2025 Dominators: Emerging Hot Spots and Shifting Growth Patterns
The 2025 Dominators analysis shows a steady but evolving franchise landscape. The top CBSAs—New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Houston—remain firmly at the top with only fractional movement in unit counts year over year. For multi-unit operators, this stability signals that the nation’s biggest markets remain essential, but expansion opportunities there are about optimization, not aggressive growth.
Where we see meaningful movement is in secondary and midsized markets. Several CBSAs posted healthy double-digit percentage increases in franchisee units. Laurinburg, North Carolina, grew 11.4% while Spencer, Iowa, rose 9.4% and Oil City, Pennsylvania, advanced 7.1%. For operators seeking less saturated environments with competitive cost structures, these markets illustrate where new opportunities are forming.
On the other side of the spectrum, some regions experienced sharp contractions. Durant, Oklahoma, saw a nearly 25% drop in units while Magnolia, Arkansas, declined 20%. These declines suggest certain regional markets are struggling with demand, costs, or brand retrenchment.
At the franchisee level, the story of consolidation and scale continues. Already a powerhouse, the Flynn Group expanded its reach and now ranks as the top franchisee in nine states, up from seven last year. This jump stems from its acquisitions of Wendy’s units in New Jersey and Pizza Hut locations across the Southeast. At the same time, Cultivate Solutions, a major franchisee in North Dakota, joined the Dominators list this year. Its multi-unit development deal with Dave’s Hot Chicken signals an appetite for bold expansion and the increasing role of emerging operators aligning with high-growth brands.
The key takeaway for franchisors and multi-unit franchisees is balance. The largest metros still anchor national footprints, but real growth is happening in unexpected places as secondary CBSAs post steady gains while some legacy markets contract.
Ambika Oberoi is director of information management for FRANdata.
Largest Franchisees by State
|
STATE (and D.C) |
LARGEST FRANCHISEES |
UNITS |
|---|---|---|
|
ALASKA |
SUBWAY DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA |
21 |
|
ALASKA |
MICHAEL DAVIDSON |
21 |
|
ALABAMA |
TACALA |
135 |
|
ARKANSAS |
K-MAC ENTERPRISES |
108 |
|
ARIZONA |
DESERT DE ORO FOODS |
172 |
|
CALIFORNIA |
G & M OIL CO |
279 |
|
COLORADO |
FLYNN GROUP |
133 |
|
CONNECTICUT |
GREAT AMERICAN DONUT |
45 |
|
D.C. |
TEAM WASHINGTON |
9 |
|
D.C. |
KOVAN GROUP/DEKK GROUP/NGP MANAGEMENT |
9 |
|
DELAWARE |
NISTAZOS AND SONS/FRANCHISE MANAGEMENT SERVICES |
25 |
|
FLORIDA |
SUMMIT RESTAURANT GROUP (NEIGHBORHOOD HOSPITALITY/ARGONNE CAPITAL) |
224 |
|
GEORGIA |
FLYNN GROUP |
131 |
|
HAWAII |
RBD CALIFORNIA RESTAURANTS LIMITED |
59 |
|
IOWA |
FRASIER ENTERPRISES |
38 |
|
IDAHO |
FLYNN GROUP |
53 |
|
ILLINOIS |
THE DHANANI GROUP |
206 |
|
INDIANA |
FLYNN GROUP |
188 |
|
KANSAS |
ROTTINGHAUS COMPANY |
133 |
|
KENTUCKY |
FOURTEEN FOODS |
62 |
|
LOUISIANA |
GPS HOSPITALITY |
110 |
|
MASSACHUSETTS |
CAFUA MANAGEMENT CO (CMC) |
92 |
|
MARYLAND |
FLYNN GROUP |
92 |
|
MAINE |
DMCP GROUP |
34 |
|
MAINE |
CAFUA MANAGEMENT COMPANY (CMC) |
34 |
|
MICHIGAN |
TEAM SCHOSTAK FAMILY RESTAURANTS (TSFR APPLE VENTURE) |
109 |
|
MINNESOTA |
THE DHANANI GROUP |
99 |
|
MISSOURI |
FLYNN GROUP |
215 |
|
MISSISSIPPI |
CARLISLE |
78 |
|
MONTANA |
THE TAX DOCTORS |
21 |
|
NORTH CAROLINA |
BODDIE-NOELL ENTERPRISES |
125 |
|
NORTH DAKOTA |
CULTIVATE SOLUTIONS |
22 |
|
NEBRASKA |
STAAB MANAGEMENT CO |
62 |
|
NEW HAMPSHIRE |
CAFUA MANAGEMENT CO (CMC) |
44 |
|
NEW JERSEY |
FLYNN GROUP |
81 |
|
NEW MEXICO |
MERRITT GROUP/B & B CONSULTANTS |
69 |
|
NEVADA |
TERRIBLE HERBST |
136 |
|
NEW YORK |
METRO FRANCHISING COMMISSARY |
138 |
|
OHIO |
THE COVELLI FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP |
134 |
|
OKLAHOMA |
FLYNN GROUP |
115 |
|
OREGON |
AMBROSIA QSR |
76 |
|
PENNSYLVANIA |
FLYNN GROUP |
114 |
|
RHODE ISLAND |
DAN'S MANAGEMENT CO |
38 |
|
SOUTH CAROLINA |
BOJ OF WNC |
53 |
|
SOUTH DAKOTA |
CAVE ENTERPRISES OPERATIONS |
23 |
|
TENNESSEE |
RRD FINANCIAL SERVICES/STUDLE FINANCIAL SERVICES |
93 |
|
TEXAS |
THE DHANANI GROUP |
634 |
|
UTAH |
SIZZLING PLATTER |
100 |
|
VIRGINIA |
BODDIE-NOELL ENTERPRISES |
167 |
|
VERMONT |
TASTY RESTAURANT GROUP |
17 |
|
WASHINGTON |
AMBROSIA QSR |
116 |
|
WISCONSIN |
CAVE ENTERPRISES OPERATIONS |
104 |
|
WEST VIRGINIA |
LITTLE GENERAL STORE |
94 |
|
WYOMING |
GRAND MERE RESTAURANT GROUP |
20 |
Source: FRANdata
Note: Data based on most current FDDs
ENTIRE U.S.
|
MSA |
FRANCHISED UNITS |
|---|---|
|
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
16,017 |
|
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
13,306 |
|
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
11,294 |
|
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
10,721 |
|
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
9,709 |
|
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA |
8,987 |
|
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
7,153 |
|
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL |
6,793 |
|
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
6,634 |
|
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ |
6,160 |
|
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
5,315 |
|
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
5,262 |
|
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
4,731 |
|
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL |
4,633 |
|
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH |
4,544 |
|
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
4,445 |
|
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC |
4,353 |
|
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
4,341 |
|
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA |
4,326 |
|
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
3,937 |
|
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL |
3,832 |
|
St. Louis, MO-IL |
3,796 |
|
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX |
3,337 |
|
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN |
3,330 |
|
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN |
3,298 |
|
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN |
3,254 |
|
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
3,206 |
|
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA |
3,130 |
|
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX |
3,065 |
|
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV |
3,030 |
|
Kansas City, MO-KS |
3,014 |
|
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
2,924 |
|
Pittsburgh, PA |
2,919 |
|
Columbus, OH |
2,916 |
|
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC |
2,868 |
|
Cleveland-Elyria, OH |
2,571 |
|
Jacksonville, FL |
2,406 |
|
Raleigh-Cary, NC |
2,311 |
|
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI |
2,217 |
|
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
2,077 |
|
Oklahoma City, OK |
2,077 |
|
Richmond, VA |
2,017 |
|
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN |
1,787 |
|
Memphis, TN-MS-AR |
1,711 |
|
Salt Lake City, UT |
1,704 |
|
New Orleans-Metairie, LA |
1,674 |
|
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA |
1,652 |
|
Birmingham-Hoover, AL |
1,530 |
|
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA |
1,519 |
|
Greenville-Anderson, SC |
1,507 |
|
Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT |
1,392 |
|
Tulsa, OK |
1,386 |
|
Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI |
1,329 |
|
Knoxville, TN |
1,311 |
|
Charleston-North Charleston, SC |
1,301 |
|
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL |
1,276 |
|
Columbia, SC |
1,266 |
|
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA |
1,221 |
|
Dayton-Kettering, OH |
1,219 |
|
Colorado Springs, CO |
1,203 |
|
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR |
1,202 |
|
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL |
1,175 |
|
Tucson, AZ |
1,164 |
|
Albuquerque, NM |
1,157 |
|
Baton Rouge, LA |
1,134 |
|
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY |
1,111 |
|
Urban Honolulu, HI |
1,066 |
|
Madison, WI |
1,051 |
|
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA |
1,049 |
|
Fresno, CA |
1,047 |
|
Boise City, ID |
1,047 |
|
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT |
1,035 |
|
El Paso, TX |
995 |
|
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ |
976 |
|
Greensboro-High Point, NC |
974 |
|
Rochester, NY |
966 |
|
Chattanooga, TN-GA |
959 |
|
Wichita, KS |
951 |
|
Akron, OH |
945 |
|
Bakersfield, CA |
940 |
|
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY |
935 |
|
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC |
919 |
|
Jackson, MS |
896 |
|
Worcester, MA-CT |
892 |
|
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC |
883 |
|
New Haven-Milford, CT |
880 |
|
Lexington-Fayette, KY |
871 |
|
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
863 |
|
Stockton, CA |
860 |
|
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR |
859 |
|
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL |
857 |
|
Toledo, OH |
826 |
|
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL |
824 |
|
Ogden-Clearfield, UT |
814 |
|
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA |
801 |
|
Savannah, GA |
776 |
|
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC |
770 |
|
Huntsville, AL |
768 |
|
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL |
757 |
|
Provo-Orem, UT |
748 |
|
Winston-Salem, NC |
746 |
|
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX |
734 |
|
Asheville, NC |
732 |
|
Springfield, MO |
694 |
|
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA |
679 |
|
Lansing-East Lansing, MI |
679 |
|
Lafayette, LA |
671 |
|
Syracuse, NY |
667 |
|
Fayetteville, NC |
658 |
|
Modesto, CA |
655 |
|
Salisbury, MD-DE |
653 |
|
Reno, NV |
652 |
|
Port St. Lucie, FL |
651 |
|
Portland-South Portland, ME |
650 |
|
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA |
628 |
|
Springfield, MA |
620 |
|
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY |
606 |
|
Killeen-Temple, TX |
602 |
|
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA |
593 |
|
Fort Collins, CO |
592 |
|
Mobile, AL |
587 |
|
Lubbock, TX |
585 |
|
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL |
580 |
|
Corpus Christi, TX |
579 |
|
Vallejo, CA |
577 |
|
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS |
563 |
|
Fort Wayne, IN |
559 |
|
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA |
556 |
|
Wilmington, NC |
555 |
|
Naples-Marco Island, FL |
553 |
|
Montgomery, AL |
551 |
|
Manchester-Nashua, NH |
546 |
|
Lincoln, NE |
543 |
|
Tallahassee, FL |
538 |
|
Lancaster, PA |
537 |
|
Green Bay, WI |
532 |
|
Canton-Massillon, OH |
525 |
|
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX |
522 |
|
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA |
521 |
|
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL |
520 |
|
Boulder, CO |
514 |
|
Trenton-Princeton, NJ |
509 |
|
Sioux Falls, SD |
490 |
|
Peoria, IL |
489 |
Source: FRANdata
Note: Data based on most current FDDs
LARGEST FRANCHISEES BY U.S. REGION
EAST
(DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, WV)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
FLYNN GROUP |
324 |
|
SUMMERWOOD CORPORATION |
191 |
|
HAZA GROUP |
148 |
|
KBP BRANDS |
147 |
|
CMG COMPANIES |
146 |
MIDWEST
(IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
FLYNN GROUP |
391 |
|
THE DHANANI GROUP |
371 |
|
KBP BRANDS |
284 |
|
BORDER FOODS |
195 |
|
ALLINE SALON GROUP |
190 |
MOUNTAIN WEST
(CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
FLYNN GROUP |
242 |
|
SIZZLING PLATTER |
151 |
|
ALVARADO RESTAURANT NATION/ALARADO HOLDINGS/PALO ALTO |
104 |
|
HARMAN MANAGEMENT CORPORATION |
103 |
|
MBN BRANDS (FRONT RANGE HOLDINGS) |
80 |
NEW ENGLAND
(CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
CAFUA MANAGEMENT COMPANY (CMC) |
187 |
|
KOVAN GROUP DEKK GROUP/NGP MANAGEMENT |
157 |
|
THE DHANANI GROUP |
98 |
|
COUTO MANAGEMENT GROUP/DARTMOUTH MANAGEMENT GROUP/CAPE MANAGEMENT TEAM |
93 |
|
HK ENTERPRISES |
85 |
PLAINS
(IA, KS, MO, NE, ND, OK, SD)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
FLYNN GROUP |
498 |
|
ROTTINGHAUS COMPANY |
250 |
|
LOVE'S TRAVEL STOPS & COUNTRY STORES |
202 |
|
K-MAC ENTERPRISES |
190 |
|
FUGATE ENTERPRISES |
129 |
SOUTH
(AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, IA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
FLYNN GROUP |
964 |
|
THE DHANANI GROUP |
857 |
|
SUN HOLDINGS (RMH FRANCHISE-APPLEBEE'S) |
742 |
|
KBP BRANDS |
611 |
|
SUMMIT RESTAURANT GROUP (NEIGHBORHOOD HOSPITALITY/ARGONNE CAPITAL) |
375 |
SOUTHWEST
(AZ, NV, NM)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
DESERT DE ORO FOODS |
182 |
|
MERRITT GROUP/B & B CONSULTANTS |
139 |
|
TERRIBLE HERBST |
136 |
|
WENDYS OF COLORADO SPRINGS/HOLLAND BUERK ENTERPRISES |
123 |
|
DIVERSIFIED RESTAURANT GROUP (DRG) |
97 |
WEST
(AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
|
LARGEST FRANCHISEE |
UNITS |
|---|---|
|
G & M OIL CO |
279 |
|
FLYNN GROUP |
248 |
|
HARMAN MANAGEMENT CORPORATION |
239 |
|
AKASH MANAGEMENT |
236 |
|
AMERICAN WEST RESTAURANT GROUP |
222 |
Source: FRANdata
Note: Data based on most current FDDs
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