1851

When it comes to franchising, bigger is better, right? Just look at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-us/franchising.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">McDonald’s</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kfc.com/franchising?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">KFC,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bk.com/franchise-usa?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Burger King&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://biz.dominos.com/franchise/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Domino’s</a>, some of the largest and most successful franchises in the country.And then there’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bostonmarket.com/company/franchising/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Boston Market.</a> After a successful IPO in the early ‘90s, the company rolled over the cash it raised to rapidly scale up its number of locations.But the fast-casual rotisserie chicken chain — which is owned by McDonald’s — had trouble managing the operations of its main stores. On top of it, Boston Market suddenly found itself competing with grocery stores as they increasingly began to expand their prepared food offerings. As a result, in 2019, Boston Market was forced to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/boston-market-closes-45-locations?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">shrink by nearly 60%</a> since its gravy days, when the franchise chain had more than 1,100 locations across the country.<h4>It’s Not the Size. It’s the Timing</h4>“It’s not necessarily a bad thing to get too big,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-coulter-70053b2a/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Lauren Coulter,</a> director of franchise development for emerging brand&nbsp;<a href="https://biscuitbellyfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Biscuit Belly</a>. “But it can be a bad thing to get too big too quickly, especially if you don’t have the bandwidth to manage it. It’s easy to want to take a check from every franchisee who will give it to you, but it’s important to grow strategically.”According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-weiss/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Matthew Weiss</a>, director of franchise development at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lfivecapital.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Level 5 Capital Partners</a> and director of operations for a multi-location&nbsp;<a href="https://www.massageenvy.com/about-us/own-a-franchise?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Massage Envy</a> franchise, franchisors have a responsibility to make sure their sales match the infrastructure they have in place.“The amount of infrastructure and staffing it takes to grow a brand internally is significant,” Weiss said. “A brand like&nbsp;<a href="https://mymidici.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">MidiCi&nbsp;</a>[a Neapolitan pizza franchise] is a cautionary tale of a chain that got really big really fast, and then they just kind of went away. A lot of licenses were awarded, but not a single franchised store ended up opening.”Part of the problem is that MidiCi never opened a corporate store or sold a single slice of pizza before selling franchises. With no proven operating system in place, no recipe testing and no data, MidiCi focused on sales over execution. In 2018, three years after it started selling pizza franchises that never opened,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.docketbird.com/court-cases/MidiCi-Group-LLC/cacb-1:2018-bk-12354?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">MidiCi filed for bankruptcy</a>.<h4>Cash is King</h4>According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyelias/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Corey Elias</a>, director of franchise development at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.francaptain.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=can-a-franchise-get-too-big-2720232" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Franchise Captain</a>,&nbsp;one of the biggest pitfalls when it comes to growing a franchise quickly is not having enough capital to support the growth.&nbsp;“You need to be very well-funded to cover the increased staffing you’ll need to handle franchisee support,” Elias said. “The cost of running that kind of model is huge.”Funding for training, site selection assistance and opening support is yet another consideration. Most franchisors spend their franchisees’ fees on those fundamentals, but if they’ve spent most of it paying franchise brokers to grow the brand instead, they might find themselves in a situation where they have too many franchisees and insufficient capital to manage them.“A lot of franchises crumble because they don’t have the dollars to support franchisees until the royalties come in, which can sometimes be a few years out,” Elias said. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of horror stories in the franchising world.”

Can a Franchise Get Too Big? 

1851 Franchise

Growing a brand is a good thing if it’s timed right. But growing too quickly without the right structures, staffing and funding in place can end in disaster.  

can-a-franchise-get-too-big

Sola Salons

Sola Salons Targets Chicago for Strategic Franchise Growth

sola-salons-targets-chicago-for-strategic-franchise-growth

Melting Pot

Photo of Melting Pot white chocolate fondue

How Melting Pot Franchisees Drive Year-Round Success Through Strategic Promotions and Local Marketing

melting-pot-franchise-year-round-success

Crust Pizza Co.

Crust Pizza Co. - Technology Piece - CTO Nick Fontenot - May 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Crust Pizza Co. Builds the Future of Franchising With Tech-First Strategy

crust-pizza-co-technology-nick-fontenot-cto

Paris Baguette

Paris Baguette’s Recipe for Expansion: Leadership, Community and A Vision for 1,000 Cafés by 2030

paris-baguettes-recipe-for-expansion-leadership-community-and-a-vision-for-1000-cafes-by-2030

Seniors Helping Seniors®

Franchisee Spotlight with Billy and Anita Clark and Seniors Helping Seniors

Heart and Purpose: Couple Launch Seniors Helping Seniors® Franchise in Northern Arizona

heart-and-purpose-couple-launch-seniors-helping-seniors-franchise-in-northern-arizona

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands - 1851 Franchise

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands

doordash-acquistions-deliveroo-sevenrooms

Crumbl Franchise Investment - TSG Consumer Partners -  1851 Franchise

TSG Consumer Partners Takes Minority Stake in Crumbl, Signaling Franchise Growth Potential

crumbl-franchise-investment-tsg-consumer

Yum Brands Reports Strong Q1 Results with Big Boost from Taco Bell

yum-brands-reports-strong-q1-results-with-big-boost-from-taco-bell

QSR: McDonald’s Gains Momentum With Chicken Innovation, Value Deals and Franchisee Support

mcdonalds-franchise-recovery-chicken-strategy-value-deals-2025

The Future of Franchising: Trends and Predictions for 2025 and Beyond

the-future-of-franchising-trends-and-predictions-for-2025-and-beyond

Layoffs Surge to Pandemic-Era Highs, Opening Doors for Franchise Growth

layoffs-surge-to-pandemic-era-highs-opening-doors-for-franchise-growth

Restaurant Business: Crumbl Cools Its Expansion, Refocuses on Profitability

restaurant-business-crumbl-cools-its-expansion-refocuses-on-profitability

Franchisee spotlight image with Randy and Sandy Craft, Children's Lighthouse logo on blue background

The Crafts’ Successful Journey from New Parents to Children’s Lighthouse Franchisees

the-crafts-successful-journey-from-new-parents-to-childrens-lighthouse-franchisees

Franchisee spotlight image with photo of Robert Trujillo and UWRG logo on blue background

How Robert Trujillo Expanded His Construction Business With UWRG

how-robert-trujillo-expanded-his-construction-business-with-uwrg

District Taco Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-district-tacos-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: Building Your Brand’s Growth Machine

ultimate-guide-to-selling-franchises

Can a Franchise Get Too Big?

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS