1851

Multi-brand restaurant franchisor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fatbrands.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fat-brands-aims-to-add-125-units-through-franchising-this-year-cross-2500-restaurants-in-2023-2719023" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">FAT Brands</a> is already one of the most successful operators in foodservice franchising, with more than 2,300 restaurant locations open in markets around the world. Now, after five years of acquiring and developing some of the most sought-after fast casual, QSR, casual and polished casual dining brands in franchising, FAT Brands is leveraging its diverse portfolio to support widespread franchisee growth,&nbsp;aiming to add 125 new units to its system just this year.“We’ve spent years building and refining one of the strongest multi-brand franchisor models in the industry, and now we are shifting our focus to franchisee growth,” said FAT Brands CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-wiederhorn?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fat-brands-aims-to-add-125-units-through-franchising-this-year-cross-2500-restaurants-in-2023-2719023" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Andy Wiederhorn</a>. “We have strategically acquired brands that allow franchise owners to quickly grow their business across multiple brands, often within a single market, and we are extremely well-positioned to help franchisees take advantage of the wealth of white space available to them right now.”<h4>A Franchise Built For Growth</h4>Wiederhorn purchased&nbsp;<a href="https://fatburger.com/franchise?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fat-brands-aims-to-add-125-units-through-franchising-this-year-cross-2500-restaurants-in-2023-2719023" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Fatburger</a> — the burger franchise that FAT Brands would eventually spin out from —&nbsp;through a financing deal in 2003. At the time, Fatburger was a 50/50 corporate-owned/franchised chain, but Wiederhorn saw an opportunity to grow the brand further through the franchising model. That vision proved successful, with Fatburger now boasting approximately 200 units.Following the successful launch and growth of Fatburger’s franchise opportunity, Wiederhorn established FAT Brands with the goal of replicating Fatburger’s growth across multiple new restaurant franchise acquisitions.“I’m a finance guy in the restaurant industry,” Wiederhorn admits, “so I’ve always been growth-oriented. Our success as a franchisor has always been about identifying the opportunities available to us and figuring out how to take full advantage of them.”In 2017 FAT Brands went public and started acquiring franchise brands at a rapid clip. Five years later, the company has 17 fast casual, QSR, casual, and polished casual restaurant brands in its portfolio, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.johnnyrockets.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fat-brands-aims-to-add-125-units-through-franchising-this-year-cross-2500-restaurants-in-2023-2719023" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Johnny Rockets</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://greatamericancookiesfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fat-brands-aims-to-add-125-units-through-franchising-this-year-cross-2500-restaurants-in-2023-2719023" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Great American Cookies</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://roundtablepizzafranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fat-brands-aims-to-add-125-units-through-franchising-this-year-cross-2500-restaurants-in-2023-2719023" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Round Table Pizza</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://marbleslabfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fat-brands-aims-to-add-125-units-through-franchising-this-year-cross-2500-restaurants-in-2023-2719023" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Marble Slab Creamery</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://twinpeaksfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fat-brands-aims-to-add-125-units-through-franchising-this-year-cross-2500-restaurants-in-2023-2719023" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Twin Peaks</a>, to name just a few of its more recent acquisitions.“Last year alone, we spent nearly a billion dollars on new acquisitions,” Wiederhorn said. “Now, we are at a place where we can offer a range of diverse and complementary investments that will allow franchisees to grow rapidly without cannibalizing each other or their own business.”<h4>FAT Brands Provides Small-Business Owners Big-Business Resources</h4>As FAT Brands shifts into a new phase of growth — one focused on franchisee expansion rather than brand acquisition —&nbsp;Wiederhorn says his team is determined to ensure franchisee success across brands.“The franchisee is our customer, and the service we provide to them is every bit as critical as the service they provide to their customers at the store level,” he said. “We have developed an incredible suite of support and coaching tools, which I believe is unrivaled in this industry. We offer dedicated tools, resources and personnel to support virtually every aspect of running a business, including real estate selection, marketing and financing. Our operators, like most restaurant owners, are focused on service and the quality of the food, so they don’t have a lot of bandwidth to focus on profits and losses. That’s where our support becomes invaluable. That’s how we take care of our customer.”That support system is buoyed by one of the most experienced leadership teams in franchising, a critical benefit of strategic brand acquisition, Wiederhorn says.“One of the great things about bringing so many excellent, established franchise brands into our system is that we get the insight and experience from their leadership teams and can cross-apply that knowledge to all of our brands,” he said. “Any challenge we encounter for any of our brands, we have someone who has faced and overcome that challenge before.”The cross-application of resources is key to FAT Brands’ early growth and its ambitious expansion goals.&nbsp;“Franchisees in our system are small business owners, but they get the purchasing power, marketing muscle and resources of a multi-billion-dollar brand,” Weiderhorn said. “It’s an incredibly rare and valuable opportunity in any industry.”Those shared resources extend even to the store level, where co-branded franchise opportunities allow franchisees to, essentially, offer two restaurants in one unit, with one streamlined operational model, potentially doubling revenue without increasing overhead.&nbsp;Further taking advantage of the co-branded restaurant model, FAT Brands also pioneered a lucrative twist on the ghost kitchen model that rose to popularity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Wiederhorn calls it the “virtual restaurant” model.“Our virtual restaurant model, which the savvier brands in our industry are starting to replicate, allows franchise owners to leverage the existing kitchen at their store to offer delivery and takeout under branding for a separate restaurant,” he said. “It’s like a ghost kitchen, but they don’t have to rent out space and all sales supplement the existing store business.”FAT Brands already has around 100 virtual kitchens in operation, and Wiederhorn says franchisees are eagerly adopting the model.As FAT Brands looks to expand the footprint of its stable of restaurant brands, it is seeking passionate and growth-oriented operators in markets across the country, starting with the Southeastern U.S. from Texas to Florida in addition to Arizona and Northern California.“We have tremendous growth opportunities in front of us, and we are perfectly positioned to take advantage of them,” Wiederhorn said. “Now, it’s just a matter of finding franchisee candidates who appreciate the value of this opportunity and can execute the playbook we’ve perfected for each of our brands.”Investment ranges for FAT Brands franchises range from $349,000.00 to $5,107,000.00. Learn more about franchising opportunities at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fatbrands.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=fat-brands-aims-to-add-125-units-through-franchising-this-year-cross-2500-restaurants-in-2023-2719023" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.fatbrands.com/</a>.FAT Brands Company ProfileFAT Brands, Inc operates as a leading global franchising company that strategically acquires, markets, and develops fast casual, quick-service, casual dining, and polished casual dining concepts around the world. The Company currently owns 17 restaurant brands: Round Table Pizza, Fatburger, Marble Slab Creamery, Johnny Rockets, Fazoli’s, Twin Peaks, Great American Cookies, Hot Dog on a Stick, Buffalo’s Cafe &amp; Express, Hurricane Grill &amp; Wings, Pretzelmaker, Elevation Burger, Native Grill &amp; Wings, Yalla Mediterranean and Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses

FAT Brands Aims To Add 125 Units Through Franchising This Year, Cross 2,500 Restaurants in 2023

1851 Franchise

The leading global restaurant franchisor is growing rapidly thanks in part to its diverse portfolio of brands, allowing franchisees to scale seamlessly with multiple complementary investments.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

fat-brands-aims-to-add-125-units-through-franchising-this-year-cross-2500-restaurants-in-2023

Lindora

Celebrating the Nurse Behind the Mission: How Melinda Endricks Is Powering Lindora’s Growth and Impact Nationwide

celebrating-the-nurse-behind-the-mission-how-melinda-endricks-is-powering-lindoras-growth-and-impact-nationwide

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

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

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

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

HTeaO Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-hteaos-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

DonutNV Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-donutnv-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Photo of Happinest Brands vans and teams standing together

Happinest Brands Closes Strong Q1 With Strategic Growth, System-Wide Enhancements

happinest-brands-q1-2025-growth

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

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

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

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

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

ultimate-guide-to-selling-franchises

FAT Brands Aims To Add 125 Units Through Franchising This Year, Cross 2,500 Restaurants in 2023

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS