The 8 | August 4, 2017

1. Frantastic: Things are heating up in the restaurant industry—literally. According to a new food industry flavor trends report from Research and Market, fiery and pepper-packed ingredients are becoming more popular among consumers in addition to Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines. To see what we think this means for restaurants and their patrons going forward, check out this week’s edition of “The 8.”

2. Franlebrity: We kicked off a new issue on 1851 this week highlighting the franchising industry’s top legal players. And the first Franlebrity to be featured is Lane Fisher of the business law firm Fisher Zucker. In his Q&A on 1851, Fisher explains why he loves franchising, saying, “Because franchising is a channel of distribution and not an industry, there is a larger degree of sharing and cooperation among competitors, allowing emerging franchisors to capitalize on the experience of others rather than learning everything through trial and error.”

3. Frash Money: If there’s one thing that’s top of mind for entrepreneurs trying to break into the franchising industry, it’s Frash Money. That’s why Pool Scouts* makes it business ownership opportunity affordable—the brand boasts low start-up costs that are designed to benefit both the franchisor and its future franchisees. And according to Pool Scouts, that low initial investment opens the door to more local owners, fueling its ongoing expansion initiative.

4. Frant of the Week: In his latest Frant, No Limit Agency* CEO Nick Powills says that there’s something surprising that has the potential to change brands’ discovery days: millennial driving habits. Fewer millennials are getting behind the wheel—they’re opting to use Uber instead. That means that brands with locations off the beaten path may need to start thinking about bringing their discovery days to more convenient locations in order to reach candidates.

5. Franch Forward: Lennys Grill & Subs is furthering its efforts to Franch Forward by redesigning its restaurants. The brand first started making changes to its restaurants in 2016 to emphasize the “grill” aspect of its business. And now, Lennys plans to update 50 more locations in 2017, with 48 locations set to follow in 2018. The brand is already seeing positive results—franchisees are seeing their sales go up after updating their menu and store design.

6. Fran Funny: Have you heard the rumor going around about butter? Never mind, I shouldn’t be spreading it.

7. Franspiration: “At its core, [franchising] is a relationship business. Neither party can reach its full potential if they are not working together.” – Andy Beilfuss, partner at Quarles & Brady LLP

8. Franemies vs. Frands: Considering that we rely on Google to answer every random question that pops into our heads, it’s no surprise that we consider them a Frand. But now, the search engine is stepping up its best franchising Frand status by updating its image search. In a move that makes Google more like Pinterest, Google Images will connect web users to search results beyond photos, including recipes and products for purchase.