1851

When people think about franchises, the wide-sweeping mega brands are usually the first to come to mind. We&#8217;re talking about the <a href="http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/Own_a_Franchise/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-hot-brands-operating-under-the-franchise-radar-3683" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Subways</a>, <a href="http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/franchising.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-hot-brands-operating-under-the-franchise-radar-3683" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">McDonald&#8217;s</a> and <a href="http://www.dunkinfranchising.com/franchisee/en.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-hot-brands-operating-under-the-franchise-radar-3683" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dunkin&#8217; Donuts</a> of the world. These titan chains have become common household names, and they seemingly have an outpost on just about every city block. But with <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/20/us-franchises-set-to-grow-in-2016-report.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-hot-brands-operating-under-the-franchise-radar-3683" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">nearly 800,000</a> established franchised businesses throughout the industry, these behemoth brands are only the tip of the iceberg. Some of today&#8217;s hottest concepts are flying under the radar, and hungry consumers and adventurous business owners are all eager to be a part of the industry&#8217;s next big thing&#8212;they just need to know where to look. At <a href="http://1851franchise.com" target="_blank">1851 Franchise</a>, we don&#8217;t believe it&#8217;s fair to keep some of our favorite sleeper picks to ourselves&#8212;after all, we&#8217;re here to help you navigate the world of franchising. So here are our top five brands you may have never heard of, but should be paying attention to: <a href="http://slimchickensfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-hot-brands-operating-under-the-franchise-radar-3683" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Slim Chickens</a> In a world where everyone is trying to be the best purveyors of food in their segment, Slim Chickens means it when they say they&#8217;re a better-chicken brand. Slim Chickens&#8217; roots are planted in the Delta, where food is honest, meals are social and the door is always open. Their mission was to bring a dose of that Southern hospitality to a fast-casual setting&#8212;dishing up fresh, handmade food to their community. A decade later, this Arkansas-based brand has served thousands of happy and loyal customers with their special hand-breaded chicken tenders, fresh-never-frozen Buffalo wings and unique selection of hand-made dipping sauces. But this chain is so much more than your standard fried chicken joint&#8212;they also offer chicken and waffles, decadent desserts in a mason jar and all of your favorite Southern sides, like fried okra and mac and cheese. <a href="http://ownatoastery.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-hot-brands-operating-under-the-franchise-radar-3683" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Famous Toastery</a> Brunch isn&#8217;t just a meal&#8212;for many, it&#8217;s a way of life. And no one is doing it better than Famous Toastery. The brand has set itself apart in the better breakfast segment by combining new twists on culinary classics while using only the highest-quality ingredients. Everything they serve is fresh and prepared in-house every single morning. Over the years, Famous Toastery has become the top breakfast spot for Charlotte, North Carolina&#8212;its hometown. And now, after having recently been named one of the top franchises to watch by <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/16/6-hot-restaurant-franchises-to-watch-in-2016.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-hot-brands-operating-under-the-franchise-radar-3683" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">CNBC,</a> the brand is poised to bring their award-winning food to the rest of the country. Famous Toastery is focused on rapid expansion across the East Coast this year, and franchisees are perfectly positioned for quick ROI thank to the brand&#8217;s unique self-sustaining business model. Plus, it&#8217;s breakfast, so owners&#8212;and employees&#8212;can be home by 4 p.m. <a href="http://franchise.yourpie.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-hot-brands-operating-under-the-franchise-radar-3683" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Your Pie</a> Maintaining a respect for Italian pizza tradition while embracing regionally-sourced ingredients has fueled Your Pie&#8217;s success since their humble beginning. Founded in 2008, Your Pie is the original down-the-line brick oven pizza concept. Since then, the Georgia-based brand has been firing up 10-inch personal pizzas in front of customers who have their choice of eight sauces, 40 toppings and eight cheeses. The brand is focused on innovation&#8212;so chances are you&#8217;ll always have a new pizza concoction to choose from every time you visit, thanks to their Craft Pie Series. Every season, Your Pie introduces a specialty pizza, expertly paired with craft beers from a local brewery. In the past, the brand has served up unique flavor profiles, such as their Sriracha Nacho pizza, their Peach and Prosciutto Pie and their New Gyro Pie. With thousands of pizza franchises to choose from, Your Pie's spin on this Italian-American staple is a refreshing change of pace.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.whichwich.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-hot-brands-operating-under-the-franchise-radar-3683#!/franchise" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Which Wich</a> There are a lot of sandwich chains out there. But Which Wich approaches the concept a little differently&#8212;they give you everything you need to customize and craft the perfect sandwich. This isn&#8217;t your typical down-the-line concept. Instead, building a sandwich is completely in your hands&#8212;customers grab a brown paper bag, snag a sharpie and check whatever ingredients they want loaded on top of their totally one-of-a-kind sandwich. Options include everything from eight types of cheese and 10 different vegetables, to giardiniera, crispy onion straws, avocado, crab and artichoke. You can get your sandwich hot or cold and on a bun, in a bowl or wrapped in lettuce. The options are truly endless&#8212;and we like that in a sandwich shop. <a href="http://saladworksfranchising.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-hot-brands-operating-under-the-franchise-radar-3683" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Saladworks</a> Fast food doesn&#8217;t have to be synonymous with greasy food. These days, people want to eat healthy, but they still want options and they still want convenience. Thanks to Saladworks, the nation&#8217;s first and largest fresh-tossed salad franchise concept, eating better is finally a little easier. The brand&#8217;s restaurant concept is unique&#8212;they offer customers the ability to design their own entr&#233;e-sized salads with more than 60 ethically sourced ingredients. Customers can also choose one of 12 suggested &#8220;Signature Salads.&#8221; And unlike many restaurants, which simply open up a bag of lettuce and pre-cut vegetables and dump it on a plate, Saladworks takes the time to chop each of their ingredients by hand&#8212;something that has long separated them from the pack.

1851 Franchise

Here are our top five brands you may have never heard of, but should be paying attention to. 

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

Top Hot Brands Operating Under the Franchise Radar   

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Paris Baguette

Photo of array of Paris Baguette pastries

Paris Baguette Redefines Morning Routines With Fresh Breakfast and Premium Coffee Strategy

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TruBlue Home Service Ally

TruBlue’s Home Maintenance Plans: Peace of Mind for Homeowners

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Caring Transitions

Caring Transitions Targets Peoria, Illinois, for Franchise Growth

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Caring Transitions Celebrates a Strong Start to 2025 With 19 New Franchise Sales and Momentum-Building Training Events

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Right at Home

Right at Home 30th Anniversary in Home Care with Right at Home Logo

Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence and Future Innovations in Home Care

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DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands - 1851 Franchise

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands

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Crumbl Franchise Investment - TSG Consumer Partners -  1851 Franchise

TSG Consumer Partners Takes Minority Stake in Crumbl, Signaling Franchise Growth Potential

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The Crafts’ Successful Journey from New Parents to Children’s Lighthouse Franchisees

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After 14 Years as a Stay-At-Home Mom, Amy Lepke Returned to Papa Murphy’s — This Time as an Owner

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Work Mom: How Micki Waters Became a Mother Figure to Her Entire Papa Murphy’s Team

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

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Top Hot Brands Operating Under the Franchise Radar

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