By working together with local experts, the brand is able to secure a site that will set its owners up for success.

Locals in any community can recommend the best restaurants in town, but they also know the prime places to open one. That's why franchisors tapping into new markets focus on finding a local franchisee to open restaurants. 

"What we bring is the brand and the science around site selection, and that's how we target markets," said Jennifer Durham, chief development officer for Checkers & Rally's. "What [local franchisees] bring is color commentary."

Durham shared examples with Nation's Restaurant News about opening locations in different parts of Texas for the first time and how different flavors fit various communities. 

"Analytics will help direct you to a certain area," Durham said. "It never replaces local knowledge that the franchisee would have of that market."

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