Multi-Unit Franchisee Rob Branca on Advocacy, Bipartisanship, and the Local Face of Franchising

When franchisees from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C., for the 2025 IFA Advocacy Summit in mid-September, there was a mood of determination buoyed by optimism. Among those leading the charge was Rob Branca, a longtime multi-unit, multi-state Dunkin’ franchisee and IFA board member. He has been a consistent voice for the industry on Capitol Hill.

For Branca, this year’s Summit reinforced a central truth: Effective advocacy is less about one big meeting and more about persistence. “It requires repetition and persistence to succeed at advocacy,” he says. “Even though we may have a good meeting, it doesn’t mean whatever bill you’re working on will pass.”

Few issues have impacted the franchise landscape more over the past decade than the joint-employer standard. With the rule changing four times in ten years, Branca argues that small business owners have been left without the stability they need to operate confidently.

“You can’t coach your franchisees on the best way to comply if you don’t know what the rule is,” he says. For him, codifying a permanent standard is not just about protecting franchisors and franchisees; it’s about creating clarity for everyone in the ecosystem, including employees, suppliers, contractors, and customers. “Make the rule permanent, and we’ll follow it,” he says.

One of the things that stood out at this year’s Summit, Branca notes, was a refreshing spirit of working together across party lines. “Members of Congress understand that people want bipartisanship,” he says. The American Franchise Act’s (AFA) bipartisan support was a clear highlight, proving that when partisanship is stripped away, policymakers can focus on the substance of legislation.

“It was nice to be able to thank both sides of the aisle for their efforts on behalf of franchising,” Branca says of the group’s time on the Hill. He believes that continued bipartisan engagement is critical to the future of the industry.

Branca says much of advocacy boils down to education and often reeducation. With frequent turnover in Washington, new members of Congress and their staff members must continually be introduced to the fundamentals of franchising.

“Most members of Congress don’t understand franchising,” Branca says. “And even after we explain it, new people come in, and we need to explain it again. It’s a continuing education process.”

That education also involves dispelling a common misconception that franchisees are simply extensions of massive corporations. “We’re not part of a big publicly traded McDonald’s corporation,” Branca says. “We’re a small business owner in our town. We support our Little League, donate to the food bank, and run a family business.”

Branca says that one of the most effective strategies to help cut through the barriers is putting a local face on the issues. That’s why, he says, franchisees should invite their lawmakers to visit their locations, meet employees, and see firsthand what it takes to run the business.

“It’s very impactful for them,” he says. “Members of Congress want to hear from the person in their district, the local taxpayer, the local employer, the local philanthropist. You’re putting a face to the name of the local business. It’s not Dunkin’; it’s Rob and his family business.”

Beyond his own role, Branca finds joy in watching first-time attendees at the Summit catch what he calls “Potomac Fever.” Seeing new advocates realize they can walk into public buildings and speak directly with their lawmakers, he says, is both inspiring and vital to sustaining the movement.

He also praised the IFA for its leadership in organizing the Summit. But, he says, the event is only the beginning. “There’s more that can be done—and is being done—throughout the year,” he says.

Branca says advocacy is never a one-and-done effort. It’s about persistence, personal engagement, and ensuring that policymakers understand the unique role of franchisees as local business owners.

Without that constant effort, he warned, franchising risks being swept into broad legislation designed for giant corporations. “If we don’t explain how a piece of legislation will affect us, then no one else will do it for us,” he says. “It’s incumbent upon us to do it.”

At the 2025 IFA Advocacy Summit, Branca and hundreds of others once again made sure franchising had a voice on Capitol Hill. It’s the sound of a voice rooted in local communities but amplified through collective, bipartisan advocacy.