Top 100 Franchise Owners

Jerry Murrell co-founded Five Guys with his wife Janie in 1986, and his family still owns the chain. It has grown into a global burger brand with more than 1,900 locations, and Murrell's sons run training, franchisee selection and the bakery operation.

McLeroy co-founded Zaxby's in 1990 and now chairs a chicken chain that crossed 1,000 U.S. units, after bringing in Goldman Sachs as an investor in 2020.

Perales has assembled one of the most diversified franchise portfolios in the U.S., spanning quick service, casual dining and retail, and in 2025 bought the bankrupt Bar Louie chain. Sun Holdings ranks No. 2 among U.S. franchisees by both units and sales.

The second-generation leader of the family-controlled staffing franchisor took over as chairman and CEO in 2025. His father, co-founder Robert A. Funk Sr., died that July.

Kulp has led KBP through more than 95 multi-unit acquisitions to become one of the largest quick-service operators in the country, including KFC's biggest U.S. franchisee. KBP ranks No. 3 by units on the 2026 Mega 99.

Logan is an Air Force veteran who founded Sport Clips in 1993 and began franchising it in 1995. It is now the largest men's sports-themed haircut franchise, with locations in all 50 states.

Kim started as a Smoothie King franchisee in South Korea, bought the whole company in 2012 and remains its majority owner and CEO. He has grown it into the largest U.S. smoothie franchise.

McGowan and co-founder Sawyer Hemsley grew Crumbl from a single 2017 Utah store to more than 1,000 franchised bakeries, among the fastest scale-ups in franchising history. The brand is now restructuring as sales decline.

Browning founded Urban Air and turned it into Unleashed Brands, a multi-brand platform of children's entertainment and enrichment franchises.

Titus built United Franchise Group into a multi-brand franchise platform anchored by Signarama, with a growing portfolio of food brands.

Lamb founded Kona Ice in 2007 and built the country's largest mobile food franchise, then applied the same playbook to coffee with Travelin' Tom's, which Entrepreneur ranked its No. 1 New & Emerging Franchise of 2026.

Meigs co-founded Visiting Angels and still runs it. It is one of the largest in-home senior care franchise networks in the U.S.

Butorac took control of Marco's in 2004 and has grown it from a regional Ohio chain into one of the fastest-growing U.S. pizza franchises, with more than 1,200 stores.

Dhanani built one of the largest Burger King and Popeyes franchise operations in the country, including the 2014 purchase of 255 Burger Kings from Blackstone-owned Heartland. Dhanani Group ranks No. 3 on Franchise Times' Restaurant 200 and No. 6 by units on the 2026 Mega 99.

Garn, CEO since 2012, has grown Sizzling Platter into one of North America's largest franchise platforms, leading Bain Capital's reported $1B-plus acquisition of the company in 2025 (Franchise Times' Deal of the Year). It operates more than 800 locations in the U.S. and Mexico.

Don and Linda Eckles founded the drive-thru coffee franchise in 1998 and still privately own it. It debuted on the QSR 50 in 2026 with more than 900 U.S. stores.

Bob Titus co-founded Minuteman Press with his father Roy in 1973. The family-owned printing and marketing franchise now has more than 1,000 locations across five countries.

Shin opened the first Charleys on Ohio State's campus in 1986 and still privately owns the parent company of a mall- and travel-center-heavy franchise system with hundreds of units worldwide.

Biglari controls Biglari Holdings and has moved Steak n Shake to a franchise-partner model in which operators share profits with the company.

Bhakta is one of the founding principals of CMG, a multi-brand group that moved up 11 spots to No. 22 on the 2025 Restaurant 200 after adding 78 Sonic and 38 Little Caesars units. It ranks No. 10 by units on the 2026 Mega 99.

Dhanani started with 34 Houston Wendy's in 2013 and has built one of the largest Wendy's franchisees in the system, adding a Taco Bell business. Haza Group ranks No. 6 on Franchise Times' 2025 Restaurant 200.

Jewgieniew founded Realty ONE Group in 2005 and franchised it into a global brokerage brand. Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 has ranked it the No. 1 real estate franchise for four straight years.

Pierson leads one of the largest Taco Bell franchisees in the country, which entered the Restaurant 200 top 10 in 2025 and is expanding into 7 Brew drive-thru coffee. Tacala is owned by Altamont Capital Partners.

Weissman co-founded the early-education franchisor and has grown it past 400 centers. He was named IFA's Franchising World Entrepreneur of the Year for 2024.

The third-generation leader of the family-owned barbecue franchisor is pushing Dickey's toward 400+ restaurants, with dozens of 2025 openings and an expanding ghost-kitchen network.

The Klines founded Burn Boot Camp in 2012 and built it into one of the largest boutique fitness franchises in the country, with more than 400 awarded locations. The brand expanded into 36 new communities in 2025.

Sun Berkowitz founded the home care and medical staffing franchisor in 2002 and grew it to about 400 agencies. In 2025 she sold a majority stake to Peak Rock Capital.

Spongberg founded WKS in 1987 and has grown it into the largest franchisee of Denny's, El Pollo Loco and Krispy Kreme and the largest Wendy's franchisee in California. His son Jay was named President & COO in September 2026.

Casey Miller became CEO in 2025, the third generation to run the family-owned child care franchisor his grandparents founded in 1981. His father Michael Miller is executive chairman.

A former commercial broker who opened his first Dunkin' in Tampa in 2006, Patel has built a diversified portfolio across food, rent-to-own and automotive brands. The group ranks No. 25 by units on the 2026 Mega 99.

Ellison co-founded DRG in 2014 with 85 West Coast Taco Bells and has grown it past 360 Taco Bell and Arby's units. QSR Magazine named DRG its 2025 Franchisee of the Year.

Peterson and his sister Krystal Burge bought a single Kingman, Arizona Taco Bell in 1982 and grew DDO into Arizona's largest Taco Bell franchisee. It ranks No. 31 by units on the 2026 Mega 99.

A former teenage Jack in the Box fry cook, Yadav is the largest franchisee of Jack in the Box, Denny's and TGI Fridays. In December 2025 he bought the Del Taco brand from Jack in the Box for about $119 million.

Wade made AES the No. 2 Arby's franchisee behind Flynn with two 2025 deals: 40 units from Mosaic and 115 company stores from Inspire Brands, the largest acquisition in AES history.

Fish founded BIGGBY in 1995 and co-leads it with co-owner Mike McFall. They have grown the Michigan-born franchise to more than 400 cafes and set a goal of 1,000.

Boddie leads the family company founded by Mayo Boddie Sr., Hardee's first franchisee. It is the largest Hardee's franchisee in the U.S.

The second-generation leader of the family-owned Galardi Group runs Wienerschnitzel, the largest hot dog chain in the U.S., which his father John Galardi founded in 1961.

Jackson started as a delivery driver, co-ran the brand with founder Jim Hearn, and now co-owns and leads the 550-plus-unit flavored-crust pizza franchise.

John Jetts co-founded Jet's Pizza with his late brother Eugene in 1978 and leads the family-controlled Detroit-style pizza franchise, which has more than 400 stores in about two dozen states.

Covelli is Panera Bread's largest franchisee, with more than 300 cafes, and a past Panera Franchisee of the Year. In 2023 he and his children signed on to open 100-plus Caribou Coffee units.

Agrawal co-founded GSR Group, one of Wingstop's largest operators with more than 225 restaurants. The broader GS Dallas/GSR group ranks No. 34 by units on the 2026 Mega 99.

Osterfeld founded Penn Station in 1985 and still leads the privately held Midwest sub franchise, which has around 300 restaurants and is targeting 500.

Ashish Parikh and his brother Amish (President) entered franchising in 2006 and became one of Popeyes' largest operators before adding a 50-unit Arby's development deal. The group ranks No. 46 on the 2026 Mega 99.

Bajwa emigrated from Pakistan in 1991 and rose from Papa Johns manager to one of its largest franchisees, opening his first store in 2002. In 2024 he signed a 50-unit development deal running through 2028.

Smith is the largest franchisee in the Valvoline Instant Oil Change system, and he led the industry's largest single quick-lube acquisition when he rebranded 72 EZ Lube sites in 2012. A rare non-restaurant mega-operator on this list.

Bates is a third-generation leader of the Bates-family-owned carpet and floor cleaning brand, which combines franchised and company-owned locations in 49 states.

Parmerlee and his partners bought Golden Chick in 1989, when it had 63 units, and he has grown it into a regional chicken franchisor of about 250 restaurants. In 2025 the brand opened a record 23 restaurants.

Engler became CEO in February 2025, succeeding his uncle Lee Engler. Border Foods, founded in 1996, opened its 250th Taco Bell in July 2025 across 10 Upper Midwest and Mountain states.

Frauenshuh bought a seven-store company in 2006 and grew it through acquisitions into the largest Dairy Queen franchisee in the U.S.

Grote Abell is the daughter of founder Jim Grote, who bought the chain back from McDonald's with her in 2003. She leads the family-owned pizza franchisor as it expands in the East and Southeast.

Capriotti runs the second-generation business his father started with one Taco Bell in 1967, formalized as Cotti Foods in 1996. It is now a top Wendy's and Taco Bell operator.

Evans, a former ACG Peak Restaurant Partners CEO, took over from founder Luis San Miguel at what is described as the largest Auntie Anne's franchisee and the largest Focus/GoTo Foods snack-brand operator.

Cafua leads the family company founded by his parents Fernando and Gilda Cafua in 1980, which is described as the largest Dunkin' franchisee in the U.S. In 2025 it committed to 20 new Qdoba restaurants.

Andrew and Richard Krumholz founded Delight in 2016 and grew it quickly through Wendy's acquisitions, including NPC bankruptcy units and 65 stores from Primary Aim. It jumped 14 spots to No. 24 on the 2025 Restaurant 200 after sales rose $160M.

Chunara started with a single Blimpie franchise after immigrating in the 1980s and built an Atlanta-based multi-brand holding company. With partner Shamsu Charania (CEO of The Falcons Group), the combined group ranks No. 60 on the 2026 Mega 99.

Carlisle leads a Memphis-based Wendy's franchisee that has grown from about 100 units to more than 220 across 11 states, recently buying Memphis-area units from Meritage.

Sood bought his first Los Angeles Jack in the Box in 1981 and built Warner Foods into a California multi-brand operator with 130-plus Jack in the Box units. It ranks No. 64 on the 2026 Mega 99.

Andy Kuntz and his wife Dana took over the custard stand his parents John and Carol Kuntz opened in Osage Beach, Missouri, in 1986, and expanded it into what the company calls the largest dessert-only franchise in the world.

Gordon co-founded Slim Chickens with Greg Smart in 2003 and has franchised the tender chain across the U.S. and into the UK, Europe and Asia.

Groeneweg founded Pizza Ranch in Hull, Iowa, in 1981 and still owns and runs the Midwest buffet-pizza franchise, which has about 215 restaurants.

Bridgeman took over in 2017 from his father, former NBA player and businessman Junior Bridgeman, and leads a portfolio of roughly 160 Wendy's, 62 Fazoli's and 10 Golden Corrals.

Hamer and his wife Brenda opened their first Taco Bell in Morgan City in 1982 and built Louisiana's largest Taco Bell franchisee, expanding across the Gulf South through acquisitions.

Hamra, CEO since 2011, leads the company his father Sam founded with one Wendy's in 1975. In 2025-26 he expanded through 24 Panera cafes from CSC Investments and seven Houston-area Panera sites bought out of EYM's bankruptcy.

Rajabali leads a fast-growing Wingstop and Dunkin' operator with markets in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Dallas-Fort Worth. The group ranks No. 84 on the 2026 Mega 99.

Rolph leads one of the largest Applebee's franchisees, which bought 69 Carolinas units from Dine Brands, and chairs the Applebee's Franchise Business Council. Thrive also acquired the Modern Market brand in 2024.

Blackburn bought 24 McAlister's in 2011 and built Southern Rock into the brand's largest franchisee, the first to pass 100 units. It is now adding Dave's Hot Chicken.

Doherty, an Applebee's franchisee since 1993, built one of the brand's largest operators, including the 2024 purchase of 21 New York City Applebee's. His son Tim runs day-to-day operations as President & COO.

The McCuistons founded Goldfish Swim School in 2006 and built it into a leading children's learn-to-swim franchise. In 2025 they kept signing leases in new markets, including New York City, Las Vegas, Oregon/Washington and Southern California.

Buchanan opened the first Bahama Buck's in Lubbock, Texas, in 1990 and grew it into a shaved-ice franchise of more than 100 locations. The brand reached its 35th anniversary in 2025 and is entering new states, including Maryland in 2026.