1851’s Vet 100: 100-80 Top-Veteran Friendly Franchise Opportunities

When Don Dwyer Sr. created VetFran as a way to thank our troops with a little financial support, he probably never imagined it would turn into what it has become today. The International Franchise Association’s VetFran, G.I. Jobs and Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc. have all created special resources for America’s greatest protectors. 1851 decided to do the same. “[Veterans have] certainly been a hot topic the past few months,” said Joel Libava, aka The Franchise King. The reason, Libava says, is because veterans are often strong franchisees. “In a perfect world, yes, military veterans make better franchisees than anyone else,” he said. “They come from a rigid place; the military. There are rules, rules, and more rules in military life, and, they must be followed. Also, military men and women are highly disciplined, which is crucial for the owner of a franchise business.” However, not every Veteran should explore franchising, Libava warns. “We don’t live in a perfect world, so not every veteran is right for franchise ownership. There are lots of variables, one of which has to do with just how much a particular veteran actually wants to become their own boss. There’s also a real possibility that there are limited financial resources from which they can to draw from, and that in itself makes it a high-risk venture.” For those veterans who can source financial support and are interested in venturing into franchise ownership, 1851 has created the first annual Vet100, a list that highlights the top 100 veteran-friendly franchise opportunities. The list was created based on several categories: VetFran participation; G.I. Jobs approval; unit size; Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 ranking; and overall commitment to Veteran franchise awareness. Throughout the month of July, 1851 will highlight, from 100 to 1, the top opportunities.

Rank	Franchise Brand	GIJobs Military Approved	Entrepreneur Rank	Total Number of Units	Investment Ranks	VetFran Incentives/ Discounts
80	Wild Birds Unlimited*	Yes	123	280	$99.83K - 157.34K	20% off franchise fee
81	Swiss Farm Stores	No	Not found	14	Not found	50% off franchise fee
82	Coffee Culture Cafe & Eatery	No	Not rated	130	Not found	50% off franchise fee
83	Big O Tires, LLC	No	Not Rated	523	$275.8K - 843.3K	Franchise fee waived
84	Snap-on-Tools Company, LLC	Yes	28	4747	$19.5K - 275.8K	$20,000 off franchise fee
85	SealMaster	No	Not Rated	86	$289.8K - 531K	$10,000 off franchise fee
86	Appleton Learning	No	No Rated	3	Not found	$25,000 off $35,000 franchise fee
87	DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen by Worldwide	No	Not Rated	43	$95.95K - 244.65K	Discount franchise fee by $8,750
88	Rainbow Station, Inc.	Yes	Not Rated	9	$1.36M - 3.26M	Half off franchisee fee
89	NYS Collection Eyewear	Yes	Not Rated	26	$35K - 80K	$5,000 off franchisee fee
90	Melting Pot	Yes	379	142	$886.7K-1.55M	20% off franchise fee
91	Papa Murphy's	No	27	1301	$209.33K-396.71K	Year 1: Royalty fee is 2% of Net Sales. Year 2: 3% of Net Sales. Year 3: 4% of Net Sales. Year 4+: 5% of Net Sales
92	Cheeburger Cheeburger Restaurants, Inc.	No	Not Rated	65	$355.5K-495K	50% off franchise fee
93	Grout Doctor Global Franchise Corp.	Yes	311	73	$20.41K-39.92K	50% off franchise fee
94	Menchie's Group, Inc.	No	253	102	$170K-574.79K	$20,000 off upfront franchise fee
95	Black Dawg ( Sealcoat) Franchise Group, LLC	Yes	Not Rated	10	$56.68K-99.83K	30% off franchise fee
96	The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Franchise Company	No	Not Rated	14	N/A	Waive franchise fee completely
97	Hometown Threads	No	Not Rated	16	$165k	Depending on location and need, all or part of franchise fee may be waived
98	Edible Arrangements International, Inc.	No	42	863	$148.21K-$285.22K	$10,000 off franchise fee
99	Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc.	No	Not Rated	247	$68.6K-209.3K	50% off franchise fee
100	BannaStrow's Crepes and Coffee	Yes	Not Rated	7	N/A	$5,000 off franchise fee