Top Restaurant Franchises for 2007 Order yourself a business with our listing of the top restaurant franchises for 2007.

For more on starting a restaurant, including equipment checklists, floor plans, how-to articles and listings of nearly 400 restaurant franchises, visit our Restaurant Center.

Why do so many Americans dream of owning a restaurant, but so few actually make the move? Facing an ultracompetitive restaurant industry and an overwhelming list of tasks, most would-be restaurateurs chicken out before you can say "soup's on."

That's where franchising comes in. In perhaps no other industry has franchising, with its standardized training and proven methods of operation, had such a huge effect. Thanks to the power of franchising, food businesses offering pizza, hamburgers, chicken, sandwiches and doughnuts have become household names. New restaurant franchises are always entering the market in hopes of becoming the next big thing. Consequently, franchises are available to suit practically every prospective restaurateur's dream.