Olive Garden restaurants don’t franchise, although parent company Darden Restaurants does offer other franchises overseas. But a large activist shareholder has been pushing for major changes at Darden, including a proposal to franchise the company’s brands, notably Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, starting in markets where the brands have lower presence. – Read more in Franchise …
Small Business Optimism Rises Slightly In August Amid ‘Wait and See’ Attitude
August logged the second-best Small Business Optimism Index since October 2007, but the modest uptick was characterized as “glum” as business owners remain uncertain about immediate growth prospects. The monthly index from the National Federation of Independent Businesses rose 0.4 points to 96.1.The survey of NFIB members started in 1986 with a baseline of 100, …
Calif. Court Upholds Franchise Model As New Challenges Loom
The franchising industry has won support from the California Supreme Court in ruling that says local franchise owners are responsible for their employment practices, not the franchisor chain. At the same time, the National Labor Relations Board continues to weigh “joint employer” status for McDonald’s in other disputes, and union organizers plan fast-food strikes this week …
Consumer Confidence Beats Expectations, Rises Again to Another Post-Recession High
Consumer confidence – one of the biggest drivers of economic growth and a key factor in franchise and small-business investment – surprised analysts and rose again in August for the fourth month in a row. The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey, rose to 92.4 in August, up 2.1 points from July’s revised 90.3 reading. Economists had expected …
Consumer interest in buying a franchise is on the rise again, up 28% over last year
Norfolk, VA – In another sign that the small-business economy wants to grow, online traffic to the largest franchise-investment websites surged 27.6% in July over the previous year, according to internal analytics data. The rising tide of interest actually picked up its pace, which is unusual for summer months. Second-quarter visits were up 18% year-over-year …
Growth Tactics: Franchises Offer Veteran Incentives, Win-a-Franchise Contests
Contests to win a franchise and incentives for vetarans are two tactics that currently promoted by franchisors looking to expand their locations: JDog Junk Removal has launched an expansion program offering its franchise solely to military veterans and their families. It currently has four U.S. locations – VetFran 7-Eleven has increased its franchise fee discount for …