A Look at the Top Franchise Rankings for 2019

Franchising is constantly evolving as consumer demands change and as market competition continues to grow. Here’s a break down of which franchises have come out on top according to major news and trade publications.

By Elliot Grandia1851 Franchise Contributor

9:09AM • 01/23/19

Every year, a number of news outlets and trade magazines come out with their lists of the top franchises based on size, franchisee satisfaction, earning potential and more. We’ve selected a few of those lists and broken down what each ranking represents.

Forbes Best and Worst Franchises to Buy: Forbes breaks down a list of the top 60 franchises to buy in a year based on insider data including growth rates and earning potential. Forbes then divides the list into three groups based on investment level. Low investment is considered to be under $150,000, medium investment is between $150,000 and $500,000 and high investment is any franchise that costs more than $500,000.

Finder Top Global Franchises: Finder compiles a list of the most successful global franchises my naming the top 100. This year’s ranking includes dozens of U.S based franchises as well as franchises from all seven continents, including Australia. McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King and KFC topped the list for restaurants chains. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Marriott, and Hilton Hotels and Resorts rounded out the top ten while leading the way for franchises outside of the fast food industry.

Franchise Business Review's Top 200 Franchises of 2019: For the last 13 years, Franchise Business review has made a list of franchises with the top satisfaction and performance ratings among their franchisees. Franchise Business Review surveyed over 30,000 franchise owners, representing over 300 different brands, to come up with the list.

Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 List: For nearly 40 years, Entrepreneur Magazine has been dishing out a list of the top franchises. According to the publication, this year’s list was the most competitive with over 1,000 companies applying to be in the top 500. Entrepreneur looks at cost and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength and financial strength and stability to create its annual ranking.

Franchise Times Top 200 U.S Franchises: Franchise Times produces an annual ranking of the 500 largest franchise systems in the U.S. based on their global sales from the previous year. It’s a five-month process that uses a database dating back to 1999. According to Franchise Times, franchisees must own at least 15 percent of the company’s total units and must be a legal franchise in the U.S.