Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More Celebrates 11 Signings and 3 Openings in Q1 2026

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More, the community-focused custom apparel franchise with nearly 80 independently owned and operated stores across the United States and Canada, signed 11 franchise agreements in the first quarter. The brand also saw three openings in Kentucky and South Carolina as it builds on the momentum it saw during 2025 and the work it has done with broker networks. 

“Our new stores are ramping up well, so they're validating well to consultants who recommended Big Frog,” said Tina Bacon-DeFrece, PhD, president and co-founder. “There’s been a lot of positive growth across new stores and even across older stores, which is contributing to the growth we’re seeing. We're still founder-owned, which is unique in the franchise space. We have a very transparent and fun culture and our franchisees really support each other, which goes a long way for new owners.”

The new franchisees signed agreements for locations across several growth markets, including East Cobb, Georgia; East Orlando, Florida; McKinney and Lantana/Flower Mound, Texas; Potomac Falls, Virginia; Clarksburg, Maryland; North Columbus and Frankfort, Ohio; West Los Angeles and Pasadena, California; and Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada.

To support the growth it’s seeing, Big Frog hired a pre-opening coordinator in 2025 and is in the process of hiring a new field support coach this year. The franchise also spent time perfecting its eight-week pre-opening program, which is focused on understanding profitability, sales and marketing as franchisees open. It also just invested in a new e-learning platform, which uses AI to help both owners and their teams. This will be especially important as the brand is projecting to open 18 to 20 new units this year.

One of the most exciting events during the quarter was the Asheville location’s 10th anniversary. The location has seen years of success, even with the flooding from Hurricane Helene that devastated North Carolina in 2024. The store supported the community during that time and continues to build relationships as it has grown over the past decade. 

“I think it speaks to how the owners really interface with the community,” said Bacon-DeFrece. “It's just so critical to our concept's success. Asheville's owner, David Riddell, is fantastic in how he supports this community. It’s amazing to see how the city of Asheville has rebuilt, and David contributed to that through Big Frog.”

As it looks ahead to the rest of 2026, Big Frog will build on the early momentum it has seen by continuing to focus on broker and consultant networks and building its brand identity. 

“We’ve had a few consultant meet-the-team days here, which has been great because one of the challenges we face, because we're called Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More, is the perception that it's just about T-shirts when in fact it's all kinds of products,” said Bacon-DeFrece. “We’ve been making sure our consultants and promotional materials are not fixated on T-shirts, but on being a sales concierge. We love T-shirts, but we’re not just T-shirts, we’re a much bigger concept.” 

Big Frog will continue to seek out new markets in the United States and Canada throughout the rest of 2026, particularly in states including Texas, Ohio and Florida.

ABOUT BIG FROG CUSTOM T-SHIRTS & MORE:

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Dunedin, Florida, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More, Inc. is an international franchise system with nearly 80 independently owned and operated stores serving consumers and businesses across the U.S. and Canada. Big Frog specializes in direct-to-garment printing (DTG) and is a one-stop shop for all custom apparel decorating techniques, as well as branded promotional products. Big Frog offers free design help, no minimums, no art/setup fees, and fast turnaround. Find a store at BIGFROG.COM, U.S. franchise opportunities at BIGFROGFRANCHISE.COM, Canadian franchise opportunities at BIGFROG.CA, and Big Frog on YouTube.