Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 Issue

We’re proud to be listed in the 2025 Entrepreneur Franchise 500 issue and be Entrepreneur verified!
”Understanding the Ranking

This year marks the 45th annual Franchise 500—still the world’s first, best, and most comprehensive franchise ranking. If you’re looking to buy a franchise, this is your definitive guide. If you’re a franchisor, this is where your hard work is recognized.

When Entrepreneur published the first version of this ranking back in 1980, the future of the franchise industry seemed debatable. The model had blossomed in the 1950s and ’60s; McDonald’s began franchising in 1955, for example. But what would happen in the dawning computer age and the 1980s economic turmoil? Now we know the answer: Franchising thrived, and only continues to. More and more franchise companies apply to the Franchise 500 every year, proving that founders still see franchising as one of the best ways to grow their brands—and entrepreneurs still see it as one of the best ways to get in business for themselves, but not by themselves. Some franchise categories from 1980 may no longer exist (farewell, movie rental chains), but new categories have emerged in areas that weren’t imaginable 45 years ago—such as mental health services, coworking spaces, and boba tea. No matter what type of business interests you, you’re likely to find ample opportunity in our list.

But how do we go about evaluating and ranking these opportunities? Read on to find out. When Entrepreneur published the very first version of this ranking back in 1980, no one could have known what it would become—or what the future of the franchise industry would be. All these years later, we continue to see more and more franchise companies apply every year, proving that founders still see franchising as one of the best ways to grow their brands, and entrepreneurs still see it as one of the best ways to get in business for themselves, but not by themselves. We also continue to see franchise brands emerge in categories that never would have been imagined 45 years ago, such as mental health services, coworking spaces, and boba tea. So no matter what type of business interests you, you’re likely to find ample opportunity in our list. “