What are the Top Franchises in Each Major Industry for 2021?

When you decide to buy a franchise, you need to find some way to narrow your search. There are thousands of franchised brands in the United States, and there are lots of competing concepts in all of the major industries.

Many people narrow their search by looking at lists of “top franchises.” But, while this can be somewhat informative, it is important to take these lists with a grain of salt. Some are certainly better than others, but they all use their own limited set of criteria, and you ultimately need to make your own determination as to which franchise is the right franchise for you.

What are Some of the “Top Franchises” for 2021?

One of the most well-known “top franchises” lists is the Entrepreneur.com Franchise 500. In compiling its list, Entrepreneur.com asks franchisors to submit information, and it only considers franchisors that do so. It then weighs several factors that fall into the “Five Pillars of the Franchise 500”—some of which are objective, some of which are subjective, and some of which do not necessarily weigh in favor of one franchise being “better” than another (i.e., the size of the franchise system).

Without endorsing the Entrepreneur.com Franchise 500 (or any franchise in particular), we thought it would be interesting to break down the list based on the major industries in franchising. So, without further delay, here are the “top franchises” in five key industries based on the Enrepreneur.com Franchise 500:

Food Franchises

• Taco Bell
• Dunkin’
• Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
• Culver’s
• Jersey Mike’s Subs
• McDonald’s
• Tropical Smoothie Café
• Nothing Bundt Cakes
• Smoothie King
• Wingstop Restaurants

Home and Business Product and Service Franchises

• The UPS Store
• Servpro
• Budget Blinds
• Ace Hardware
• Jan-Pro
• Anago Cleaning Systems
• HomeVestors of America
• Realty One Group
• FastSigns
• Snap-on Tools

Fitness Franchises

• Planet Fitness
• Anytime Fitness
• F45 Training
• Crunch
• Burn Boot Camp
• Club Pilates
• Pure Barre
• The Fitness Coach
• The Camp Transformation Center
• 9Round Fitness

Haircare and Salon Franchises

• Great Clips
• Supercuts
• Sport Clips
• Sola Salon Studios
• My Salon Suite/Salon Plaza
• Phenix Salon Suites
• SmartStyle
• Cost Cutters Family Hair Care
• Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids
• Image Studios

Education and Children’s Franchises

• Kumon Math & Reading Centers
• Mathnasium Learning Centers
• Primrose School
• D-BAT Academies
• Goddard Systems
• The Learning Experience Academy
• Huntington Learning Centers
• Snapology
• Skyhawks Sports & Supertots Sports
• Challenge Island

As we mentioned above, the Entrepreneur.com Franchise 500 is not the only list out there. The Franchise Times publishes an annual list called the Top 200+, and FranchiseDirect.com publishes a list of its Top 100 Global Franchises. There are others as well, and examining the similarities and differences between these lists can help to give you an idea of which franchises are consistently being ranked above others.

But, again, rankings are just one factor to consider, and they do not necessarily mean that you will or will not succeed with any particular franchise opportunity.

What Else Do You Need to Consider When Buying a Franchise?

When buying a franchise, there are several important factors to consider. Ultimately, you need to choose an opportunity that you believe gives you a reasonable chance of success. This might be a “top franchise,” or it might be something else that makes more sense for your personal skills, finances, and geographic location.

Evaluating a franchise opportunity requires thorough due diligence, and you also need to carefully review the terms of the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and franchise agreement. In many cases, it will also be necessary to negotiate the terms of the franchise agreement in order to secure critical protections for both the term of your franchise and post-termination. An experienced franchise attorney can assist by conducting a franchise business review, as well as with the negotiation process.