Top 10 Franchise Brands for St. Paddy’s Day

This time every year, millions of Americans put on their “Kiss me I’m Irish” shirts and head down to their local pub to celebrate the life of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick.

Whether you’re planning on heading to Chicago to watch city officials turn the river green, catching one of many festive parades, having corned beef and cabbage for dinner, or just enjoying a nice cold Guinness with friends, there are a number of ways you can celebrate the holiday.

To get you into the spirit, we here at 1851franchise.com have compiled a list of the top 10 franchise brands for St. Patrick’s Day.

Food & Drink Franchises:

For many, the most important part of the holiday is figuring out what to eat and drink. With that in mind, here are some Irish-inspired restaurant and pub franchises to check out!

• Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Family Sports Restaurant
• Units: 140+
• Startup Costs: $806,825 to $1,288,350
• Paddywagon Irish Pub
• Units: 33
• Startup Costs: Contact the franchise team at https://www.paddywagonirishpub.com/contact/franchise-opportunities
• Bennigan’s
• Units: 12 domestic, 15 international
• Startup Costs: $1,065,700 to $3,645,600
• The Brass Tap
• Units: 46
• Startup Costs: $791,967 to $1,327,475
• The Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille
• Units: 46 open, 51 in development
• Startup Costs: $1,455,000 to $1,757,500
• Boston’s Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar
• Units: 420+
• Startup Costs: $1,250,000 to $2,816,000

Novelty Menu Item Franchises:

When St. Patrick’s Day rolls around, some may be thinking about pubs, but there are a good number of franchise brands that offer well-known, fan-favorite seasonal items.

Here are a few franchises that offer limited-time St. Patrick’s-themed items.

• McDonald’s

There are seasonal menu items as beloved as McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. The seasonal treat is a mint-flavored milkshake complete with a mint green appearance and whipped cream on top. The fan favorite is only available for a limited time each year and is the perfect treat to get into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit.

• Units: 13,000+ in U.S. (36,000+ globally)
• Startup Costs: $1,366,000 to $2,450,000
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Each year, Krispy Kreme presents its customer base with festive new donuts to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. In 2022, they offered four new donuts in a custom green box and included the Lenny Leprechaun Donut, the Luck O’ the Rainbow Donut, the St. Patrick’s Shamrock Donut and the Green Iced with Sprinkles Donut. Krispy Kreme’s holiday-themed donut offerings have become a staple of the brand and bring in excited customers every year.

• Units: 374 across U.S.
• Startup Costs: $500,000 to $1,900,000
• Tim Hortons

For caffeine lovers and morning people, Tim Hortons offers its customers specialty drinks specifically themed around the St. Patrick’s holiday. The brand offers the Irish Cream Iced Latte and the Irish Cream Cold Brew with Cold Foam. The Irish Cream Iced Latte was introduced in 2022, and the brand usually offers both beverages for several months after the holiday ends, giving you plenty of time to try the Irish-themed items.

• Units: 624 in U.S.
• Startup Costs: $1,017,600 to $1,370,500

Travel Franchises:

Last, but certainly not least, there’s no better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than experiencing it in the beautiful country of Ireland. From the Cliffs of Moher to Giant’s Causeway, there are a number of absolutely breathtaking sights to be seen and history to learn. So, for our last franchise brand, we’ve included a travel franchise that may inspire you to travel to The Emerald Isle.

• Dream Vacations
  • Units: 1,489
  • Startup Costs: $2,000–$21,000

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

No matter how you end up celebrating the holiday, remember, everyone's Irish on St. Paddy’s Day! From all of us at 1851franchise.com, have a safe and happy holiday. Sláinte!