5 Longest Running Franchises

There are 773,603 franchise brands worldwide, many are household names around the world. From the creation of the first Bacon Cheeseburger to the first soft-serve ice cream formula to international auto service and cleaning brands; franchising has given us so many services and goods throughout the years. These are 5 of the longest-running franchise brands:

A&W Restaurants* Inc

In 1919, Roy W. Allen set up a roadside drink stand a parade for returning World War I veterans in Lodi, California. Allen opened the first A&W restaurant with his business partner Frank Wrigthin Sacramento in 1923. In 1926, they began franchising and today they have locations in 16 countries and territories. Fun fact, they are credited for inventing the Bacon Cheeseburger in 1963. 

Dairy Queen*

Dairy Queen is an American franchise of soft-serve ice cream and fast-food restaurants that first opened in Joliet, Illinois in 1940. The brand is also known as Orange Julius around the world. The first location was owned by Sherb Noble who offered the original soft serve ice cream created by John Fremont McCullough and his son Alex in 1938. Dairy Queen has been franchising since they first opened. In the ’50s and 60s, it was seen as a symbol of small-town American Life throughout the midwest. Now it is an international brand with 6,800 locations around the world. 

DuraClean

DuraClean all started when Marjorie Marshall sent a rug to be cleaned and it came back still dirty. She asked her husband Irl Sr. to come up with a formula that would get her rug clean. He came up with the perfect formula, and in 1930, he started The Home Service Co., the parent company of DuraClean international. Thirteen years later the Marshalls began franchising their brand. 

DUNKIN

DUNKIN is an American coffee and donut franchise founded by William Rosenberg 71 years ago in Quincy, Massachusetts. Since the first location opened in 1950, it has grown internationally to 12,871 locations in 42 countries; one of the largest coffee and donut shop brands in the world. 

Midas Int’l. LLC

Midas is an automotive service franchise with over 2,000 locations in 13 countries. An acronym of Muffler Installation Dealers Association Services, Midas was established by Nate H. Sherman. The first Midas Muffler shop opened in Macon, Georgia in 1956. Its slogan, "Trust the Midas touch,” comes from King Midas and his golden touch.