Growth Club
1851 Growth Club
Top Hot Brands Operating Under the Franchise Radar
Here are our top five brands you may have never heard of, but should be paying attention to.
When people think about franchises, the wide-sweeping mega brands are usually the first to come to mind. We’re talking about the Subways, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts 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 nearly 800,000 established franchised businesses throughout the industry, these behemoth brands are only the tip of the iceberg. Some of today’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’s next big thing—they just need to know where to look.
At 1851 Franchise, we don’t believe it’s fair to keep some of our favorite sleeper picks to ourselves—after all, we’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:
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’re a better-chicken brand. Slim Chickens’ 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—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—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.
Brunch isn’t just a meal—for many, it’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—its hometown. And now, after having recently been named one of the top franchises to watch by CNBC, 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’s unique self-sustaining business model. Plus, it’s breakfast, so owners—and employees—can be home by 4 p.m.
Maintaining a respect for Italian pizza tradition while embracing regionally-sourced ingredients has fueled Your Pie’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—so chances are you’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.
There are a lot of sandwich chains out there. But Which Wich approaches the concept a little differently—they give you everything you need to customize and craft the perfect sandwich. This isn’t your typical down-the-line concept. Instead, building a sandwich is completely in your hands—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—and we like that in a sandwich shop.
Fast food doesn’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’s first and largest fresh-tossed salad franchise concept, eating better is finally a little easier. The brand’s restaurant concept is unique—they offer customers the ability to design their own entrée-sized salads with more than 60 ethically sourced ingredients. Customers can also choose one of 12 suggested “Signature Salads.” 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—something that has long separated them from the pack.
