2021 Dominators

By: Multi-Unit Franchisee | 3,118 Reads | 4 Shares

Featured in: Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine: Issue 4, 2021

2021 Dominators

Multi-unit and multi-brand operators continue to grow—and they’re getting bigger every year as these “dominators” grow their portfolios through acquisitions, new unit build-outs, refranchising, and scooping up successful units from retiring franchisees. This trend has only accelerated during Covid-19 as smaller and weaker operators sell to larger and stronger ones.

That’s why we have to provide an “asterisk” to the rankings again this year: they were compiled from FDDs created before and during the pandemic—and thus are not as representative as in the past as franchisees both large and small divest units, file for Chapter 11 protection, no longer exist (NPC International), or simply decide it’s time to retire or get out of the business.

On the upside, there are franchisees and brands that quickly adapted, were deemed “essential,” or whose business model accommodated the new normal (drive-thru, delivery, carryout, no contact, etc.). Banking on their good credit, solid infrastructure, and proven track record, these dominators are moving forward and creating historically large franchisee organizations that are changing the face of franchising.

Even during these pandemic times, they are still creating jobs by the thousands, hiring young employees and providing a career path for them to grow. They do business with local suppliers—lots of them! And they give back to their communities on a wide scale, encouraging their employees to support local organizations and charities—especially now. No franchisee gets to the top without years of hard work, sacrifice, perseverance, and an unwavering desire to be the best. So congratulations to this year’s Dominators!

LARGEST FRANCHISEES BY STATE

STATE (and D.C.)	LARGEST FRANCHISEE	UNITS
ALABAMA	TACALA	109
ALASKA	MICHAEL DAVIDSON; SUBWAY DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA (tie)	21
ARIZONA	DESERT DE ORO FOODS	171
ARKANSAS	K-MAC ENTERPRISES	91
CALIFORNIA	G&M OIL CO	296
COLORADO	FLYNN RESTAURANT GROUP	92
CONNECTICUT	WENDPARTNERS FRANCHISE GROUP	44
D.C.	TEAM WASHINGTON	9
DELAWARE	MICHAEL A MEOLI	16
FLORIDA	NPC INTERNATIONAL	178
GEORGIA	GPS HOSPITALITY	101
HAWAII	KAZI MANAGEMENT	37
IDAHO	NPC INTERNATIONAL	30
ILLINOIS	DHANANI GROUP	204
INDIANA	CARROLS GROUP	89
IOWA	MERCHANT INVESTMENTS	40
KANSAS	ROTTINGHAUS	150
KENTUCKY	FOURTEEN FOODS	63
LOUISIANA	GPS HOSPITALITY	120
MAINE	FQSR (DBA KBP FOODS)	27
MARYLAND	NPC INTERNATIONAL	97
MASSACHUSETTS	HK ENTERPRISES	77
MICHIGAN	VISION GROWTH PARTNERS/SUPER C GROUP	69
MINNESOTA	BORDER FOODS	84
MISSISSIPPI	NPC INTERNATIONAL	131
MISSOURI	FLYNN RESTAURANT GROUP	125
MONTANA	MERIDIAN RESTAURANTS	21
NEBRASKA	DHANANI GROUP	39
NEVADA	TERRIBLE HERBST	85
NEW HAMPSHIRE	PETER NAPOLI	32
NEW JERSEY	BRIAD RESTAURANT GROUP	58
NEW MEXICO	BOBBY MERRITT	69
NEW YORK	METRO FRANCHISING COMMISSARY	140
NORTH CAROLINA	CARROLS GROUP	150
NORTH DAKOTA	HOLLAND INVESTMENT GROUP	21
OHIO	CARROLS GROUP	116
OKLAHOMA	LOVE’S TRAVEL STOPS & COUNTRY STORES	101
OREGON	AMBROSIA QSR OREGON	56
PENNSYLVANIA	CHARTER FOODS	72
RHODE ISLAND	THE JAN COMPANIES	24
SOUTH CAROLINA	CAROLINA RESTAURANT GROUP	53
SOUTH DAKOTA	CAVE ENTERPRISES OPERATIONS	23
TENNESSEE	SW DEVELOPMENT OF EAST TN	93
TEXAS	SUN HOLDINGS	481
UTAH	SIZZLING PLATTER	62
VERMONT	VERMONT DONUT ENTERPRISES	15
VIRGINIA	BODDIE-NOELL ENTERPRISES	178
WASHINGTON	EMERALD CITY PIZZA	89
WEST VIRGINIA	LITTLE GENERAL STORE	47
WISCONSIN	CAVE ENTERPRISES OPERATIONS	93
WYOMING	GRAND MERE CAPITAL	20

ENTIRE U.S.
(50 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands)

MSA	FRANCHISED UNITS
LOS ANGELES-RIVERSIDE-ORANGE COUNTY, CA	18,463
NEW YORK-NORTHERN NEW JERSEY-LONG ISLAND, NY-NJ-CT-PA	18,185
CHICAGO-GARY-KENOSHA, IL-IN-WI	11,226
WASHINGTON-BALTIMORE, DC-MD-VA-WV	10,476
DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX	10,311
HOUSTON-GALVESTON-BRAZORIA, TX	8,991
ATLANTA, GA	8,426
SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-SAN JOSE, CA	7,637
BOSTON-WORCESTER-LAWRENCE, MA-NH-ME-CT	7,237
PHILADELPHIA-WILMINGTON-ATLANTIC CITY, PA-NJ-DE-MD	6,654
DETROIT-ANN ARBOR-FLINT, MI	6,315
PHOENIX-MESA, AZ	5,897
SEATTLE-TACOMA-BREMERTON, WA	4,918
DENVER-BOULDER-GREELEY, CO	4,675
MINNEAPOLIS-SAINT PAUL, MN-WI	4,615
MIAMI-FORT LAUDERDALE, FL	4,486
TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER, FL	4,260
SAN DIEGO, CA	3,808
ST. LOUIS, MO-IL	3,694
CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL, NC-SC	3,675
ORLANDO, FL	3,476
CLEVELAND-AKRON, OH	3,274
PORTLAND-SALEM, OR-WA	3,228
LAS VEGAS, NV-AZ	3,042
INDIANAPOLIS, IN	3,018
CINCINNATI-HAMILTON, OH-KY-IN	3,005
SAN ANTONIO, TX	2,964
RALEIGH-DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL, NC	2,919
AUSTIN-SAN MARCOS, TX	2,917
KANSAS CITY, MO-KS	2,869
SACRAMENTO-YOLO, CA	2,865
NASHVILLE, TN	2,812
NORFOLK-VIRGINIA BEACH-NEWPORT NEWS, VA-NC	2,682
PITTSBURGH, PA	2,623
COLUMBUS, OH	2,520
MILWAUKEE-RACINE, WI	2,347
JACKSONVILLE, FL	2,239
SALT LAKE CITY-OGDEN, UT	2,098
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK	2,022
WEST PALM BEACH-BOCA RATON, FL	1,909
RICHMOND-PETERSBURG, VA	1,853
HARTFORD, CT	1,814
GREENSBORO-WINSTON-SALEM-HIGH POINT, NC	1,794
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-ANDERSON, SC	1,769
LOUISVILLE, KY-IN	1,658
MEMPHIS, TN-AR-MS	1,597
NEW ORLEANS, LA	1,590
KNOXVILLE, TN	1,506
GRAND RAPIDS-MUSKEGON-HOLLAND, MI	1,488
BIRMINGHAM, AL	1,428
OMAHA, NE-IA	1,413
TULSA, OK	1,280
CHARLESTON-NORTH CHARLESTON, SC	1,270
DAYTON-SPRINGFIELD, OH	1,256
SARASOTA-BRADENTON, FL	1,192
LITTLE ROCK-NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR	1,124
COLUMBIA, SC	1,117
TUCSON, AZ	1,116
BUFFALO-NIAGARA FALLS, NY	1,098
ALBUQUERQUE, NM	1,084
FRESNO, CA	1,081
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO	1,080
FORT MYERS-CAPE CORAL, FL	1,046
BOISE CITY, ID	1,043
BATON ROUGE, LA	1,021
DES MOINES, IA	995
ROCHESTER, NY	993
MOBILE, AL	979
LEXINGTON, KY	973
ALBANY-SCHENECTADY-TROY, NY	963
HARRISBURG-LEBANON-CARLISLE, PA	916
MADISON, WI	915
CHATTANOOGA, TN-GA	914
EL PASO, TX	900
WICHITA, KS	895
BAKERSFIELD, CA	888
HONOLULU, HI	861
PROVIDENCE-FALL RIVER-WARWICK, RI-MA	849
AUGUSTA-AIKEN, GA-SC	838
ALLENTOWN-BETHLEHEM-EASTON, PA	827
DAYTONA BEACH, FL	817
STOCKTON-LODI, CA	806
MELBOURNE-TITUSVILLE-PALM BAY, FL	792
JACKSON, MS	781
TOLEDO, OH	769
LAKELAND-WINTER HAVEN, FL	765
FAYETTEVILLE-SPRINGDALE-ROGERS, AR	763
HUNTSVILLE, AL	739
PENSACOLA, FL	738

LARGEST FRANCHISEES BY REGION

WEST (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)	UNITS
G&M OIL CO	296
HARMAN MANAGEMENT	249
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PIZZA	235
TARGET	160
TEAM CAR CARE	150
MOUNTAIN WEST (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)	UNITS
NPC INTERNATIONAL	125
FLYNN RESTAURANT GROUP	119
HARMAN MANAGEMENT	106
SIZZLING PLATTER	96
ALVARADO CONCEPTS	79
SOUTHWEST (AZ, NV, NM)	UNITS
DESERT DE ORO FOODS	180
BOBBY MERRITT	118
TERRIBLE HERBST	85
STINE ENTERPRISES	79
QUALITY BRAND GROUP	63
PLAINS (IA, KS, MO, NE, ND, OK, SD)	UNITS
ROTTINGHAUS	285
FLYNN RESTAURANT GROUP	275
NPC INTERNATIONAL	215
LOVE’S TRAVEL STOPS & COUNTRY STORES	163
K-MAC ENTERPRISES	153
SOUTH (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, IA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA)	UNITS
NPC INTERNATIONAL	937
SUN HOLDINGS	624
MUY BRANDS	468
FQSR (DBA KBP FOODS)	407
ARAMARK	334
MIDWEST (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)	UNITS
DHANANI GROUP	304
CARROLS GROUP	272
FQSR (DBA KBP FOODS)	225
BORDER FOODS	172
MUY BRANDS	156
EAST (DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, WV)	UNITS
CARROLS GROUP	229
NPC INTERNATIONAL	167
METRO FRANCHISING COMMISSARY	140
MUY BRANDS	129
HMSHOST	120
NEW ENGLAND (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)	UNITS
DHANANI GROUP	100
HK ENTERPRISES	94
FLYNN RESTAURANT GROUP	62
WENDPARTNERS FRANCHISE GROUP	57
CHARTER FOODS	52