Entrepreneur Magazine's 36th Annual Franchise 500® Released

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Entrepreneur magazine's 36th annual Franchise 500^® welcomes Hampton Hotels back to its top spot in the ranking. This is the fourth time in five years the hotel brand has been number one. Anytime Fitness, Subway, Jack in the Box and Supercuts follow in the ranks, respectively.

There are signs of growth and international expansion across the listing. The companies in the Franchise 500^® added 16,229 units between 2013 and 2014, and 55 percent of those were outside the United States. Quick-service restaurants are the largest Franchise 500^® segment, with a majority of new franchisors falling in the fast-casual category, offering quality food, a good atmosphere and embracing the "build your own" model. They compete with long-standing fast-food names that are fighting back with remodels for more upscale appearances and healthier menu options. Other sectors at the forefront of growth include maintenance, personal care and children's businesses.

"We're seeing the franchise world boom by capitalizing on new global markets, but for top names it's not simply about increasing the number of units," says Amy Cosper, VP and editor in chief of Entrepreneur. "These companies have honed their unique cultures and want to extend those values and quality offerings anywhere they are. They know that having every individual franchisor domestic or abroad support this mission is the key to continued success."

The rankings for all 500 companies are determined using an exclusive formula that takes into account objective and quantifiable factors. An independent CPA analyzes all financial data. The most important factors include financial strength and stability, growth rate and size of the system. All franchises are given a cumulative score, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500^® in ranking order.

In addition to the ranking, Entrepreneur's annual Franchise 500^® issue takes a closer look at the top 10 companies, the return of Jack in the Box to the top five and newcomer Flippin' Pizza. There are also details on notable women in franchising, how companies can keep up with constant change, questions to ask before buying a franchise, and more special features related to today's franchise world.

To view the full ranking and any of these related stories, pick up a copy of the January 2015 issue of Entrepreneur on newsstands now, or visit www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500.

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SOURCE Entrepreneur Magazine

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