Franchise Times

What Franchise Times does

Franchise Times Corp. is a privately held B2B media company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that has covered the U.S. franchise industry since 1988. Its core product is a monthly print magazine supplemented by a daily-updated digital edition at franchisetimes.com (delivered via the Flowpaper platform), four specialized email newsletters (Top Stories, Dealmakers, Special Delivery, The Wire) and active social channels across Facebook, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. The product portfolio is anchored by recurring proprietary research: the annual Top 400 ranking of the largest U.S. franchise systems by systemwide sales, the Restaurant 200, Fast & Serious growth list, Legal Eagles attorney ranking and the Zor Awards buy-rating list. Coverage verticals include franchise news, finance, fitness franchise, multi-unit development and M&A, with the Dealmakers franchise now in its 14th year.

The business operates four monetization streams: (1) print and digital advertising on franchisetimes.com plus dedicated emails, sponsored articles and newsletter banners; (2) subscriptions priced at $35/yr or $59/2yr, with complimentary tiers for qualified franchisors and franchisees; (3) annual conferences and trade shows including the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference (co-produced with Restaurant Finance Monitor), the Franchise Investment Show, and the Fitness Finance Conference; and (4) lead-generation products spanning the Vendor Directory, Finance & Real Estate Directory, whitepapers and webinars. Subscriptions are distributed globally in digital form, while the print edition is U.S.-only. Customer segments are horizontal across the franchise value chain: franchisors, franchisees (with multi-unit operators as an emphasized sub-group) and a broad 'allied to industry' cohort of lenders, private equity, law firms, accountants, consultants, real estate firms and insurance providers.

The company is led by Publisher/VP Mary Jo Larson, Editor in Chief Laura Michaels and a small full-time team spanning editorial (Managing Editor, Senior Writers, Reporters, Columnists), sales (National Sales Director, Associate Publisher, Sales Assistant), conference services (three roles), digital/development and finance/administration. The technology stack is largely commodity publishing infrastructure — a townnews CMS, Flowpaper for digital editions, and Formstack for subscription forms — with no proprietary AI, no documented API/SDK offering, and no disclosed funding events, acquisitions or parent company. The sole co-production partnership is with Restaurant Finance Monitor for the flagship finance conference, and minor technology integrations are with Flowpaper and Formstack.

Name

Franchise Times

Legal name

Franchise Times Corp.

Website

https://franchisetimes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Franchise Times Corp. is a privately held B2B media company covering the U.S. franchise industry through a monthly print magazine, daily digital news, proprietary rankings, segmented newsletters, and lead-generation conferences and directories for franchisors, franchisees, and allied service providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Franchise Industry Trade Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C) (MPAJADAJ)

Keywords

• Franchise industry media
• Trade publishing
• Business media
• Industry news coverage
• Advertising and events

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine and Digital Advertising: Print advertising in Franchise Times magazine, digital advertising on FranchiseTimes.com, banner advertising, dedicated emails, sponsored articles, and e-newsletter banner advertising
2. Subscriptions: Annual and multi-year subscription sales to franchisors, franchisees, and allied industry professionals. Complimentary subscriptions offered to qualified franchisors and franchisees.
3. Conferences and Events: Restaurant Finance & Development Conference sponsorship and attendance. Franchise Investment Show participation. Event ticket sales and sponsor packages.
4. Lead Generation Products: Whitepapers, webinars, Vendor Directory listings, Finance & Real Estate Directory listings generating leads for service providers in the franchise space

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Franchise Times operates a B2B media platform delivering franchise industry news, analysis, and proprietary research through a monthly print magazine, daily-updated website, specialized email newsletters, and signature annual rankings (Top 400, Restaurant 200, Fast & Serious, Legal Eagles, Zor Awards, Dealmakers). The company monetizes its audience reach through advertising sales, paid and complimentary subscriptions, conference sponsorships and tickets, vendor/finance directories, and lead-generation products such as white papers and webinars targeted at franchisors, franchisees, and allied industry service providers.

Product overview

Franchise Times operates as a unified media and research platform delivering franchise industry coverage through both print and digital channels. The core offering consists of the Franchise Times Magazine (print publication with monthly issues dating back to 2006), the digital platform at franchisetimes.com featuring daily news updates, and signature research products including the annual Top 400 ranking (largest franchise systems), Restaurant 200 (restaurant-specific ranking), Fast & Serious list (fastest-growing concepts), and Zor Awards (top brands to buy). Supporting the editorial content are subscription-based newsletters (Top Stories, Dealmakers, Special Delivery, The Wire) and annual conferences (Restaurant Finance & Development Conference, Franchise Investment Show, Fitness Finance Conference). Additional revenue streams include the Vendor Directory and Finance & Real Estate Directory connecting franchise operators with service providers, plus White Papers and Webinars for industry education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Franchise Times Magazine Monthly print magazine delivering in-depth franchise industry reporting, cover stories, profiles, and proprietary rankings for franchisors, franchisees, and allied industry suppliers.
• Top 400 Franchise Ranking Annual proprietary research report ranking the 400 largest franchise systems in the U.S. by systemwide sales, providing comprehensive benchmarks for the franchise industry.
• Restaurant 200 Ranking Annual proprietary ranking of the 200 largest restaurant franchise systems, providing segment-specific sales and unit data.
• Fast & Serious Ranking Annual proprietary ranking identifying franchise brands with the strongest sales and unit growth metrics.
• Legal Eagles Annual proprietary ranking recognizing the top franchise law attorneys in the United States.
• Zor Awards Annual proprietary awards identifying the top franchise brands to buy across 10 industry categories based on profitability for operators.
• Dealmakers Program Annual awards and editorial program recognizing the top players driving franchise M&A activity, including a virtual Dealmakers Week event on financing and valuation.
• Franchise Times Email Newsletters A suite of four specialized email newsletters covering magazine highlights, M&A activity, editor's picks, and multi-unit development deals for franchise industry professionals.
• Restaurant Finance & Development Conference Annual conference connecting franchise brands with operators, investors, and lenders for networking and deal-making in franchise finance and development.
• Franchise Investment Show Trade show event connecting franchise brands with prospective franchisees and investors.
• Fitness Finance Conference Annual conference connecting fitness franchise leaders with resources for site selection, equipment financing, and operational scaling.
• Vendor Directory Online directory connecting franchise brands with vendors offering services in technology, legal, accounting, insurance, site selection, HR, and marketing.
• Finance & Real Estate Directory Online directory of lenders, real estate professionals, and financial service providers serving franchise operators.
• White Papers Sponsored research reports and industry analysis covering franchise trends, financing, and best practices, used for lead generation.
• Webinars Sponsored online educational sessions covering franchise development, financing, and operational strategies, used for lead generation.
• Franchise Times Print and Digital Subscriptions Annual and multi-year subscriptions to the Franchise Times magazine and digital edition, with complimentary options available to qualified franchisors and franchisees.
• Advertising Solutions Print, digital, newsletter banner, dedicated email, and sponsored content advertising sold to franchisors and allied industry companies seeking reach to franchise decision-makers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Comprehensive franchise industry coverage spanning multiple segments including restaurants, fitness, automotive, cleaning services, and more
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Restaurant Finance MonitorcoreOthersCo-produces the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference with Restaurant Finance Monitor, bringing together franchise finance professionals for annual industry event

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Global Franchise Magazine: Global Franchise is a UK-based franchise industry publication covering international franchising with its own rankings and events. It is comparable to Franchise Times on editorial scope but serves a primarily non-US audience and does not directly compete in the same territory.

Broad incumbents

• Restaurant Business: Restaurant Business publishes news, research, and rankings covering chain and franchise restaurants, including the Top 500 chain restaurant ranking. It is a competing source of restaurant franchise intelligence and advertising inventory for the same franchisor audience.
• QSR Magazine: QSR Magazine covers quick-service and fast-casual restaurant brands with print, digital, and event properties. It overlaps with Franchise Times on the restaurant franchise segment but does not cover non-restaurant franchising such as fitness, services, or home care.
• Nation's Restaurant News: Nation's Restaurant News covers the restaurant industry broadly, including franchise restaurant brands that are a primary audience for Franchise Times. Overlap is strongest in the Restaurant 200 ranking and Restaurant Finance & Development Conference content, where both compete for restaurant advertiser dollars.
• Entrepreneur Media (Entrepreneur.com): Entrepreneur Media publishes Entrepreneur magazine and Entrepreneur.com, with franchise as one of several core coverage verticals alongside startups and small business. It competes for general franchisor advertising and franchise-investor readership but does not specialize exclusively in franchising like Franchise Times does.

Direct peers

• Franchise Journal: Franchise Journal is a niche franchise industry publication covering franchising news and franchise opportunities. It is a smaller direct competitor to Franchise Times targeting prospective franchisees and franchisors with directory and advertising offerings.
• 1851 Franchise: 1851 Franchise is a digital-first franchise media outlet that publishes franchise news, development rankings, and a magazine while also running the 1851 Growth Conference. It competes head-to-head with Franchise Times for franchisor advertising budgets and franchise development event sponsorship.
• Franchise Update Media Group: Franchise Update Media Group produces Franchise Update magazine, Franchise Update International, and franchise development conferences (Franchise Consumer Marketing Conference, Social Media Marketing Summit). It is the most direct competitor to Franchise Times, serving the same franchisor/franchisee audience with a parallel mix of print magazine, digital content, events, and lead generation.

Emerging players

• Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine: Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine targets multi-unit franchise operators with editorial coverage of development deals and franchisee-to-franchisee M&A. It overlaps with Franchise Times' The Wire newsletter and multi-unit deals coverage but is a more narrowly focused niche publication.

Others

• Networld Media Group (Pizza Marketplace, Fast Casual): Networld Media Group operates a portfolio of B2B food and restaurant trade media including Pizza Marketplace and Fast Casual, serving a similar advertiser base. It is an adjacent peer — overlapping on restaurant franchise advertisers — but does not directly compete with Franchise Times' general franchise industry focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FranTimes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZw6PYdlZgqmzCJ1i1mULzg
• Facebookfacebook.com/FranchiseTimesMagazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franchise-times-corporation
• Instagraminstagram.com/franchisetimesmag
• TikToktiktok.com/@franchise.times

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Franchise Times