The Hottest Franchise Trends for 2023 Looking for a business to buy in 2023? We predict which franchise categories will thrive, and list top brands available in each.

By Tracy Stapp Herold

This story appears in the December 2022 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »

Where are the best business opportunities of 2023? We have some ideas.

As each year draws to a close, we at Entrepreneur try to envision the year ahead for franchising. To do this, we start with some big questions: What's happening in the world, and what's predicted to happen? Which industries are attracting new franchises? Which established industries are experiencing high unit growth? Where's the most spending and excitement? Then we add a bit of the intuition we've gained over decades of covering this industry—and identify 10 categories we believe will thrive next year.

This year's list includes some categories that are regular winners, like chicken, health and wellness, pets, and restoration. But it also includes some that haven't been on our radar in a few years, like breakfast, fitness, and recreation.

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now and take this quiz to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

From there, we share the top franchises within those categories—which, in this case, includes more than 400 individual brands. Your next big opportunity might be in one of them. But keep in mind that inclusion in this listing is not a recommendation of any particular franchise. It's always important to do your homework before investing: Read the company's legal documents, consult with an attorney and an accountant, and talk to as many current and former franchisees as you can.

BreakfastChickenChildren's Education/EnrichmentFitnessHealth & WellnessMexican FoodPetsRecreationRestorationStaffing/Recruiting

Tracy Stapp Herold

Entrepreneur Staff

Tracy Stapp Herold is the special projects editor at Entrepreneur magazine. She works on franchise and business opportunity stories and listings, including the annual Franchise 500.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Starting a Business

A Teen With Cerebral Palsy Pitched a Creative Product in School. He Got a B- — Then Grew the Business to $5 Million a Year Anyway.

Drew Davis, founder of Crippling Hot Sauce, uses humor and business to make a major impact.

Business News

Amazon Is Ending an Important Privacy Feature for Alexa Echo Devices By the End of the Month

Customers are faced with a choice: Let Amazon listen in or stop using Alexa.

Business News

'Done a Lot of Difficult and Significant Things': Elon Musk Says These Current and Former CEOs Are the 'Smartest'

The once icy relationship between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos has appeared to thaw.

Business News

Generative AI Is Creating Power Struggles and 'Tearing Companies Apart,' According to a New Survey

More than one out of three executives surveyed said they found the adoption of generative AI at their companies to be a major disappointment.