Top 120 Restaurant Franchises All the information you need to get started
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
For tips on how to start your own restaurant in this economy click here.Everybody gets hungry. They get hungry for pretzels at the mall, something sweet after supper or wings while watching their favorite football team. And nobody likes to cook three meals a day, seven days a week-no matter how bad the economy gets. So buying a restaurant franchise could be the perfect opportunity for you, whether you're looking to serve up barbecue or burritos.
This listing showcases the 120 restaurant franchises organized by category, then by their rank in the 2009 Franchise 500?, Entrepreneur's comprehensive franchise ranking.
This ranking is not an endorsement of any of these franchise companies and is only intended as a starting point. You should only invest in a franchise after conducting your own extensive research, including carefully reading the Franchise Disclosure Document, contacting existing franchise owners, and consulting an attorney and an accountant.
Listing compiled by Tracy Stapp.
Baked goods
Dunkin' Donuts
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 36
Coffee, doughnuts, baked goods
Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 73
Hand-rolled soft pretzels
Pretzelmaker/Pretzel Time
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 99
Gourmet pretzels
Cinnabon
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 114
Cinnamon rolls & baked goods
Wetzel's Pretzels
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 228
Soft pretzels, lemonade, hot dogs
Nestle Toll House
Cafe by Chip
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 232
Cookies, baked goods, coffee, ice cream, smoothies
Great American Cookie Co. Franchising LLC
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 257
Cookies
Great Harvest Franchising Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 290
Bread bakery
Bruegger's
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 306
Bagels, breads, sandwiches, soups, salads
Big Apple Bagels
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 369
Bagels, sandwiches, gourmet coffee, muffins, smoothies
Philly Pretzel Factory
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 480
Pretzel bakery
ShutterstockCoffee
Scooter's Coffeehouse
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 340
Coffee, teas, smoothies, pastries, sandwiches
Daily Grind Unwind Coffee House & Cafe
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 360
Coffeehouse & cafe
Dunn Bros Coffee
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 367
Coffee
The Human Bean Drive Thru
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 380
Specialty coffee
Full-service restaurants
Denny's Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 25
Full-service family restaurant
CiCi's Pizza
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 91
All-you-can-eat pizza buffet
Golden Corral Franchising Systems Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 125
Family steakhouse, buffet & bakery
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise LLC
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 182
Family-style restaurant/ice cream
Beef 'O'Brady's
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 190
Family sports pub
The Melting Pot Restaurants Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 203
Fondue-specialty restaurant
Famous Dave's
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 216
Barbecue-themed restaurant
Boston Pizza Restaurants LP
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 338
Casual dining restaurant & sports bar
Western Sizzlin
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 421
Family steakhouse
Genghis Grill
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 442
Mongolian stir-fry restaurant
Indigo Joe's Sports Pub & Restaurant
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 455
Sports pub & restaurant
Native New Yorker
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 457
Sports bar
Bandana's Bar-B-Q
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 458
Barbecue restaurant
Bar-B-Cutie
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 463
Barbecue restaurant
Perkins Restaurant & Bakery
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 500
Family-style restaurant
Chicken
KFC Corp.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 14
Chicken
Chester's Int'l.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 74
Quick-service chicken restaurant
Buffalo Wild Wings
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 87
Buffalo wings & sandwiches
Wingstop Restaurants Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 97
Chicken wings
El Pollo Loco
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 150
Flame-grilled chicken meals & Mexican entrees
Bojangles' Restaurants Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 158
Chicken & biscuits
Wing Zone Franchise Corp.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 329
Buffalo wings takeout & delivery
Wings Over . . .
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 490
Chicken wings
Shutterstock | Enhanced by EntrepreneurHamburgers
McDonald's
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 2
Hamburgers, chicken, salads
Sonic Drive In Restaurants
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 4
Drive-in restaurant
Hardee's
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 26
Burgers, chicken, biscuits
Carl's Jr. Restaurants
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 62
Hamburgers
Checkers Drive-In
Restaurants Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 89
Burgers & fries
A & W Restaurants Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 199
Burgers, hot dogs, root beer
Farmer Boys
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 396
Hamburgers
Ice cream & frozen desserts
Baskin-Robbins USA Co.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 13
Ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen beverages
Dairy Queen
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 16
Soft-serve dairy products & sandwiches
Cold Stone Creamery
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 46
Ice cream, Italian sorbet
Rita's Italian Ice
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 76
Italian ices, frozen custard, gelati
Ben & Jerry's
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 120
Ice cream parlor
Dippin' Dots Franchising
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 175
Specialty ice cream, frozen
yogurt, ices, sherbert
Yogen Fruz
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 213
Frozen yogurt & soft-serve ice cream
The Haagen-Dazs Shoppe Co. Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 223
Ice cream & frozen yogurt
Marble Slab Creamery Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 244
Ice cream, frozen yogurt, baked goods
Bruster's Real Ice Cream
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 279
Homemade ice cream
MaggieMoo's Int'l. LLC
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 342
Ice cream, smoothies, cakes
Culver Franchising System Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 355
Frozen custard & specialty burgers
Cefiore
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 417
Frozen yogurt
Paciugo Italian Gelato
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 418
Gelato
Freddy's Frozen Custard LLC
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 441
Frozen custard, steak burgers, hot dogs
Repicci's Italian Ice
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 454
Italian ice
Ziiing Frozen Yogurt
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 460
Frozen yogurt
Juice bars
Smoothie King
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 67
Smoothies & healthy products
Robeks Fruit Smoothies & Healthy Eats
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 172
Fruit smoothies & healthy foods
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 176
Smoothies, sandwiches, wraps, coffee, soups
Juice It Up!
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 189
Juice bar
Surf City Squeeze
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 234
Smoothies, fruit drinks,
nutritional supplements
Nrgize Lifestyle Cafe
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 255
Smoothies, meal-replacement shakes, protein bars
Maui Wowi Hawaiian
Coffees & Smoothies
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 256
Hawaiian coffees & smoothies
Planet Smoothie
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 339
Smoothies & snacks
Froots
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 451
Smoothies, wraps, salads, soups, juices
Mexican quick service
Taco Bell Corp.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 20
Quick-service Mexican restaurant
Qdoba Mexican Grill
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 94
Fast-casual Mexican food
Moe's Southwest Grill
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 113
Fast-casual Southwestern food
Taco John's Int'l. Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 152
Mexican food
TacoTime
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 204
Quick-service Mexican restaurant
Salsarita's Fresh Cantina
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 411
Fresh-Mex-style cantina
Pizza
Pizza Hut
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 7
Pizza
Papa John's Int'l. Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 10
Pizza
Domino's Pizza LLC
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 41
Pizza, breadsticks, buffalo wings
Papa Murphy's
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 51
Take-and-bake pizza
Hungry Howie's Pizza & Subs
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 93
Pizza, subs, salads
Fox's Pizza Den
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 208
Pizza, sandwiches, salads, wings
RedBrick Pizza
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 235
Fast-casual pizza restaurant
Marco's Franchising LLC
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 236
Pizza & submarine sandwiches
The Pizza Ranch
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 305
Pizza, chicken, wraps
Z Pizza
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 317
Pizza, salads, sandwiches,
calzones
Pizza Factory Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 351
Pizza, pasta, sandwiches
Donatos Pizza
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 372
Pizzas & sandwiches
Figaro's Pizza
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 374
Baked pizza & take-and-bake pizza
Ledo Pizza System Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 378
Pizza, subs, pasta
Gatti's Pizza
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 382
Pizza, pasta, salads, sandwiches
Mellow Mushroom
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 385
Pizza, calzones, hoagies, salads
Famous Famiglia
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 401
Pizza
Russo's New York Pizzeria
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 462
Pizza, pasta, salads, sandwiches
Salad Restaurants
Saladworks
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 272
Salads, soups, wraps, paninis
Salad Creations Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 388
Salads, wraps, soups
Sandwiches
Subway
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 1
Submarine sandwiches & salads
Arby's
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 18
Sandwiches, chicken, salads
Quiznos Sub
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 50
Submarine sandwiches, soups, salads
Jimmy John's Gourmet
Sandwich Shops
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 53
Gourmet sandwiches
Firehouse Subs
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 90
Submarine sandwiches
Charley's Grilled Subs
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 132
Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, grilled subs, fries, salads
McAlister's Deli
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 136
Southern-style upscale deli
Pita Pit Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 157
Pita sandwiches
Jersey Mike's Subs
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 168
Submarine sandwiches & salads
Schlotzsky's
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 181
Sandwiches & pizza
Lenny's Sub Shop
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 183
Philly cheesesteak & sub
sandwiches
Extreme Pita
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 192
Pita wrap sandwiches
Penn Station East Coast Subs
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 206
Specialty sandwiches
Which Wich? Superior Sandwiches
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 258
Sandwiches, milkshakes, cookies
The Great Steak & Potato Co.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 296
Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, fries, baked potatoes
Blimpie
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 348
Submarine sandwiches & salads
The Steak Escape
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 384
Grilled sandwiches, baked
potatoes, salads
Spicy Pickle
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 395
Paninis, salads, subs, soups, pizzetti
Port of Subs
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 397
Submarine sandwiches & salads
Miscellaneous quick service
Long John Silver's
Restaurants Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 32
Fish & chicken
Hot Stuff Foods LLC
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 81
Fast-food systems for
nontraditional markets
Nathan's Famous Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 166
Hot dogs, hamburgers, seafood, chicken, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches
Blendz Franchise System Inc.
2009 Franchise 500 ranking: 423
Salads, paninis, smoothies, soups
