Growth Club
1851 Growth Club
The List Issue: Emerging Franchise Brands with Under 50 Locations
25 small brands with big potential
Emerging franchise brands enjoy a number of benefits unavailable to larger brands. Where larger franchises typically attract career investors looking to add units to their portfolio, emerging franchises more often partner with hungry young entrepreneurs who are looking to grow with an exciting new concept. Where larger franchises have larger development teams on-boarding any number of new franchisees on a regular basis, emerging franchises are can offer the dedicated support of much of their corporate leadership to each new franchisee. Perhaps most crucially, larger franchises are married to their older and potentially out-dated concepts, while emerging franchises can sculpt their brand to take advantage of modern consumer trends and projections.
An entrepreneur looking to partner with an emerging franchise brand has a wealth of attractive options from across segments to choose from. Here are 25 of 1851’s favorites. Each currently has fewer than 50 locations open, but many are expanding quickly and will likely outgrow this list within the year.
In their six studios located throughout New Jersey, ArteVino Studio offers BYOB art classes, private parties, corporate events, and open studio time to artists of all experience levels. The casual environment and judgment-free art space has proven enormously popular in ArteVino’s home state, and the brand is developing expansion plans throughout the East Coast.
Number of locations: 6
Startup costs: $99,800 to $123,850
Though Ben’s Barketplace has been servicing the pet owners of Northern California from their store in Rosemont for over 10 years, the pet-care brand only became a franchise earlier this year. Now, owners Sally and Brad Romero are eager to extend their lucrative model—Ben’s Barketplace’s single store saw more than $1.3 million in sales in 2016 alone and has enjoyed 15 percent year-over-year growth for the past three years—to new stores throughout the West Coast.
Number of locations: 1
Startup costs: $189,800 to $352,050
The Brass Tap’s simple but genius franchising innovation was to create a scalable bar & grill model that tailors each location’s extensive beer menu to local preferences, making every Brass Tap location feel like the neighborhood bar. The concept allows The Brass Tap to roll with any changes to consumer preferences on the fly without disrupting the franchise model.
Number of locations: 38
Startup costs: $664,050 to $1,223,000
Mike Pierce’s barbecue chicken was famous in his hometown of Kapaa, Hawaii for 35 years before he opened his first Chicken in a Barrel location. Pierce served his chicken—a family recipe—at local events and through a charitable organization before demand for his chicken encouraged him to open his first restaurant in 2010. Two years later, Pierce opened his second restaurant. Now, Chicken in a Barrel has entered the franchise game, and Pierce expects to find the same enthusiasm he’s seen for his Hawaii-style BBQ chicken in Kapaa throughout the rest of Hawaii and the U.S.
Number of locations: 2
Startup costs: $244,510 to $395,208 for Roadside Express locations, $497,100 to $687,500 for full-service locations.
Closet and Storage Concepts works with residential clients, designers, buildings, and architects to create innovative organization and furnishing solutions. Though they currently operate just 26 locations, the brand has been in franchising for over 30 years. That careful development strategy has produced strong, well-positioned franchisees, each benefitting from the brand’s decades of experience and refinement.
Number of locations: 26
Startup costs: $73,000 to $492,600
Capitalizing on the growing consumer demand for health- and environment-conscious food options, Coolgreens has created a menu that caters to a variety of dietary preferences, including vegetarianism and veganism. Coolgreens is also adamant about improving their communities, partnering with franchisees who have strong community roots and are passionate about healthy and responsible eating.
Number of locations: 6
Startup costs: $296,732 to $482,600
Another environment-minded franchise, Ecomaids offers green cleaning solutions, including LEED-certified services and all-natural products, for homes and business. Though Ecomaids currently only operates six locations, they have a large footprint, with locations in New York, North Carolina, Minnesota, Arizona, and Oregon.
Number of locations: 6
Startup costs: $113,750 to $162,450
Enjoy Your Party differentiates themselves from other party and event staffing agencies through their Core Values, a strict set of principles and expectations held for all employees. While their standards of conduct are strict, their operations are deliberately flexible, allowing them to effortlessly adapt to the requirements of the event.
Number of locations: 1
Startup costs: $84,800 to $111,375
Since 2005, when Famous Toastery opened their first location in Huntersville, North Carolina, the breakfast restaurant has been adamant about serving only high-quality, fresh-made breakfasts in a casual, family-oriented atmosphere. That combo struck a chord with customers, and Famous Toastery quickly expanded to three restaurants, eventually turning to franchising in 2013. Now Famous Toastery has 13 locations throughout the East Coast, and they are still expanding.
Number of locations: 13
Startup costs: $601,500 to $1,044,000
From fast-food to fine-dining, French fries have been a staple of American food for decades, but French Fry Heaven is one of the few concepts to put fries front and center. Not only has French Fry Heaven refined their recipe to provide a perfect fry, they’ve built a menu of creative and enticing fry-based entrees, including poutine, pizza fries, country-fried chicken fries, and pulled-pork fries.
Number of locations: 2
Startup costs: $214, 500 to $490,500
Cycling classes have seen growing popularity in the fitness segment, but they are traditionally limited in scope, providing an intense core and lower-body workout without doing much for the upper body. Full Pyscle has set out to remedy that omission with a proprietary concept that incorporates upper-body strength training into an intensive cycling routine. The concept has been a hit in Full Pyscle’s initial markets of California, Illinois, Texas, and Florida, and the brand is now looking to expand throughout the U.S.
Number of locations: 12
Startup costs: $259,660 to $465,000
The U.S. skin-care market is projected to reach $11 billion by 2018. Idolize is positioned to take advantage of that growth by focusing on the fastest growing segment in that industry: eyebrow and facial threading. Idolize also offers traditional spa services, such as body waxing and facials, and they sell a line of retail products, providing a set of discrete revenue streams for owners.
Number of locations: 6
Startup costs: $95,100 to $227,170
K9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotels
Any dog lovers looking to break into franchising may find the perfect opportunity with K9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotels. The dog- boarding and daycare concept is small but growing rapidly along with the multi-billion-dollar boarding and grooming industry.
Number of locations: 6
Startup costs: $915,655 to $1,292,859
Kennedy's All-American Barber Club
Kennedy’s All-American Barber Club offers men an alternative to family-oriented haircut chains and high-end salons. By offering classic straight-razor shaves as well as cutting-edge grooming products, Kennedy’s provides a unique combination of traditional and modern services, which can be customized to the needs and comfort of each customer, making their barber shop an appealing prospect for men of all styles.
Number of locations: 12
Startup costs: $211,285 to $314,450
Prospective franchisees looking for a well-positioned fast-casual restaurant would do well to take a close look at La Rosa Chicken & Grill. The chicken-focused restaurant checks off a number of today’s most important boxes for strong consumer positioning, including a health-conscious menu, family recipes that don’t look or taste mass-produced, and a modern yet warm and inviting restaurant.
Number of locations: 10
Startup costs: $273,800 to $456,500
Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles is one of the few foodservice franchises on our list that is not jumping into the health-food game. No matter. Even as demand for healthy options grow, there will always be an appetite for delicious, home-cooked soul food, particularly Lo-Lo’s signature savory fried chicken and delectable, syrupy waffles. Lo-Lo’s owners can also benefit from supplemental revenue streams by adding a full bar and catering services.
Number of locations: 8
Startup costs: $850,000 to $2,300,000
One of the few largely seasonal businesses on our list, Pool Scouts is a particularly attractive proposition for a prospective franchisee who is looking to take control of their work-life balance. A $3 billion industry, pool cleaning services offer a strong enough boon in the spring and summer months that many franchisees are able to support themselves year-round from 6–8 months of work.
Number of locations: 4
Startup costs: $54,500 to $98,000
Taking advantage of the rapidly growing paint-and-sip segment, Pretty in Paint offers painting classes at a rotating lineup of local venues. The mobile model means that franchisees do not have to invest in or maintain a brick-and-mortar location, and the partnerships with other local businesses provides a built-in marketing network.
Number of locations: 7
Startup costs: $14,775 to $37,300
Formerly Pita Grill, Pure Pita has been operating in Manhattan and North Jersey since 1993. Those locations remain hallmark quick-service food destinations in their communities, and Pure Pita is angling to leverage their popularity in new markets with the franchising concept.
Number of locations: 3
Startup costs: $168,100 to $300,700
One of the youngest franchises on our list, Relocators launched its franchise opportunity in the spring of 2016. Now the brand is hungry to grow and plans to expand nationally in the coming years. Relocators offers a full suite of moving services, including storage, clean-out, shipping, and even estate-sale services.
Number of locations: 1
Startup costs: $127,488 to $199,220
From a consumer perspective, The Roman Candle Pizza is distinguished by high-quality, farm-fresh pizzeria fare, but their value proposition to franchisees is what really sets the brand apart from other pizza brands. The Roman Candle’s franchise model is built around four discrete revenue streams: family-oriented casual dining inside the restaurant, online to-go ordering, online delivery ordering, and catering. That diverse model is designed to accommodate shifting consumer preferences and increase profitability without increasing overhead, making The Roman Candle one of the more attractive emerging concepts in the foodservice industry.
Number of locations: 3
Startup costs: $478,000 to $852,000
Ruby’s Diner boasts one of the strongest brands on our list. The retro diner concept has been building widespread recognition and a stellar reputation for over 30 years, and Ruby’s is now focusing their development efforts on pushing out into the untouched markets surrounding their existing locations, presenting a big opportunity for prospective franchisees.
Number of locations: 35
Startup costs: $737,500 to $1,922,000
Safeway Driving offers driving training services with an emphasis on digital learning tools. That digital-oriented model eliminates the need for a brick-and-mortar storefront, allowing operators to work from home and making Safeway one of the more modest upfront investments on our list.
Number of Locations: 25
Startup costs: $57,000 to $159,800
10 years ago, most consumers hadn’t even heard of acai. Now, thanks to a growing interest in health- and environment-friendly dining options, the acai segment is booming. SoBol is on the front lines of the rapidly growing segment, offering one of the most popular acai bowls on the East Coast. SoBol has been franchising for just over a year, but they have already signed over 35 franchisee contracts, including a number of multi-unit agreements.
Number of locations: 10
Startup costs: $174,800 - $249,500
High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, is increasingly becoming the workout of choice in the fitness industry. Among the most popular HIIT brands, Solcioty has made a name for itself by introducing a cutting-edge technological component. Solcioty members measure their heart rate with wearable monitors, track their daily and overall progress in real-time on mounted monitors, and earn awards through a motivational point system with built-in social-media integration.
Number of locations: 7
Startup costs: $489,000 to $770,000
*This brand is a paid partner of 1851 Franchise. For more information on paid partnerships please click here.
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