What Industries Are Best for Franchising?
I was talking with someone recently who said,
“I want to buy a franchise, but what industries actually work best?”
It’s a good question — and one that has a bit of history behind it.
It All Started With Food
When franchising first took off, it was mostly food brands.
Think McDonald’s.
Big, recognizable names with simple systems to copy.
The classic fast-food model made franchising popular — and showed how a brand could grow quickly.
Then Came Retail and Experiences
After that, franchising spread into retail and experience brands.
Places like Anytime Fitness and Orangetheory popped up all over the country.
These businesses focused on memberships, community, and repeat visits — a different kind of model than fast food, but one that still worked well for franchising.
The Rise of Service Industries
More recently, in the last 20 years or so, franchising has exploded in service industries.
We’re talking home services like:
Painting
Window cleaning
Landscaping
HVAC and plumbing
Why? Because these industries are local, in-demand, and offer recurring business opportunities.
And franchising lets entrepreneurs step in with a proven system instead of starting from scratch.
Why Franchising Works Across Industries
Franchising is such a powerful growth model because it benefits both sides.
For the franchisor, it’s a way to expand quickly without taking on all the operational risk.
For franchisees, it’s a chance to build something big — maybe even multiple territories — with the support of a brand and systems already in place.
So… What Industries Are Best for Franchising?
There’s no one-size-fits-all.
Food, retail, experiences, and service industries have all shown they can thrive with franchising.
The best industry is the one that fits your interests, skills, and goals.
And the one where the brand you choose has strong systems and support.
*This is not an offer to sell a franchise. Franchise offerings are made only through the delivery of a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)*
