 Church's Chicken 1,609 46 Denny's 1,546 47 Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership 1,510 48 Matco Tools 1,505 49 Hampton Inn & Hampton Inn & Suites 1,478 50 Cold Stone Creamery 1,437 51 SERVPRO 1,430 52 Chili's Grill & Bar 1,418 53 Fantastic Sams Hair Salons 1,389 54 Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts 1,381 55 IHOP Restaurants 1,367 56 Chick-fil-A 1,356 57 Sylvan Learning 1,285 58 Blimpie Subs and Salads 1,237 59 Quality Inn and Quality Suites 1,210 60 Panera Bread 1,167 61 Carl's Jr. 1,141 62 Long John Silver's 1,118 63 Papa Murphy's 1,067 64 Budget Blinds 1,045 65 Sbarro the Italian Eatery 1,030 66 Minuteman Press 981 67 Sign-A-Rama 953 68 Auntie Anne's Pretzels 944 69 Ruby Tuesday 933 70 Meineke Car Care Centers 931

71 Results! Travel 924 72 Motel 6 918 73 T.G.I.Friday's 906 74 Cost Cutters 872 75 Econo Lodge 870 76 Ramada Worldwide 865 77 PostNet 845 78 Checkers Drive In Restaurants & Rallys Hamburgers 830 79 Home Instead Senior Care 803 80 Courtyard 767 81 Cinnabon, Inc. 723 82 Spherion Staffing and Recruiting 721 83 Jamba Juice 707 84 Whataburger 706 85 Jenny Craig 699 86 Keller Williams Realty 672 87 Proforma 650 88 The Athlete's Foot 637 89 La Quinta Inns & Suites 633 90 Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich Shops 632 91 Dollar Rent a Car 629 92 A & W All-American Food Restaurants 625 93 CiCi's Pizza 622 94 Express Employment Professionals 604 95 Comfort Keepers 599 96 Allegra Network 593 97 Roto-Rooter 587 98 Kwik Kopy Printing and Business Centers 584 99 Hungry Howie's Pizza 574 100 Captain D's Seafood Kitchen 565 101 Travel Leaders 555 102 Residence Inn 546 103 Big O Tires 541 104 FASTSIGNS 538

Top 200 Franchise Chains by Units*

TOP 200

Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza Contacts: Rhonda McGrew,

Business Development Manager

Phone: 877-777-5062


Web site: www.papamurphys.com

Papa Murphy’s is 5th largest pizza company in the US with over 1,100 stores. We offer our customers the unique experience of watching their pizza being made fresh before them and then taken home to bake to perfection. Papa Murphy’s limited hours of operation and the take-n-bake concept without the hassles of dining or delivery, provide a great franchise opportunity. We do all this while offering the lowest investment of any national pizza chain.

#117TOP 200

PostNet

Contacts: Brian Spindel

Phone: 800-841-7171 or 702-792-7100


Web site: www.postnetfranchise.com

Take the First Step! PostNet, the largest and fastest growing privately held company in our industry, has created one of today’s most exciting global franchise opportunities. PostNet centers are high-tech one-stop convenience centers offering digital B&W/color copies, printing, fax, computer/Internet services, mailbox rentals, and much more. Learn more about PostNet today by visiting www.postnetfranchise.com or calling 1-800-338-7401.

#185

October 2008 45

105 Fairfield Inn 537 106 Friendly's 522 107 Marriott Hotels, Resorts & Suites 520 108 Del Taco 516 109 Round Table Pizza 507 110 Hilton 505 111 Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar 493 112 Travelodge Hotels 490 113 Perkins Restaurant & Bakery 485 114 Golden Corral Family Restaurants 482 115 Maaco Auto Collision Repair and Auto Painting 472 116 Howard Johnson International 470 117 Krispy Kreme 449 118 Hooters Restaurants 439 119 Sir Speedy Printing & Marketing Services 437 120 Country Inn & Suites 436 121 Huddle House 433 122 Taco John's 426 123 Qdoba Mexican Grill 423 124 Zaxby's 409 125 Tuffy/Car-X Auto Service Centers 406 126 Sheraton 404 127 Radisson Hotels 398 128 CARSTAR 397 129 Bojangles' Restaurants Inc. 396 130 El Pollo Loco 389 131 Moe's Southwest Grill 385 132 Red Robin 384 133 Krystal Company 382 134 Play It Again Sports 374 135 Culver's Frozen Custard & Butterburgers 372 136 Sleep Inn 370 137 Big Boy 362 138 Schlotzsky's 357

139 Boston's The Gourmet Pizza 355 140 Wingstop 351 141 Hilton Garden Inn 349 142 Mr. Rooter 348 143 Red Roof Inns 345 144 Sizzler Restaurants 304 145 Microtel Inns & Suites 301 146 The Goddard School 300 147 Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts 299 148 Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner 294 149 Labor Finders 287 151 Pollo Campero 282 150 Clarion Inn and Clarion Suites 282 152 Unishippers 276 153 Village Inn Restaurants 264 154 AlphaGraphics 262 155 Wireless Zone 259 156 Fuddruckers 246 157 McAlister's Deli 246 158 Johnny Rockets 245 159 One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning 237 160 Pet Supplies Plus 230 161 Paul Davis Restoration 228 162 Disaster Kleenup International 221 163 Homewood Suites by Hilton 218 164 Uno Chicago Grill 213 165 Baymont Franchise Systems 210 166 Valpak Direct Marketing Systems 192 168 Petland 189 167 Embassy Suites Hotels 189 169 Tony Roma's 186 170 Doubletree 183 171 Primrose Schools 181 172 Springhill Suites 177 173 Jason's Deli 177

174 Famous Dave's 164 175 ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings 163 176 Westin 158 177 Candlewood Suites 158 178 Wingate by Wyndham 156 179 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts 149 180 Renaissance 141 181 Towneplace Suites 141 182 Linc Network 138 183 Marie Callendar's Restaurants 136 184 Peter Piper Pizza 134 185 Four Points by Sheraton 130 186 JD Byrider 130 187 The Melting Pot 129 188 Staybridge Suites 122 189 El Chico Café 119 190 Ruth's Chris Steak House 118 191 Western Sizzlin 117 192 Cruise Holidays 115 193 1-800-Flowers 109 194 Slumberland Furniture 108 195 Max & Erma's Restaurants 107 196 Houlihan's 96 197 Old Chicago 94 198 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts 91 199 Hawthorn Suites 91 200 G.J. Gardner Homes 90

Top 200 Franchise Chains by Units*

Pro-Cuts


Phone: 1-888-888-7008



The neighborhood has never looked better! Convenience, value pricing, great service and friendly stylists are the cornerstone of the Pro-Cuts brand. Pro-Cuts targets customers where they live and work by offering locations and a salon culture that is rooted in “the neighborhood.” Pro-Cuts offers quality service, a comfortable atmosphere, and a community connection that generates customer loyalty and repeat business.

TOP 200

Qdoba Mexican Grill Contacts: John Dikos

Phone: 720-898-3913


Web site: www.qdoba.com

Qdoba is a national leader in fast- casual Mexican with over 445 restaurants in 40 states (106 corp & 339 franchised). The company has attracted successful multi-brand operators from some of the most prominent franchise concepts in the country. With 36 consecutive quarters of year-over-year same store sales growth and attractive unit- economics, our company is poised to continue our strong growth (75+ units opened in 2008). Multi-unit development territories available nationally.

#151

46 October 2008

Chain

WorldwideSalesRank

totalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

7-Eleven 2 1 9 1A & W All-American Food Restaurants 165 92 123 44Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership 49 47 42 121Ace Hardware Store 5 24 20 48Allegra Network 148 96 93 95AlphaGraphics 168 154 152 102ampm 29 32 62 16Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill 20 40 34 72Arby's 27 27 23 64Auntie Anne's Pretzels 162 68 73 55Baskin Robbins 70 19 28 11Baymont Franchise Systems 191 165 157 186Big Boy 99 137 140 75Big O Tires 184 103 95 160Blimpie Subs and Salads 174 58 53 134Blockbuster 13 14 17 12Bojangles' Restaurants Inc. 108 129 116 129Boston's The Gourmet Pizza 87 139 197 39Budget Blinds 177 64 60 77Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar 78 111 101 164Burger King 4 7 6 7Candlewood Suites 164 177 170 190Captain D's Seafood Kitchen 119 100 86 158Carl's Jr. 68 61 59 69CARSTAR 101 128 139 65CENTURY 21 31 12 21 6

Chain

WorldwideSalesRank

totalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

Checkers Drive In Restaurants & Rallys Hamburgers 92 78 70 132

Chick-fil-A 36 56 49 149Chili's Grill & Bar 21 52 52 60Church's Chicken 75 45 54 29CiCi's Pizza 106 93 82 156Cinnabon, Inc. 181 81 109 40Circle K 8 16 26 8Clarion Inn and Clarion Suites 109 150 167 68Cold Stone Creamery 116 50 47 90Coldwell Banker Real Estate 12 26 25 24Comfort Inn & Suites 30 34 35 26Comfort Keepers 182 95 87 101Cost Cutters 193 74 66 152Country Inn & Suites 88 120 112 107Courtyard 28 80 77 80Coverall Cleaning Concepts 152 10 5 32Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts 39 147 166 63Cruise Holidays 200 192 193 104Culver's Frozen Custard & Butterburgers 103 135 122 174Curves 71 9 7 10Dairy Queen 37 20 18 21Days Inns Worldwide 57 43 38 59Del Taco 111 108 99 162Denny's 40 46 44 78Disaster Kleenup International 76 162 173 82Dollar Rent a Car 51 91 141 33

Quick Reference: Top 200 Alphabetical Listing

TOP 200

SuperCuts


Phone: 1-888-888-7008

E-Mail: franchiseleads @regiscorp.com


The Supercuts brand is the iconic name in the value salon category, delivering a current look to its clientele at an affordable price. Through building a relationship with its customers, Supercuts knows what guys want and continues to build loyalty with new and repeat customers. Stylists build on their education with a highly efficient haircutting technique that’s proprietary to Supercuts. The education continues with ongoing training in the latest cut, color and other services that keep stylists excited about the brand. The focus on men, specialized training and over 2100 convenient locations make Supercuts one of the fastest growing brands in the business.

#100TOP 200

Sylvan Learning Centers Contacts: Greg Helwig

Phone: 1-800-284-8214

E-Mail: sylvanfranchise @educate.com

Web site: www.sylvanfranchise.com

Join Sylvan, the leader in the growing supplemental education market with almost 30 years of experience and nearly 1,200 centers located throughout North America. We offer personalized instruction available in-center, online and at home. Now is an exciting time to join Sylvan—both new territories and existing centers are available in major metropolitan markets including: Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, Memphis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and more. Learn how joining Sylvan can make a difference in your life- and in the lives of children. Call 800-284-8214 or visit www.sylvanfranchise.com.

#125

October 2008 47

National Retail Properties, Inc. (NYSE:NNN), a $2.5 billion Real Estate Investment Trust, offers 100% real estate funding for new store growth. Our “Split-Funded” program allows franchisees and franchisors to develop new locations without investing valuable capital in the real estate. NNN also assists in funding acquisitions of companies that involve real estate and we can help franchisees extract dormant capital from existing real estate holdings.

Please call Joseph Ciardiello 866-650-1544 or visit www.nnnreit.com

OUR FUNDING PROGRAMS MAKE FRANCHISEES SMILE.

Chain

WorldwideSalesRank

totalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

Domino's Pizza 18 11 15 9Doubletree 61 170 163 135Dunkin' Donuts 19 13 13 14Econo Lodge 121 75 69 93El Chico Café 188 189 182 140El Pollo Loco 104 130 117 172Embassy Suites Hotels 55 167 161 128ERA 83 31 51 17Express Employment Professionals 72 94 89 94Fairfield Inn 77 105 96 126Famous Dave's 135 174 168 189Fantastic Sams Hair Salons 133 53 48 111FASTSIGNS 158 104 104 84Four Points by Sheraton 96 185 191 99Friendly's 95 106 98 161Fuddruckers 153 156 148 125G.J. Gardner Homes 150 200 200 79General Nutrition Centers 53 23 22 20Goddard School (The) 171 146 133 177Golden Corral Family Restaurants 62 114 103 165Great Clips 89 33 30 87H&R Block Tax Services 22 4 3 19Hampton Inn & Hampton Inn & Suites 24 49 45 108Hardee's 56 41 37 58Hawthorn Suites 180 199 192 136Hilton 11 110 147 42Hilton Garden Inn 65 141 132 113

Chain

WorldwideSalesRank

totalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

Holiday Inn Express 26 44 40 56Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts 14 54 61 28Home Instead Senior Care 110 79 88 45Homewood Suites by Hilton 98 163 156 130Hooters Restaurants 79 118 119 86Houlihan's 179 196 189 199Howard Johnson International 118 116 124 71Huddle House 190 121 107 167Hungry Howie's Pizza 175 99 85 157IHOP Restaurants 44 55 50 117InterContinental Hotels & Resorts 42 179 198 74Jack in the Box 34 38 31 147Jackson Hewitt Tax Service 93 15 8 146Jamba Juice 132 83 75 143Jani-King 97 6 4 15Jason's Deli 136 173 164 188JD Byrider 102 186 177 192Jenny Craig 138 85 94 61Jiffy Lube 66 37 33 96Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich Shops 142 90 80 155Johnny Rockets 172 158 155 103Keller Williams Realty 41 86 78 119KFC 3 5 14 3Krispy Kreme 86 117 145 51Krystal Company 141 133 121 173Kwik Kopy Printing and Business Centers 154 98 135 41


48 October 2008


Chain

WorldwideSalesRank

totalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

La Quinta Inns & Suites 69 89 81 141Labor Finders 155 149 137 179Linc Network 130 182 179 120Long John Silver's 84 62 57 100Maaco Auto Collision Repair and Auto Painting 128 115 105 166

Marie Callendar's Restaurants 157 183 175 145Marriott Hotels, Resorts & Suites 10 107 129 57Matco Tools 120 48 43 109Max & Erma's Restaurants 192 195 185 198McAlister's Deli 163 157 144 183McDonald's 1 2 2 2Meineke Car Care Centers 140 70 67 81Microtel Inns & Suites 178 145 136 118Midas Auto Service Experts 67 35 39 22Minuteman Press 126 66 71 50Moe's Southwest Grill 169 131 120 137Motel 6 80 72 64 124Mr. Rooter 160 142 150 66Old Chicago 195 197 190 200One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning 173 159 149 133Panera Bread 43 60 56 150Papa John's 47 30 29 27Papa Murphy's 117 63 58 123Paul Davis Restoration 139 161 153 185Perkins Restaurant & Bakery 81 113 106 116Pet Supplies Plus 124 160 151 184Peter Piper Pizza 198 184 188 98Petland 189 168 176 85Pizza Hut 7 8 10 5Play It Again Sports 183 134 131 97Pollo Campero 149 151 199 46Popeyes 58 42 41 35PostNet 185 77 102 34Primrose Schools 187 171 162 187Proforma 161 87 83 91ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings 113 175 169 138Qdoba Mexican Grill 151 123 110 169Quality Inn and Quality Suites 63 59 68 31Quiznos 48 22 19 25RadioShack 23 18 12 49Radisson Hotels 32 127 171 47Ramada Worldwide 60 76 91 38Red Robin 74 132 125 115Red Roof Inns 122 143 128 176

Chain

WorldwideSalesRank

totalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

Renaissance 52 180 194 83Residence Inn 46 102 97 114Results! Travel 45 71 63 151Roto-Rooter 94 97 90 106Round Table Pizza 131 109 100 163Ruby Tuesday 54 69 65 88Ruth's Chris Steak House 112 190 186 122Sbarro the Italian Eatery 90 65 72 43Schlotzsky's 186 138 130 112ServiceMaster Clean 59 25 27 18SERVPRO 85 51 46 148Sheraton 16 126 159 52Sign-A-Rama 105 67 79 36Sir Speedy Printing & Marketing Services 147 119 115 92

Sizzler Restaurants 115 144 154 76Sleep Inn 134 136 127 110Slumberland Furniture 146 194 184 197Sonic 25 28 24 142Spherion Staffing and Recruiting 50 82 74 153Springhill Suites 114 172 165 144Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner 127 148 134 178Staybridge Suites 144 188 180 194Subway 6 3 1 4Super 8 Motels 64 39 36 54SuperCuts 100 36 32 62Sylvan Learning 125 57 55 73T.G.I.Friday's 33 73 84 37Taco Bell Corp. 15 21 16 53Taco John's 170 122 108 168The Athlete's Foot 145 88 146 30The Melting Pot 196 187 178 193Tim Hortons 17 29 114 13Tony Roma's 156 169 195 67Towneplace Suites 167 181 174 191Travel Leaders 35 101 92 159Travelodge Hotels 129 112 118 70Tuffy/Car-X Auto Service Centers 176 125 113 171Unishippers 159 152 138 180Uno Chicago Grill 123 164 158 131Valpak Direct 137 166 160 127Village Inn Restaurants 143 153 142 181Wendy's 9 17 11 23Western Sizzlin 197 191 181 195Westin 38 176 187 89

October 2008 49


Chain

WorldwideSalesRank

totalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

Whataburger 73 84 76 154Wingate by Wyndham 166 178 172 139Wingstop 199 140 126 175

Chain

WorldwideSalesRank

totalUnitsRank

DomesticUnitsRank

ForeignUnitsRank

Wireless Zone 194 155 143 182Wyndham Hotels & Resorts 91 198 196 105Zaxby's 107 124 111 170

Methodology questions on the Top 200 rankingHow does a brand qualify for the Franchise Times 200 ranking?

A franchise brand must meet certain qualifications: A minimum of 20 percent of the company’s total units must be operated by franchisees. And, the brand must be headquartered in the United States, or have a significant US presence.

What are systemwide sales?

Systemwide sales consist of the total 2007 sales of the brand from both company and franchisee-operated stores. For example, the systemwide sales of

McDonald’s include

the sales from all of the restaurants in the entire system—both company and franchised.

In the FT 200 list, more than one company has the same sales, but are ranked differently. How do you decide who is ranked first?

In the event of a tie in the systemwide sales of two or more companies, the company with the most units ranks highest.

My company’s revenue is greater than what is shown on the ranking.

This may be due to the fact that your company

may have other operations not directly related to franchising. In the Franchise Times 200 ranking, we tallied only the annual systemwide sales derived from the business operated by the franchisor and its franchisees.

My company should qualify and did not show up on the list. Or, my firm is listed, but the number of units or sales estimates are not accurate.

Two things may have happened. First, we may have neglected you simply by accident or your company may have ignored our repeated pleas for data.

Secondly, if you did not send us a confirmation, we estimated the sales. We may have estimated high or low. Let us know next time!

How did you pull all of this data together?

Our research team identified the franchise companies that might qualify. The team contacted companies to find the information or located it on the Internet and through 10-Ks, annual reports or Web sites. They then went to work calling companies to confirm the data or make estimates as needed.

TOP 200

Taco John’s International, Inc. Contacts: Brett Miller

Phone: 800-854-0819


Web site: www.tacojohns.com

Taco John’s new look supports their brand icons like Taco Tuesday® and Potato Olés®. Stone-accented buildings reflect the quality of the food inside. Comfortable dining rooms feature fresh salsa bars where patrons customize their favorite menu items. The re-imaging program for Taco John’s over 400 restaurants has customers and operators raving. A contemporary new image, hometown hospitality, and bold fresh flavors, that’s The Fresh Taste of West-Mex®.

#170At Yum!, we connect successful professionals to brands people crave: KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and A&W! Your drive and your team combined with our brands can be a powerful combination!

We want to help you leverage your experience to become a multi-unit franchisee with some of the biggest brands in the restaurant industry.

Our proven process supports you every step of the way with development experts, business coaches and a peer network of more than 1,200 experienced franchisees, all part of what we call the Yum! Value Network.

Yum! Brands is committed to franchising with over 80% of our stores owned by independent franchise operators. We’re actively seeking operators with the vision and capability to open multiple restaurants.

Together we can be a powerful combination!

Contact: Laurie Frerman Phone: 866-2YUMYUM E-Mail: [email protected] Web site: www.YumFranchises.com

#7

#15

#165

#84

#3

Your Drive. Your Team. Our Brands.

50 October 2008

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Percent Franchised

201 207 Beef O'Brady's Family Sports Pub

Family Sports Concepts $203 239 239 100%

202 202 Two Men and A Truck Two Men and a Truck International, Inc.

$198 173 178 96%

203 231 Martinizing Dry Cleaning Martin Franchises Inc. $195 307 557 100%

204 251 Edible Arrangements Edible Arrangements, LLC $194 638 670 100%

205 215 Batteries Plus Batteries Plus LLC $192 314 314 95%

206 222 CertaPro Painters The Franchise Company $185 423 448 100%

207 211 Precision Tune Auto Care Precision Franchising LLC $185 291 391 99%

208 228 Firehouse Subs Firehouse Restaurant Group, Inc. $183 315 315 90%

209 212 AmericInn AmericanInn International, LLC $182 216 216 100%

210 213 Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc. Sun Capital Partners, Inc. $179 280 280 34%

211 Five Guys Burger & Fries Five Guys Holdings, Inc. $175 237 237 92%

212 Hot Stuff Foods Hot Stuff Foods $174 1,246 1,254 100%

213 210 Taco Time Kahala Corp. $174 246 372 100%

214 221 CruiseOne WTH-World Travel Holdings $170 559 559 100%

215 Granite Transformations Rocksolid Granit USA Inc. $166 69 162 100%

216 PostalAnnex+ Annex Brands, Inc. $158 293 295 100%

217 227 Huntington Learning Centers Huntington Learning Centers, Inc.

$157 410 410 92%


Up & Comers: 100 Companies on the Verge

The franchise community’s most impressive, farthest

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for 2009!

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2009

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FRANCHISE TIMES

SUPEROF FRANCHISE

OPPORTUNITIES

Special supplement to the February 2009 issue of Franchise Times

October 2008 51

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Percent Franchised

218 Gatti's Pizza Mr. Gatti's, LP $151 137 137 83%

219 200 Togo's Togo's Eatery $150 259 259 100%

220 229 HobbyTown USA Hobby Town Unlimited, Inc. $150 180 180 99%

221 214 Atlanta Bread Atlanta Bread Company International Inc.

$150 127 127 94%

222 230 The Original Pancake House The Original Pancake House Franchising, Inc.

$150 111 111 99%

223 220 Glass Doctor The Dwyer Group, Inc. $148 168 168 100%

224 224 Pizza Inn Pizza Inn, Inc. $145 266 341 100%

225 234 Rodeway Inn Choice Hotels International $140 276 282 100%

226 219 Back Yard Burgers Back Yard Burgers, Inc. $140 165 165 73%

227 193 Damon's Grill Damon's International, Inc. $139 79 83 88%

228 226 Carvel Ice Cream FOCUS Brands $136 499 541 96%

229 279 Comet Cleaners Comet Cleaners Franchise Group LLC

$135 292 304 100%

230 Adventures in Advertising AIA Corporation $133 310 310 100%

231 236 PIP Printing & Marketing Services

Franchise Services, Inc. $128 189 198 100%

232 225 Real Living Real Living Inc. $128 176 176 62%

233 253 Plato's Closet Winmark Corporation $126 210 211 100%


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52 October 2008





Percent Franchised

234 266 Pak Mail Pak Mail Centers of America, Inc $125 375 495 100%

235 248 Knights Franchise Systems Wyndham Worldwide Corp. Hotel Group

$125 278 290 100%

236 239 Once Upon a Child Winmark Corporation $125 204 228 100%

237 238 Express Oil Change & Service Centers

Express Oil Change, LLC $124 172 172 65%

238 237 Cruise Planners/AMEX CP Franchising, LLC $120 731 731 100%

239 240 Grease Monkey Grease Monkey International $120 194 244 99%

240 246 Wild Birds Unlimited Wild Birds Unlimited, Inc. $119 280 294 100%

241 1-800-GOT-JUNK? 1-800-GOT-JUNK? LLC $119 287 290 99%

242 Sport Clips Sport Clips, Inc. $117 526 526 98%

243 ColorTyme Rent-A-Center, Inc. $114 210 210 100%

244 245 Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc.

$113 293 334 99%


October 2008 53

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Percent Franchised

245 247 First Choice Haircutters Regis Corporation $112 444 444 41%

246 Mellow Mushroom Home-Grown Industries of Georgia

$112 86 86 98%

247 Nathan's Famous Inc. Nathan's Famous Inc. $111 211 230 97%

248 267 Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers Raising Cane's USA, LLC $109 68 68 19%

249 255 Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Clockwork Home Services, Inc. $108 275 275 91%

250 244 Great Steak & Potato Co. Kahala Corp. $106 205 220 100%

251 Great American Cookies NexCen Brands, Inc. $105 295 295 100%

252 Link Staffing Franlink $104 63 63 84%

253 259 Penn Station East Coast Subs Penn Station Incorporated $104 191 191 99%

254 241 Steamatic Steamatic, Inc. $104 284 389 100%

255 U-Save Car & Truck Rental U-Save Auto Rental of America, Inc.

$102 260 268 100%

256 243 Norwalk-The Furniture Idea Norwalk Furniture Corporation $101 53 58 95%

257 262 The Little Gym The Little Gym International $98 266 327 100%

258 254 Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio Merle Norman Cosmetics, Inc. $97 1,697 1,785 100%

259 257 Relax the Back Corporation Dominion Ventures $96 115 117 100%

260 263 Great Harvest Bread Co. Great Harvest Franchising Inc. $95 186 186 100%

261 280 Tropical Smoothie Café Tropical Smoothie Franchise Development Corp.

$95 266 271 100%


54 October 2008

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Franchise Times coverall ad outlPage 1 9/9/2008 5:09:23 PM





Percent Franchised

262 283 EmbroidMe United Franchise Group $91 361 449 100%

263 270 Marble Slab Creamery NexCen Brands, Inc. $90 356 391 100%

264 264 Rita's Italian Ice Rita's Water Ice Franchise Company, LLC

$90 534 534 99%

265 Foot Solutions Foot Solutions, Inc. $90 208 238 99%

266 278 Marco's Pizza Marco's Franchising, LLC $87 170 170 100%

267 269 Lawn Doctor Lawn Doctor Inc. $86 487 487 100%

268 271 Signs Now Allegra Network LLC $85 194 209 100%

269 Sterling Optical Emerging Vision $83 157 159 93%

270 287 Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network

Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network, LLC

$82 127 146 100%

271 265 Wireless Toyz Wireless Toyz Franchise LLC $81 175 175 89%

272 Four Seasons Sunrooms Four Seasons Marketing Corp. $80 149 149 95%






Percent Franchised

273 297 Right at Home Right at Home, Inc. $79 139 139 100%

274 277 Candy Bouquet Candy Bouquet International Inc. $78 634 744 100%

275 286 Quaker Steak & Lube Lube Holdings $76 29 29 83%

276 217 Liberty Tax Service JTH Tax Inc. $75 2,468 2,757 97%

277 290 Closets By Design Home Organizers, Inc. $75 30 30 90%

278 Green Mill Restaurants Green Mill Restaurants, Inc. $70 30 30 100%

279 252 Homes & Land Affiliates Endurance Business Media $70 305 326 93%

280 294 Pump It Up PIU Management $70 174 174 100%

281 Handyman Connection The Franchise Company $68 75 99 99%

282 292 Maid Brigade Maid Brigade, Inc. $67 395 413 100%

283 298 Mr. Handyman Service Brands International $67 272 282 100%

284 293 Mr. Transmission /Milex/Alta Mere

Moran Industries, Inc. $66 192 192 100%

285 284 Cousins Subs Cousins Subs Systems, Inc. $66 150 150 90%

286 281 Fatburger Fog Cutter Capital Group, Inc. $66 83 90 57%

287 285 ABC Seamless ABC, Inc. $66 121 121 93%

288 250 LOA Fitness for Women Lady of America Franchise Corp. $65 303 336 97%

289 Aire Serv Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

The Dwyer Group $63 164 180 100%

290 288 Camille's Sidewalk Café Beautiful Brands International $60 130 131 99%

291 Pretzel Time NexCen Brands, Inc. $59 194 198 100%

292 300 Saladworks Saladworks, LLC $58 96 96 100%

293 Surf City Squeeze Kahala $58 179 193 98%

294 Commission Express Commission Express International

$57 58 58 98%

295 Christian Brothers Automotive Christian Brothers Automotive Corporation

$55 50 50 90%

296 Maid-Rite Maid-Rite Corporation $55 87 87 98%

297 Cookies By Design Designed Cookies, Inc. $54 192 192 99%

298 Famous Famiglia Famiglia - DeBartolo LLC $52 59 64 66%

299 299 Bellacino's Pizza and Grinders Bellacino's Inc. $51 88 88 100%

300 Crown Trophy Crown Trophy Inc. $50 148 148 100%


October 2008 55

Franchise Times 2008 Top 200

Documents

Transcript of Franchise Times 2008 Top 200