2024 Fast & Serious Winners: 21-30

QC Kinetix is on a growth tear. The regenerative medicine franchise bursts onto the Fast & Serious list at No. 1 as system sales grew a staggering 1,051.5 percent over three years and it produced similarly strong unit gains. CEO Scott Hoots credits the performance to a solid support infrastructure and demand for nonsurgical pain treatments he says improve peoples’ lives. Read more from Hoots and check out tactics from 39 more franchise leaders in this exclusive research project that identifies sustainably growing brands.

Articles by Megan Glenn, Joe Halpern, Matthew Liedke, Laura Michaels and Emilee Wentland; Research by Matt Haskin

#21 Jersey Mike’s Subs

Sandwich shops

Jersey Mike’s is continuing its growth trajectory, and President Hoyt Jones said it all starts with finding the right franchisees. “I think we have a solid group of franchisees who’re focused on operations,” Jones said. “We have a significant vetting process, because we thrive on active ownership. We want our franchisees to be the right cultural fit, those who are aggressive in giving back to the community, and take care of customers and employees.” That approach is yielding results. Jersey Mike’s hit 2,400 units to end 2022, up 29.4 percent from 2020, and during that same three-year period its systemwide sales grew 68 percent, to $2.68 billion. Jones said Jersey Mikes makes its strategy work through a dedication to training. “We double down on training every year,” Jones said. “We’re very focused on making sure we’re well trained and we’ve done about 5,000 sessions out in the field” in 2023. “We go into stores and go over fundamentals, teaching the basics of making a great sub, and we continue to increase the number we’re doing every year, so they’re getting the guidance and reinforcement to do better.”

#22 Clean Eatz

Fast-casual restaurants

Don and Evonne Varady, the co-founders and owners of Clean Eatz, said they wouldn’t be able to more than double their sales in the last several years if they didn’t make franchisee success a priority. “Driving sustainable growth in the economy we live in means franchisee profitability,” Don Varady said. “Without that, you don’t get the sustainable growth. There’s that statistic that there’s 700-some odd franchise concepts in the country and only 4 percent make it to 100 units. I think there’s a big reason why that stat exists. I think a lot of franchise systems might put franchisee profitability behind other priorities, and that’s why they die quickly.” Clean Eatz, a fast-casual brand with a healthy menu, grew systemwide sales 115.7 percent from 2020 to 2022, hitting $76 million from 87 locations. Evonne Varady said the success can also be attributed to building brand awareness at the ground level. “We’ve found that getting boots on the ground marketing is what really has been driving our people through the door,” she said. “Our franchise partners are back in the gyms now that COVID is done, getting back into doing lunch-and-learns and being involved in their communities. That’s what we’ve told them to do from day one. We’re a people business, so making those relationships has been the best thing for us, versus paying for a social media ad.”

#23 The Joint Chiropractic

Chiropractic clinics

System sales for The Joint Chiropractic grew 67.4 percent from 2020 to 2022, the three-year period analyzed for this project, increasing from $260 million to $435 million. CEO Peter Holt said the increase is driven by the brand’s dedication to unit economics and the franchise model itself. “There are other pieces to the overall business,” Holt said. “But if you stay focused on those, it will help you overcome all the challenges you will face. The power of the franchise model is an extraordinary relationship between the franchisee and franchisor, like-minded people building a brand. If you can unleash the power of that relationship, it’s extraordinary what can be achieved.” The Joint is likewise driving unit growth, hitting 838 in 2022, growth of 44.7 percent. To continue that trajectory, Holt said educating potential franchisees about the possibility of ownership is part of the brand’s strategy. “The majority of expected franchisees don’t understand that chiropractic care can be franchised,” Holt said. “A lot of them know about hamburger chains and coffee brands, but not as many with chiropractic. They also don’t know you don’t need to be a doctor of chiropractic to own a franchise. About 30 percent of our franchisees are chiropractic doctors, but 70 percent are owners who’re hiring the doctors.”

#24 Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream

Ice cream & treat stores

Handel’s Ice Cream has a simple mantra it follows: “Embrace tradition and inspire growth.” The brand’s distinction, said CEO Rich Matherne, “lies in our commitment to tradition, going back to our founder, Alice Handel. It’s the dedication to our guests, our freshly made ice cream and our communities that attracts franchisees to our system.” Matherne said the brand doesn’t settle for any owner, either, as prospective franchisees must have that same dedication. “We select partners who are not only excited to fuel our expansion, but want to uphold its rich traditions and core values as well,” he said. “During this phase of growth, we’ve been seeking franchisees deeply engaged in all facets of the business, who share a passion for hand-crafted ice cream and who aspire to create a positive influence in their community.” Those efforts are showing up in sales and unit growth. Handel’s finished 2022 with 94 stores and $82 million in systemwide sales. That’s unit growth of 51.6 percent and sales growth of 122.2 percent for the Youngstown, Ohio-based brand.

#25 Kitchen Tune-Up

Kitchen remodel services

Kitchen Tune-Up hit $107 million in systemwide sales in 2022, up 109.8 percent from its 2020 total of $51 million. That goes along with 37.8 percent unit growth for the same three-year period, to 270 units. President Heidi Morrissey said the brand’s success is a result of providing support to owners. “Our job as franchisors is to take the dreams of franchisees, put them into the model and find out how we can scale and grow those dreams,” Morrissey said. “I also think having a collective vision we all share together is how we get to these bigger goals and grow so fast.” Kitchen Tune-Up, which in late 2020 was acquired by multi-concept platform company Home Franchise Concepts, also aims to help franchisees unlock the potential that exists in the remodeling industry. “There’s always opportunity to grow the ticket side of the business,” Morrissey said. “When we look at remodeling, we can consider what can be added on the supplier side that would grow the ticket, so that we’re taking on a bigger project. We also train our franchisees in sales so that the closing rate increases. The ability to close bigger and higher tickets, and close more of those jobs, those are strategies we’ve put in place.”

#26 Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux

Casual sports bars & restaurants

Sports teams make an effort to invest in their players to have success. Chris Dawson, CEO of Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, has the same mentality with his team. “The best strategy is always investing in your people,” Dawson said. “Whether it be our corporate team members, franchisees or restaurant staff, understanding your people and taking care of them is the most crucial component to sustainable growth. Our team-oriented mindset is always put first.” The commitment to franchisees and staff at Walk-On’s has fueled growth in both sales and units. From 2020 to 2022, sales grew by 97 percent, from $152 million to $299 million. The number of units, meanwhile, increased from 43 to 71 over the same time span. Dawson, who took over the chief executive role from Scott Taylor in June after more than five years at Driven Brands, noted a strong franchisor-franchisee relationship should go beyond the financial aspects of the business. “It’s ensuring franchisees have operational expertise and resources they need to thrive,” Dawson said. “From our side, by emphasizing this type of wholistic approach, we haven’t only attracted strong partners, but created a network of thriving restaurants.”

#27 Epcon Communities

Home construction services

Founded in 1986 and based in Ohio, Epcon Communities builds low-maintenance housing complexes for seniors. In early 2023, the brand announced new leadership, with Joel Rhoades becoming CEO and Brooks Longfellow taking the role of chief operating officer. The company lands on the Fast & Serious list for the first time, with sales up 60.7 percent from 2020 to 2022, hitting $764 million. Units, meanwhile, increased from 1,119 in 2020 to 1,501 in 2022, up 34.1 percent. Epcon Communities did not respond to requests for comment.

#28 College Hunks Hauling Junk

Moving & junk removal services

Systemwide sales at College Hunks Hauling Junk increased by more than $100 million between 2020 and 2022, hitting $260 million or growth of 73.1 percent. Those results don’t come from simply pushing a mantra of more sales, said Kelsie Ackman, senior vice president of franchise development and legal affairs. “If you don’t have the support on the back end to really make sure you’re growing smart, it’s ultimately going to fail,” Ackman said. “You have to grow methodically and strategically, and make it people first. We’ve made sure to have the right people in place and have everyone’s goals aligned.” As a franchisor, Ackman said College Hunks has established four pillars to follow to help its owners. “The first pillar is helping them get sales up and the second is making sure their profits at the end of the day are continuing to be accelerated,” she said. “If that is going right, ideally you will have satisfied franchisees, so you want to have owner fulfillment. Then, ultimately, the goal is to continue to attract additional franchise partners. That’s the circle that continues to flow when you have your focus in the right place.” That circle has also led to unit growth. The brand finished 2022 with 215 units, up 43.3 percent for the three-year period.

#29 ATC Healthcare

Health/medical staffing services

David Savitsky said growing a business sustainably comes from franchisees following the program. The CEO of ATC Healthcare said franchisees need to understand “they’re buying into the experience and expertise we have.” That expertise has helped the system grow sales nearly 100 percent from 2020 to 2022, reaching $231 million from 64 units. In recent years, that program hasn’t just involved the brand’s experience, though, as technology has become another major factor. “In our business we recruit personnel and deploy them to our clients’ work sites,” Savitsky said. “We just recently put in place a tracking system that is hooked into our recruiting ads at various places like Indeed. When someone clicks on it, they’re automatically entered into the tracking system and they can fill out applications and load their credentials directly. Another technology piece is a scheduling package that makes it easier for employees to take assignments and for our clients to put in openings.”

#30 Sky Zone

Family entertainment parks

Sky Zone is back. The brand in 2015 made it to No. 2 on this ranking but hadn’t appeared on the list since 2019 as the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted its sales and unit growth. The trampoline park brand grew sales 206.6 percent from 2020 to 2022, hitting $426 million from 177 locations. Mike Revak, chief business officer, said what’s helped the brand grow after the pandemic has been a return to the basics and opportunity within the current economy. “We’re focusing on birthday parties and our membership programs,” Revak said. “We’ve also been able to take advantage of what I call the ‘trade-down economy.’ People aren’t always looking to have a full-blown Disney experience—some may not have the money to—but they can come to see us for 60 to 90 minutes.” Sky Zone has also benefited from more frequent visits. “Even though Sky Zone used to be a once-in-a-weekend kind of activity, now it’s becoming an after-school destination and sometimes more over the weekend,” Revak said. “Our memberships are also continuing to increase, with more taking advantage of that value.”

—Matthew Liedke