5 Young Brands Poised for Growth in 2020

While these brands may have smaller unit counts—each is currently under 50 in total—they are all poised to make big moves in 2020. Read on below to learn more about how these fave franchise brands fared in 2019, how they set themselves apart in their respective industries, and how they plan to carry on that momentum into 2020.

Shuckin’ Shack 

At just 16 locations, Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar has already made a splash within the full-service restaurant segment. Led by 35-year-old CEO Jonathan Weathington, Shuckin’ Shack prides itself on key differentiators including eco-friendly waste management practices, sustainably sourced products and an authentic, relaxed business philosophy and consumer atmosphere. The brand is getting ready to enter markets like Texas, Tennessee, West Virginia and Ohio in 2020.

Big Blue Swim School* 

Big Blue Swim School has had a year of incredible growth in 2019, and plans to make a serious splash in 2020. The brand sets itself apart by offering best-in-class swim instruction through a proprietary swimming methodology developed by founder and former competitive swimmer Chris DeJong. In 2017, private equity group Level 5 Capital Partners became a majority stakeholder of Big Blue Swim School, with franchise expansion and franchisee support as its top priority. Level 5 Capital Partners has an aggressive strategy to grow through franchising to 150 locations by 2021. 

Hounds Town USA

Founded by canine behavior expert Mike Gould in 2001, Hounds Town USA joined the franchising game in 2017 and has been slowly but surely making moves to expand to dozens of new national markets in 2020. People are spending more and more money on their dogs, making the pet care industry an intensely competitive, but very necessary market. Hounds Town USA stands out from other doggy day care brands through Gould’s unique background in dog behavior, a no-breed-discrimination policy and a complex play structure that allows dogs to just be dogs. The mass-appeal of this model makes Hounds Town ripe for expansion in almost any community. Hounds Town USA currently has nine locations, with plans to grow to 30 units by 2023.

Home Clean Heroes*

The low-investment home cleaning brand Home Clean Heroes has just two locations currently, but under the helm of Pool Scouts* and British Swim School operators Buzz Franchise Brands, the franchise is poised for serious expansion in 2020. The brand aims to set a new standard of care in a $6 Billion residential cleaning industry by providing professional services in addition to traditional cleaning services. The company signed its first franchisees in August of 2019, setting up 2020 to be a breakout year for Home Clean heroes to target markets in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas and more. 

SoBol

Açai bowls were named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Hottest Franchise Categories of 2020. As more and more consumers are looking for healthier options, businesses like SoBol have been exploding in growth. The brand has 39 locations across the Northeast, but is slated to open its first-ever West Coast location in 2020, spearheading expansion across the nation. Following its success in the Philadelphia market, SoBol is presently targeting elsewhere in Pennsylvania for growth, as well.