5 Brands You Didn’t Know Were Franchises

When looking into franchising, there are several brands that inevitably come up as off-limits. For example, brands like Starbucks, Chipotle and In-N-Out may seem like they’d be among the most popular franchise concepts, but they are actually 100% corporate-owned — instead of being owned/operated by individual franchise owners, each location is owned by the company and run by hired managers. But there are also brands that fall into the opposite category: They seem like they’d be corporate-run but they are actually available for franchising. 

Here are five of the top brands many people may not know are franchises. 

IKEA

With 360 stores worldwide, this Swedish retail juggernaut is arguably one of the world’s most recognizable furniture brands, thanks in large part to its unmistakable blue-and-yellow storefronts and hyper-affordable prices. Many people may not know it, but the brand has actually been franchising since day one. Still, while IKEA is technically a franchise, investment opportunities are not available to the typical type of individual entrepreneur or small organization common to franchising. To open an IKEA franchise, large ownership groups invest significant capital — upwards of $100 million for each location — and agree to manage all of the stores in a specific country.

The UPS Store

After being founded in 1907 as the American Messenger Service, UPS was rebranded to the United Parcel Service in 1919. This brand is highly recognizable, yet not many are aware that they could own their franchise location. And it's not just any franchise opportunity — the shipping and receiving giant has ranked first in the postal and business services category of the Franchise 500 list for the past 30 years and consistently ranks in the top five overall.

Wahlburgers 

Believe it or not, you don’t have to be a Wahlberg to open up your own Wahlburgers. This restaurant concept deceives many exploring franchise opportunities due to the high-profile nature of its famous founders, Mark, Donnie and Paul Wahlberg, but ownership is not exclusive to celebrities. The Wahlburgers brand is available to franchising, and franchisees across the U.S. have helped establish the brand as more than just a famous name.

Hilton Franchise

The hotel industry is not typically associated with the classic franchise model, but Hilton gives franchisees the opportunity to become an owner of one of the most famous hotel chains in the world. Hilton has been franchising for over five decades, and also offers several other investment opportunities under its umbrella, including Conrad Hotels, Doubletree and the Hilton Garden Inn.

Levi's

The inventors of the first blue jean have come to define the wardrobes of both past and present,  but many entrepreneurs may not realize they have an opportunity to invest in a piece of history themselves by opening a storefront of their own. The classic clothing retailer, which was established in 1953, began offering franchise opportunities just 10 years later in 1965.